N. Korea’s Sports Minister Arrives for Asian Games, Becomes First Cabinet Minister to Visit in 8 Years
North Korean sports minister Kim Il Guk arrived in Japan on Thursday ahead of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, becoming the first North Korean cabinet minister to visit Japan in about eight years.
North Korean sports minister Kim Il Guk made a historic visit to Japan on Thursday, marking the first time a cabinet minister from North Korea has set foot in the country in nearly eight years. The arrival of Kim, who heads the North Korean delegation, took place ahead of the upcoming Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Kim entered Japan via China and touched down at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture. North Korea intends to send approximately 180 athletes and officials to the Asian Games, marking the largest delegation from the nation to visit Japan for a sporting event.
Notably, Kim was the last North Korean cabinet minister to visit Japan, doing so in November 2018 when he attended the Association of National Olympic Committees' assembly. While the Japanese government typically restricts entry for North Korean nationals as part of ongoing sanctions, it makes exceptions for such sporting events.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
