The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) changed North Korea's status from a non-compliant doping rule country to a compliant country . There is analysis that a green light has been given for North Korea's return to international sports competitions . Reporter Jaewoo Park reports .
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an international organization that manages and inspects banned substance regulations, reinstated North Korea's National Anti-Doping Agency from a ' non-compliant organization ' to a ' compliant organization ' through a press release on the 26th .
It has been about four years since North Korea's National Anti-Doping Agency was designated as a 'non-compliant organization' for violating international norms in 2021 .
On the 10th of this month, WADA management reported to the Executive Committee regarding the completion of North Korea's conditions for return , and together with the Organization's Independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC), they assessed that the compliance conditions had been successfully achieved on the 15th and took the corresponding action .
As a result, measures that were previously banned will be allowed again.
As a ‘ non-compliant country ,’ the North Korean Anti-Doping Commission was unable to host WADA- related events . Additionally, I was unable to take office as an executive of a related organization , and I did not receive any direct or indirect financial support .
In particular, North Korea's flag has been banned from being flown at international competitions except the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
There was controversy over the raising of the national flag at the Hangzhou Asian Games held in September last year , but WADA sees it as the responsibility of the Olympic Council of Asia ( OCA), not the North Korean National Anti-Doping Agency .
In response to an inquiry from Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 29th , WADA Public Relations Officer James Fitzgerald said , “The fact that the OCA violated the WADA Executive Committee decision and hoisted the North Korean flag at the Asian Games has an impact on North Korea’s ( direct ) compliance procedures with the anti-doping agency. “ It did not affect the results, ” he explained . (The decision by the Olympic Council of Asia to fly the DPRK flag at the Asian Games, in contravention of a WADA Executive Committee decision, did not bring a compliance procedure against the National Anti-Doping Organization of North Korea.)
OCA was subject to sanctions for violating WADA sanctions imposed on North Korea .
WADA explained that the new policies and procedures were successfully implemented to allow external doping control officers to enter North Korea and collect samples. (New policies and procedures to enable testing by other Anti-Doping Organizations were successfully implemented in that foreign teams were able to enter DPRK and collect samples.)
North Korean authorities allowed international doping control officers to visit North Korea for doping tests in October last year.
With this measure, North Korea, which lifted the COVID-19 blockade, will be able to attend international sports competitions and even aim to host international competitions .
Meanwhile, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported that a Ministry of Sports delegation headed by Sports Minister Kim Il-guk departed Pyongyang on the 27th to visit China , and they are expected to discuss various sports projects .
For the third time in a week, North Korea launches cruise missiles
North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the west coast Tuesday, just two days after it launched cruise missiles from a submarine from the east coast, the South Korean military said.
The South Korean Army's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected Pyongyang's launch at approximately seven in the morning from its western coast, but did not specify the number of missiles, noting that it is coordinating closely with the United States to monitor "any additional signs of North Korean provocations."
Today's launch represents the third launch of cruise missiles within a week.
Last Sunday , North Korea launched a newly developed strategic cruise missile from a submarine , called "Pulhwasal-3-31", off its eastern coast, just days after testing the strategic cruise missile for the first time last Wednesday.