North Korea withdraws from Asia Para Games after flag ban

The North Korean flies at the Athletes Village at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sept. 21. [AP/YONHAP]

North Korea has withdrawn from the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China after the Asian Paralympic Committee refused to permit the North Korean flag to be flown at the Games due the country’s non-compliance with global anti-doping regulations.

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“I can confirm that NPC DPRK has withdrawn from the Games,” a spokesperson for the Asian Paralaympic Committee told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an email Wednesday, referring to the National Paralympics Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country’s official name.

“They took this decision after they were informed by the Asian Paralympic Committee that, as stipulated by WADA, the country flag of DPRK would not appear at any venues during the Asian Para Games as DPRK is non-compliant with the WADA code.

“Whilst we are sorry that their athletes won’t be in Hangzhou, the Asian Paralympic Committee is a signatory to the WADA code and therefore needs to implement their rulings.”

North Korea was declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in October 2021 due to a lack of transparency or outside inspection of the North Korean anti-doping association. As a consequence, the North Korean flag is banned from being flown at any major sporting event other than the Olympics and Paralympics.

As a signatory, the Asian Paralympic Committee is required to follow the WADA sanction.

North Korea competed at the Hangzhou Asian Games despite that sanction, with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) actively choosing to ignore the WADA ban and allowing the North to compete under its own flag.

The OCA is also a WADA signatory, and could be censured or punished by WADA for allowing the North to use the flag in Hangzhou.

The Asian Paralympic Committee is an entirely separate organization and has chosen to follow the WADA treaty in its entirety.

The Asian Para Games officially begin in Hangzhou with the opening ceremony on Sunday, although some wheelchair basketball, badminton, boccia and lawn bowls events will start as early as Thursday. The multi-sport tournament ends on Oct. 28.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]