Tokoname, Aichi Pref., Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–North Korean sports minister Kim Il Guk, head of the country’s Olympic Committee, arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture on Thursday for this year’s Asian Games, which will officially kick off on Saturday. It is the first time in eight years that a North Korean minister has visited Japan since Kim’s previous visit in 2018. According to the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon, Kim will stay for several days and attend the opening ceremony on Saturday. Kim left China, his stopover, earlier on Thursday. At around 5 p.m., he appeared in the arrival lobby on the second floor of the airport with two senior Olympic Committee members. Twenty students from Korea University and others welcomed Kim with the North Korean flag in front of his special shuttle bus on the first floor. Kim received a bouquet with a smile. He was seen chatting and hugging people there. The Japanese government bans the entry of North Korean nationals as part of its sanctions against the reclusive country, except for those participating in sports exchanges. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
