(Asiad) N. Korean sports minister arrives in Japan ahead of Asian Games
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's sports minister and chef de mi...
North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il-guk and his delegation arrived in Japan on September 17, two days prior to the opening of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya. Kim, who also heads the Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, flew into Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya from China. This marks the first time in eight years that a North Korean ministerial-level official has visited Japan.
The ban on North Korean nationals entering Japan due to Pyongyang's nuclear program was temporarily lifted for the Asian Games, which run for 16 days. North Korea plans to send a 188-member delegation, including 107 athletes in 14 sports, with a focus on winning gold medals in weightlifting, wrestling, and boxing. The men's and women's football teams have already arrived and played preliminary matches, but schedules for other teams remain undisclosed.
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