North Korea's sports minister allowed to visit Japan for Olympics

The Japanese government announced Tuesday that it has permitted a trip there by North Korea's sports minister this week.

Kim Il-guk, who also serves as the president of the communist nation's Olympic Committee, plans to attend a two-day meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) to open in Tokyo on Wednesday.

He arrived in Beijing over the weekend en route to Tokyo.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said his administration has allowed him to enter the country, saying it's not subject to sanctions against Pyongyang.

It remains unclear whether Kim will have any separate talks with Japanese officials on bilateral relations amid speculation about a possible summit between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The ANOC's General Assembly session is expected to bring together more than 1,300 officials, including Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee. (Yonhap)