North Korea returned to major international competition for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic with a 2-0 win over Taiwan in men’s soccer at the Asian Games on Tuesday.
North Korea closed its already tight borders in early 2020 following the COVID outbreak and skipped the Tokyo Olympics, which were pushed back to 2021 because of the pandemic.
The country was then banned from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for failing to take part in Tokyo.
But North Koreans are competing at the Asian Games in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in sports including athletics, gymnastics, basketball, football, boxing and weightlifting.
The Asian Games officially open on Saturday but some events got under way on Tuesday, including men’s soccer, with Kim Kuk Jin and Ri Jo Guk scoring in the first half for North Korea against Taiwan.
North Korea is competing at its first multisport event since the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018.
Rival South Korea began its quest for a third straight men’s Asian Games gold with a 9-0 demolition of Kuwait.
Attacking midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong, who plays for Germany’s Stuttgart, hit a hat trick.
There was home delight as China began its men’s campaign with a 5-1 thumping of India.
Squads in the Asian Games men’s soccer competition are made up of under-23 players, but teams are allowed three older players.