Japanese Media: "North Korea Sends 200 Delegates to Hangzhou Asian Games"

North Korea, which has been absent from the international stage for about three years, is reportedly planning to send a delegation of around 200 athletes to the Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China, this September, Japanese Kyodo News reported on the 13th.

Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium Panorama [Image Source=Yonhap News]

A source familiar with North Korean affairs told Kyodo News that North Korea has registered a delegation of about 200 people, including athletes, coaches, and officials, for the Hangzhou Asian Games.

ANN, a Japanese private broadcasting network, also reported the previous day that North Korea has registered a delegation of several hundred athletes for the Hangzhou Asian Games and may send a female cheering squad. North Korea is expected to participate in football, swimming, and dragon boat racing.

North Korea has strictly restricted cross-border movement since 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Kyodo News conveyed a source’s speculation that North Korea might ease overseas travel restrictions before the Hangzhou Asian Games.

North Korea sent two representatives to the Asian Games preliminary meeting held in Hangzhou on the 26th of last month to express its intention to participate. From the 28th to the 30th of last month, two North Korean male athletes attracted attention by competing in the East Asian Karate Championships held in Taizhou, China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.