North Korea is testing its athletes for banned substances, but the tests do not meet international standards, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said.WADA Press Secretary James Fitzgerald told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the North Korean Anti-Doping Agency is sending samples from its athletes to WADA-accredited laboratories outside the country, explaining that “they are working to meet the conditions for reinstatement, but they are not in a position to offer reinstatement.””The broader political context in North Korea makes verification and quality control activities challenging,” Fitzgerald said, adding that WADA is committed to working with the DPRK National Anti-Doping Commission to strengthen the country’s anti-doping system to protect all athletes.

WADA regularly sends staff to countries around the world to test athletes for drug use to ensure fairness in sport, but has not been able to test North Korean athletes since 2020 due to the country’s complete closure of its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, WADA banned North Korea from flying its artificial flag at international sporting events such as the Asian Games, excluding the Olympic and Paralympic Games, citing the DPRK’s failure to meet regulations set by WADA.North Korea had previously sent a letter to WADA stating that its borders would be open and that it could send personnel to test for banned substances, but there were no specific plans for when 스포츠토토존 the inspectors would travel to the country.