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Sports in North Korea

  • Dec 12, 2024
  • 2 min read

By: Kevin Yeo

In 2012, when Kim Jong-un came in power, sports in North Korea became a source of national pride for political propaganda and has noticeably been promoted by the government. Although it appears that Kim Jong-Un has legitimate interest in sports being an avid fan of the National Basketball Association, it is apparent that he intends to build a sports power to demonstrate national prestige and glory. North Korea had international sanctions imposed upon them due to their nuclear weapons programme, and as a result Kim also seeks to display nationalism and rationalism to international audiences. Asia Society Korea Advisory Committee Member, Dr Daniel A. Pinkstion states that, “Pyongyang hopes to project an image of a “normal country” that should be accepted into the community of nations as a nuclear state without economic sanctions.” 


In the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, North Korea won a total of 7 medals. However, ordinary citizens find that North Korea’s access to sports should be restricted as athletes are under strict control where they are used as political symbols. Recently, North Korea chose not to participate in the 2022 Tokyo Olympics and failed to send a team to the event. This resulted in a suspension by the International Olympic Comittee until the end of 2022, consequently being unable to participate in the Beijing Winter Games. 


One of the biggest changes in North Korean sports is the expansion of their infrastructure as they developed and renovated sports facilities such as the Pyongyang International Football School and the Angol Sports Village. These facilities were designed to create world-class athletes that can bring success to their country. The Pyongtyan

Internation Football School for example, has set its goal to produce talents that can surpass football players such as Lionel Messi. Although surpassing arguably the greatest footballer of all time is already a lofty goal, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Football Association has been withheld of around $1.7 million due to international sanctions imposed on North Korea.


Despite the controversies, North Korea has made numerous appearances in international competitions including the Asian Games, the World Cup, and the Olympics. During the 2018 Asian Games, the South Korean and North Korean teams paraded in the opening ceremony together and sent out joint teams. However during the recent 2022 Asian Games, North Korean athletes have shown displays of tension towards the South Korean athletes. The North Koreans refused to interact with the South Koreans, avoiding customary handshakes and media on the podium. Although North Korea’s plans in international sports seems to be fruitless so far, it is safe to assume that we can expect to see their continued involvement in events such as the Olympics and the Asian Games.




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