After closing its borders to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), North Korea returned to the international sports scene at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in September last year. Since then, the country has been competing in various international events, including World Cup qualifiers. However, the North Korean Paralympic team is still in the shadows .Initially, North Korea was set to compete at the 2022 Hangzhou Para Asian Games, but withdrew after the country was banned from flying artificial flags for failing to meet World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations.

Its participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is also uncertain. In the meantime, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons has urged North Korea to move forward, saying the country still has a chance to compete in the Paralympic Games. “The number of countries participating in the Paris Paralympic Games is expected to surpass the London 2012 Games (164 countries),” Parsons said in a recent written interview with Yonhap News Agency, adding that the door is equally open for North Korea to join the Paris Paralympic Games.” Qualification for many sports at the Paris Paralympic Games can be achieved by this summer, so there is still a chance for North Korea to qualify,” he said. He cautioned that the IPC is not yet considering utilizing the “bipartite” system, in which the IPC and international federations negotiate quotas to encourage North Korean participation.

“The bipartite system requires National Paralympic Committees to apply to the International Federation and the IPC for places in their sport,” he said. “It does not grant places without an application. In addition, athletes must complete athlete registration and classification in order to be eligible to compete through the Viper Tite program .”The first step is for North Korea to complete the basic administrative steps to compete, such as registering its athletes. Parsons emphasized that regardless of North Korea’s participation, the Paris Paralympic Games will be an opportunity to send a message of peace and unity to the world. “The current international political situation is very complicated, with wars costing innocent lives,” he said. “The athletes at the Paris 무료슬롯게임 Paralympic Games will show the world what it means to be human.”