North Korea’s Star Shooting Event in Crisis... Participation Setback Due to 'Ammunition Approval' [2026 Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya]

[Financial News] North Korean shooting, which has won 41 gold medals in the history of the Asian Games, has been held back by an unexpected issue regarding 'ammunition approval.' Although they dispatched six male and female athletes to the 2026 Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya, they were unable to compete in the first event due to a dispute over the Japanese government's prior approval for ammunition use.
North Korea did not send athletes to the women's 10m air rifle individual and team events held at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range in Japan on the 20th. Initially, North Korea's Park Hyon-kyong, Ri Su-rim, and Kim Hyon-suk were listed on the entry roster for the individual event. However, the seats prepared for the North Korean team at the actual venue were empty. North Korea was also excluded from the roster for the team event, where rankings are determined by summing up individual scores.
The problem lies in the approval procedures regarding firearms and ammunition. An official from the shooting range organizing committee explained, "North Korea has not received the necessary prior approval from the Japanese government to use ammunition in this competition, so their participation in today's event is uncertain."
International shooting competitions require strict import procedures, such as reporting the serial numbers of firearms and the exact quantity of ammunition to the host authorities in advance. The Korean national team also submitted relevant information to the organizing committee through the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) several months ago.
However, the specific details, such as whether North Korea actually went through the relevant approval procedures or whether the Japanese government rejected the application, have not yet been confirmed. It is also unclear whether the issue will be resolved on this day. It is reported that it has not yet been decided whether North Korea will be able to participate in subsequent competitions after resolving the approval issue, or whether its participation in all shooting events during the tournament will be restricted.

[email protected] Kim Hyun-jung Reporter