The Japanese government said Tuesday it will allow the entry of the North Korean women's football team for Olympic qualifying matches as "an exception" to Tokyo's new sanctions following Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
"In the international sports community, it is a widespread view that athletes should not be discriminated against by their nationality. Taking this into account, we exceptionally decided to accept special circumstances," Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said at a press conference.
The North Korean national team's trip to Osaka via Beijing comes after Japan decided last week on a fresh round of sanctions on North Korea for conducting a fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and launching a long-range rocket on Feb. 7 in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The sanctions include a ban on North Korean ships and nationals entering Japan.
The football team is hoping to enter Japan by Thursday to play in the final Asian qualifying round for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games this summer, Japan's Kyodo News reported, quoting a source at the Japanese government.
On Tuesday, members of the North Korean team, wearing red coats, left Pyongyang's international airport for Beijing, where the Japanese Embassy is expected to issue visas for them, according to Kyodo.
The Asian qualifying games will kick off in Osaka on Monday in a six-team, round-robin tournament, with Australia, China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Vietnam competing for two places at the 2016 Olympics. (Yonhap)