"World Junior Championships in 2017 North Korea"

Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, is seeking to open up the borders of the world’s most reclusive country by hosting World Junior Championships judo in 2017. Sports medium Inside the Games found out that North Korea successfully bid on the World Juniors. In 2017, North Korea will also host the Asian championships of weightlifting, its number one sport in which it ranked third in the world at the last Olympic Games.

According to Inside the Games Brian Oliver Marius Vizer, who has had a falling-out with senior officials at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), will see the move as a significant political gain, as he could become the first leader of a global governing body to take his sport to North Korea.

 “It is definite, the Junior World Championship of judo will be in our country in 2018,” said a senior member of North Korea’s sporting set-up.

The official, who declined to be named, is working with the country's weightlifting team at the World Championships being held in Houston, Texas.

He also pointed out that North Korea won a judo gold medal in London and that judo was a “strong sport” in his country.

If successful with a junior event the North Koreans would be able to bid for a Senior World Championships, which would attract not just hundreds of athletes and coaches - as would the juniors - but a significant media interest, too. Inadequate television technology in North Korea is one of the concerns for sport governing bodies.

North Korea won the Olympic title in 2012 buy An Kum Ae U52kg, and the world title in 2013 by Sol Kyong U78kg.