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North to send sizable team to 2026 Asian Games in Japan: report

Published: 14 Nov. 2025, 19:24

This image from the Choson Sinbo on Nov. 14 shows a students' reparation committee formed among Korean residents in Japan ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan. [CHOSON SINBO]

North Korea is expected to send a large-scale team to compete in next year's Asian Games in Japan, a pro-North Korea newspaper based in Japan reported Friday.

The Japan-based Choson Sinbo, considered to represent North Korea's official stance, reported the news in its Friday edition, noting the launch last month of an Asian Games preparation body by a sport unit of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.

The North Korean team to be dispatched may include athletes for both men's and women's football, weightlifting, judo, wrestling and other fields, according to the Choson Sinbo.

An official from the association's sports branch attended a recent meeting of representatives from participating countries, held in Nagoya in September, to represent the North Korean team, the newspaper said.

The 2026 Asian Games are scheduled to take place from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 next year in Japan's Aichi Prefecture, including capital city Nagoya.

Kyodo News has reported that North Korea plans to dispatch a delegation of up to 270 people, including around 150 athletes to complete in 17 events during the games.

Yonhap