SEO keywords: North Korea Asian Games 2026, Han Chong-song, North Korea wrestling, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Asian Games 2026, North Korean athletes, wrestling medals
SEOUL — North Korea is bringing a formidable wrestling contingent to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, entering nine athletes across men’s Greco-Roman, men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle competition.
The lineup includes Han Chong-song, the world No. 1 in men’s freestyle at 57 kilograms, giving North Korea one of the tournament’s strongest potential gold-medal contenders.
According to information from United World Wrestling (UWW) reported by The Korea Times, North Korea has entered two wrestlers in men’s Greco-Roman, two in men’s freestyle and five in women’s freestyle.
The wrestling contingent is particularly notable because North Korea is expected to send a much smaller overall delegation to Japan than it did at the previous Asian Games—yet it has increased its wrestling team by one athlete.
Nine wrestlers, three disciplines
North Korea’s nine-wrestler lineup includes:
Men’s Greco-Roman
- Ryu Yu-chol — 60 kg, world No. 51
- Son Man-kwang — 67 kg, world No. 49
Men’s freestyle
- Han Chong-song — 57 kg, world No. 1
- Kim Kwang-jin — 65 kg, world No. 14
Women’s freestyle
- Kim Son-hyang — 50 kg, world No. 19
- Choe Hyo-gyong — 53 kg, world No. 7
- Son Il-sim — 57 kg, world No. 3
- Kim Ok-ju — 62 kg, world No. 3
- Pak Sol-gum — 68 kg, world No. 10
The rankings underline the depth of the North Korean team: several of its women’s entries are ranked inside the world’s top 10, while two men’s freestyle wrestlers are ranked inside the top 15.
All eyes on Han Chong-song
The biggest name in the delegation is unquestionably Han Chong-song.
UWW currently lists Han as the No. 1-ranked wrestler in men’s freestyle at 57 kg. His recent record helps explain why he is viewed as one of North Korea’s best chances for gold.
Han won the 2025 Asian Championships and later captured the 2025 World Championships title at 57 kg.
At the 2025 World Championships, he defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Bekzat Almaz Uulu in the final. UWW’s records also show Han defeating Almaz Uulu at the 2025 Asian Championships.
The rivalry is significant because Almaz Uulu was also among the world’s leading wrestlers in the division.
Han’s international rise has already made him one of the most closely watched North Korean athletes heading into the Asian Games.
A chance to avenge Hangzhou?
Han also carries unfinished business from the previous Asian Games.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, held in 2023 after being postponed from 2022, Han won silver in the men’s 57 kg freestyle division.
He lost the gold-medal match to Japan’s Toshihiro Hasegawa.
That result gives Han another opportunity on Japanese soil—this time entering the competition as the world’s top-ranked wrestler in his weight class.
Whether Hasegawa will again stand between Han and Asian Games gold will be one of the storylines to watch when the wrestling competition begins.
North Korea’s women’s team could be just as dangerous
While Han is receiving much of the attention, North Korea’s women’s freestyle lineup may provide the team with several additional medal opportunities.
Son Il-sim, ranked No. 3 at 57 kg, and Kim Ok-ju, ranked No. 3 at 62 kg, enter the Games among the world’s leading wrestlers in their divisions.
Choe Hyo-gyong, meanwhile, is ranked No. 7 at 53 kg and already has a significant international résumé.
The Korea Times reported that Choe won bronze at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championships, while also winning gold at the 2025 Asian Championships.
Kim Son-hyang is another experienced medal contender. She won silver at the 2026 Asian Championships and is expected to face a major challenge from Japan’s Yui Susaki in the women’s 50 kg class.
Seven wrestling medals at Hangzhou
North Korea’s confidence in wrestling is not without foundation.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, North Korean wrestlers won seven medals—one gold, three silver and three bronze.
The country also won seven wrestling medals at the 2025 World Championships, improving its gold-medal haul to three at that event.
Those results explain why the nine-member squad is being viewed as capable of winning at least three gold medals in Aichi-Nagoya.
Smaller delegation, stronger wrestling presence
North Korea’s wrestling push is especially striking because its overall Asian Games delegation is expected to be smaller.
Recent reporting said North Korea plans to send roughly 100 athletes across 14 sports, significantly fewer than the 185 athletes it sent to the Hangzhou Games. Reuters also reported the plan for approximately 100 athletes.
Yet wrestling is moving in the opposite direction.
The nine-athlete wrestling contingent is one larger than North Korea’s wrestling delegation at Hangzhou, according to The Korea Times.
That suggests wrestling remains one of Pyongyang’s key medal sports despite the smaller overall delegation.
North Korea’s participation carries another layer
The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
North Korea’s expected participation is notable beyond the sporting competition because Japan has historically maintained restrictions on entry by North Korean nationals.
NK News reported in August that Tokyo had yet to publicly confirm an exception to its entry restrictions for the North Korean delegation.
Other recent reporting has emphasized the distinction between being entered in an Asian Games competition and receiving Japanese immigration clearance.
That distinction matters when reporting North Korea’s participation: the nine wrestlers have been entered in their respective events, but reports about the entries should not automatically be interpreted as confirmation that every member of the wider delegation has completed Japanese immigration procedures.
The Asian Games medal battle is about to get interesting
North Korea may arrive in Japan with a smaller overall team, but its wrestling squad looks anything but diminished.
With Han Chong-song ranked No. 1, two women’s wrestlers ranked No. 3, another ranked No. 7 and several additional athletes inside the world top 20, North Korea has assembled a group capable of making a serious impact on the medal table.
The pressure will be particularly high on Han.
He enters Japan not simply as a returning Asian Games medalist, but as the reigning Asian and world champion in his division.
And this time, the North Korean star will have something he did not have in Hangzhou:
the No. 1 ranking beside his name.
Now comes the question that wrestling fans will be watching closely:
Can Han Chong-song turn that ranking into Asian Games gold—and can North Korea’s nine-wrestler squad deliver the three or more titles it is being tipped to win?
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