Two members of a North Korean delegation that arrived in Japan for the 20th Asian Games have reportedly sought asylum.
A 180-member delegation led by North Korean sports minister Kim Il Guk arrived in Japan to take part in the Asian Games on 17 September. It marked the first ministerial-level visit from Pyongyang in eight years.
Mr Kim arrived in Japan in his capacity as head of North Korea’s Olympic Committee and was welcomed by members of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, also known as Chongryon.
At least two people among the athletes, coaches, staff members, and other officials have expressed a preference to seek asylum in Japan rather than South Korea and have communicated their intention not to return home, South Korea’s Monthly Chosun magazine reported.
Their identities and positions within the delegation were not disclosed, it said, citing a source it identified as an official from Japan’s Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office.
The magazine said the information was obtained through a source connected to Japan’s intelligence apparatus and linked to the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, known as Chongryon.
It is not known whether their reported outreach would ultimately lead to a defection.
Earlier, it was reported that Mr Kim ignored an approach by Japanese government officials seeking to resume dialogue, according to reports.
A Japanese government official in charge of North Korean affairs approached Mr Kim and his delegation as they were walking through the venue after attending the Asian Games opening ceremony. However, Mr Kim left without offering a response after his aide intervened to stop the exchange, Kyodo reported.
Ties between North Korea and Japan have remained strained over issues including Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes and frequent testing, the abduction of Japanese citizens, and the legacy of Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.
Japan has, in principle, banned North Korean nationals from entering the country as part of its sanctions, but has made exceptions from time to time to allow athletes to participate in sporting events.
It is not the first time that North Koreans have sought asylum in another country.
A North Korean soldier reportedly stowed away on a Japanese ship in October 1983 after it left a North Korean port and remained in Japan for five years while Tokyo considered his status. Japan eventually granted him political asylum in December 1988.
North Korea’s frayed ties also overshadowed the games when North Korean national anthem was accidentally played ahead of a hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh at the Asian Games. South Korean officials issued a formal complaint and said it planned to lodge a formal protest with the organising committee,
