Yonhap Sports1 hour agoSports1 min readSouth Korea

Japan Considers Allowing North Korean Delegation to Enter for Asian Games

Quick Look

Japan is reviewing whether to allow North Korean athletes and officials to enter the country for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, despite existing sanctions banning North Korean nationals, with Tokyo considering an exception similar to past sporting events; the North Korean delegation is expected to include around 180 people, while South Korea will send 792 athletes and 260 officials.

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Why It Matters

Japan maintains sanctions banning North Korean nationals from entering the country due to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, but has previously made exceptions for international sporting events, such as allowing North Korea's women's football team to enter for a Paris Olympic qualifier in February 2024.

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SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- Tokyo is reviewing whether to allow North Korean athletes and officials to enter Japan for the upcoming Asian Games, a Japanese media outlet reported Monday, citing a government source.

Kyodo News said Tokyo is considering allowing North Korean delegates to enter Japan for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled for Sept. 19-Oct. 4.

Japan's sanctions on North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development ban North Korean nationals from entering Japan, but the country has previously made exceptions for international sporting events, such as a Paris Olympic qualifier held there in February 2024, when members of North Korea's women's football team were allowed to enter the country.

The North Korean delegation to the upcoming Asian Games is expected to consist of around 180 people, Kyodo reported, citing an official from the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.

It would be the largest-ever North Korean delegation to visit Japan for a sporting event.

South Korea, meanwhile, will send 792 athletes to compete in 41 sports, accompanied by 260 officials, according to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

Open Questions

Will Japan ultimately approve the entry of North Korean delegates for the Asian Games?
What specific conditions or safeguards might Japan impose if entry is allowed?
How might this decision affect Japan's broader sanctions policy toward North Korea?