The North Korean delegation participating in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games attended the opening ceremony with bright expressions.
During the opening ceremony held at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya this afternoon (19th), the North Korean delegation entered as the 8th among all 46 participating delegations, following China, in alphabetical order of their English country name (DPR Korea).
Female boxer Hwang Hyo-sun (27) and male table tennis player Woo Tae-ryong (26) stood at the front of the delegation as flag bearers.
Dressed in uniform dark blue trousers and white jackets, North Korean athletes waved their national flags, smiled, and waved to the crowd.
Crossing the central stage of the opening ceremony venue, the North Korean delegation took their seats in the stands led by guides.
The North Korean seating area was arranged adjacent to Iran.
It was located at some distance from the South Korean delegation, which entered 16th.
Some members of the North Korean delegation soaked in the celebratory atmosphere of Asia's largest sports festival by taking pictures of each other or posing with devices that appeared to be smartphones from their seats.
They were also spotted capturing the ongoing opening ceremony on their mobile phones.
For this tournament, North Korea has sent 107 athletes across 14 sports, including Zainichi Koreans such as soccer player Ri Song-a and karate athlete Jong Se-ri.
North Korea registered 191 athletes across 18 sports at the previous Hangzhou Games, resulting in a reduced delegation size for this competition.
However, they appear to be aiming for higher achievements by sending an elite-level delegation to traditionally strong sports such as weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, and shooting.
Based on competitions held in Japan, the overall size of North Korea's delegation for this event is the largest ever, surpassing the 1985 Kobe Universiade, which had a scale of 130 people.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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