North Korean Sports Minister in Tokyo for pre-Olympics meetings

Government makes "an exception" to the sanctions against Pyongyang. Once again, sport plays an important role in the peace process of the region. The general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees will open tomorrow.

Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The North Korean Minister of Sports has been authorized to travel to Japan to attend the Olympic meetings held in Tokyo this week.

This is the surprise announcement of the Tokyo government, which will host the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games between 24 July and 9 August 2020. North Koreans are usually forbidden to enter Japan, under the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for its missile and nuclear tests.

Kim Il Guk, who also holds the role of president of the Northern Olympic Committee, will travel to the Land of the Rising Sun to attend the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (Anoc). The two days of meetings will open tomorrow.

"International sports and the Olympics Charter share this notion of not discriminating against any nationality," says Japan's cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga. "Based on this - the official continues - [the pass] is an exception we have granted to Minister Kim Il Guk".

Once again, sport plays an important role in the peace process of the region. It has joined the two Koreas at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang (Indonesia). Moreover, this is not the first time that Japan has renounced the ban in the name of sport. In February 2017, North Korean athletes and officials obtained permission to enter the country for the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo.