North Korea opened its own winter sports competition after failing to qualify athletes for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics

North Korea has opened its own winter sports competition at the Mount Paektu resort, following its failure to qualify athletes for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. The event, described as an important opportunity to advance winter sports technology, will include over 50 events across five sports. This marks the country's continued absence from international sporting events since 2018, after also missing the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.