A pro-North Korea group in Japan is urging all-out cheering for North Korean athletes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as a patriotic mission. North Korea plans to send about 100 athletes in 14 sports to the event, scheduled from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4. The Choson Sinbo said the campaign would show Chongryon and North Korean residents in Japan as a united force. Preparations reportedly include cheering towels and visits to support athletes in person.
North Korean athletes attend a welcoming ceremony at the Athlete's Village for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Sept. 22, 2023. Yonhap
A pro-North Korea group in Japan has called for all-out cheering for the North Korean delegation at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, describing the effort as part of a "patriotic" mission.
North Korea will send some 100 athletes to compete in 14 sports, including football, weightlifting, table tennis and wrestling, at the 2026 Asian Games, to be run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.
"Cheering for North Korean athletes is not merely a supporting work, but a popular patriotic business publicly showing off Chongryon and North Korean residents in Japan," an article carried by the Choson Sinbo, a Japan-based pro-North Korean newspaper, said Tuesday. Chongryon refers to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
