The North Korean national soccer team arrived at Haneda Airport on the night of the 25th, having been allowed to enter Japan as an exception to the sanctions imposed on North Korea for the second match of the women's Paris Olympics Asian qualifying round.



The second home-and-away match, to be held on the 28th, will be broadcast live on NHK's General Television and will also be streamed on NHK Plus.

The first match of the women's Paris Olympic Asian Final Qualifying Soccer match between Japan's Nadeshiko Japan and North Korea was held on the 24th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and ended in a 0-0 draw.

[Click here for details] Nadeshiko Japan Paris Olympics final qualifying round 1 draw with North Korea

The North Korean national team arrived at Haneda Airport just after 10pm on the 25th, via Qatar, for the second match to be held at the National Stadium in Tokyo on the 28th.



The athletes appeared at the arrival lobby wearing matching red coats and holding small North Korean flags, where they were greeted by officials from the Chongren (Confederation of Korean Residents in Japan).

After receiving the bouquet, Shin Yong-cheol, general secretary of the Korean Football Association, said, ``I'm really happy to have arrived in Japan and meet my compatriots.I'll do my best to live up to their expectations and hope they're happy.''



The Japanese government generally prohibits North Korean nationals from entering the country as its own sanctions against North Korea, which is advancing its nuclear and missile development, but it does allow athletes to enter the country as an exception to the sanctions for international sports competitions. Masu.



This is the first time for the North Korean soccer team to visit Japan since the East Asian Championship in December 2017.



In the second and final qualifying match between Japan and North Korea, if the scores are tied at the end of each half, overtime and penalty kicks will be played, and the winner will qualify for the Paris Olympics.

《NHK broadcast Game 2 (28th) against North Korea》

Tokyo National Stadium


February 28th (Wednesday)


Game start 18:34



[Broadcast schedule]


NHK General 18:25 ~


Simultaneous broadcast / missed broadcast on NHK Plus