Japan to send 14 officials to Pyongyang from Sat. for football match

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Japanese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that 14 government officials will be dispatched to Pyongyang this weekend to support the country’s national football team and the press ahead of a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

As Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic relations, the government officials will be responsible for assisting Japanese athletes and media personnel with entry procedures as well as addressing unforeseen situations.

Shigetoshi Nagao, director of the Consular Policy Division at the Consular Affairs Bureau, and others are slated to stay for five days from Saturday in Pyongyang, where the match between the two countries is scheduled for March 26, according to the ministry.

Japan also sent government officials to North Korea in November 2011, when the national team made a trip to Pyongyang to play a World Cup qualifier.

As part of economic sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, Japan has called on its citizens to refrain from traveling to Pyongyang to watch the upcoming game at Kim Il Sung Stadium.