China: "All 45 Member Countries to Participate in Asian Games"… First Confirmation of North Korea's Participation

The General Administration of Sport of China and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee have virtually confirmed North Korea's participation, stating that "all 45 countries and regions have applied to participate."

At a press conference held on the 14th, one day before D-100, the organizing committee stated, "Some countries will send their largest-ever delegations." The Asian Games are open to 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and North Korea is also a member country.

Hangzhou Huanglong Sports Center Stadium Photo by Yonhap News

Although North Korea has not participated on the international stage since the outbreak of COVID-19, foreign media reports have continued that it has registered a delegation of about 200 athletes for the Hangzhou Asian Games.

The organizing committee explained, "Preparations for 56 venues have been completed and inspections have been conducted, creating conditions for a successful event," adding, "Final checks are being made on event operations and venue facilities." They also said, "Test events have already been held at 42 venues, and test matches will be conducted at the remaining venues to inspect and improve facilities to ensure the event proceeds smoothly."

China will send more than 900 athletes to this event. This is similar in scale to the 977 athletes who participated in the 16th Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China, in 2001, which was the largest ever.

South Korea will also send its largest-ever delegation of 1,180 members, including athletes and coaching staff. The Hangzhou Asian Games will open on September 23 and conclude on October 8. Originally scheduled for September last year, the event was postponed to this year due to the spread of COVID-19.

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