Two North Koreans seek asylum in Japan at Asian Games — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Monthly Chosun magazine reported on September 22, 2026 that two members of North Korea's delegation are seeking asylum in Japan rather than South Korea and have communicated they do not intend to return home
- The report cites a source identified as an official from Japan's Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
- The two are part of a roughly 180-member North Korean delegation at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which opened on Saturday, September 19
- Sports Minister Kim Il-guk is among the athletes and officials North Korea sent to the Games
- Monthly Chosun said the information reached it through a source connected to Japan's intelligence apparatus and linked to the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon)
- The two North Koreans' identities and positions within the delegation were not disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the outreach will lead to a defection; Reuters could not reach the Japanese government for comment on a national holiday
Why it matters: A potential defection at a major international sporting event would be an embarrassment for Pyongyang and a sensitive diplomatic matter for Tokyo. With the two individuals unnamed and the Japanese government unavailable due to a national holiday, the outcome is unresolved, and any defection would force Japan to weigh asylum protections against its diplomatic posture toward North Korea.
Ask SkimNews
