North Korea's 100-athlete Asian Games squad aims to 'bring joy' to Kim Jong Un

North Korea will send around 100 athletes across 14 sports to the Asian Games in Japan next month, with a senior official saying the delegation is determined to "bring joy to Marshal Kim Jong Un" through strong results on the field.

Ko Chol Ho, secretary general of North Korea's Olympic committee, told the Japan based publication Choson Sinbo that the squad would compete in disciplines including men's and women's football, weightlifting, boxing and wrestling.

"Our delegation will send more than 100 athletes to compete in 14 sports, including men's and women's football, weightlifting, boxing and wrestling,"

Ko said in an interview conducted in Pyongyang, published on Tuesday.

He described morale within the camp as high, with athletes training daily under strict instructions to deliver for their leader.

"Our athletes are training tirelessly every day, determined to bring joy to Marshal Kim," he added.

"We are making every effort, driven by a strong desire to live up to the expectations of our country and people by achieving even greater results at the upcoming Games," Ko said.

The squad marks a notable reduction from the 185 athletes across 18 sports North Korea sent to the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, a delegation that returned home with 11 gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze medals, half of the golds coming in weightlifting.

Ko said he was nonetheless hopeful the smaller team could surpass that medal haul.

The team also includes two Japan based ethnic Koreans, who will compete in women's football and karate, reflecting a small but notable link between the two nations despite their frequently strained relationship.

North Korea's return to major international competition follows a lengthy absence driven by the Covid pandemic, during which Pyongyang sharply restricted athletes from travelling overseas.

The country skipped the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 and was also unrepresented at the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics, before returning at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and later competing at the Paris Olympics.

The 20th Asian Games will run from September 19 to October 4, hosted across Nagoya and other cities in Japan's Aichi prefecture, with more than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries expected to take part.

North Korea's participation comes even as Pyongyang continues to direct sharp criticism at Tokyo over what it describes as Japan's remilitarisation.