North Korea is sending a larger-than-expected delegation to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, with a report saying about 180 people will compete in 14 sports. The team is expected to seek medals in women’s football, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. The move comes as inter-Korean relations remain strained and Japan makes exceptions to its entry ban for sporting exchanges.
The North Korean delegation arrives at the welcoming ceremony at the 2022 Asian Games Athletes’ Village flag plaza in Hangzhou, China, Sept. 22, 2022. Yonhap
North Korea, seeking gold medals in women’s football, table tennis, weightlifting and other sports, has begun its journey to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The North is expected to encounter South Korean athletes amid some of the coldest inter-Korean relations in years, following the recent confirmation that Pyongyang has removed references to “unification” and “the Korean nation” from the rules of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News, a North Korean delegation of about 60 people arrived in Beijing on a flight from Pyongyang on Tuesday. The delegation is expected to enter Japan as early as Thursday with permission from the Japanese government.
