What happened
South Korea's Monthly Chosun reported that two of the 180-member North Korean delegation at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games told a source linked to Japan's intelligence apparatus they want asylum in Japan, not South Korea.
Why it matters
The report says the pair have expressed they will not return home, and it was unclear whether their outreach would lead to an actual defection.
What to watch
Their identities and roles in the delegation were not disclosed, so the next sign is whether an actual defection follows; reporters could not reach the Japanese government for comment on a national holiday.
WHO IT HITSJapanese and South Korean government officials handling North Korean defection and asylum cases will be watching whether the reported outreach turns into an actual defection, since the two reportedly said they would not go home.
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The report comes as North Korea sent about 180 athletes and officials to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which opened Saturday, according to media reports. Monthly Chosun said its information came through a source connected to Japan's intelligence apparatus and linked to Chongryon, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
Because the magazine did not disclose the two people's identities or positions, and because reporters could not immediately reach the Japanese government for comment on a national holiday in Japan, the account remains a single outlet's report rather than a confirmed defection. Whether it develops into one appears to hinge on further confirmation from Japanese or South Korean authorities.
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