North Korea kicked off its Asian Games campaign with a men’s soccer match against Chinese Taipei, marking the nation’s return to competitive international soccer after four years away.

The match comes as the DPRK has eased pandemic border controls to allow its citizens to enter the country, potentially paving the way for the country to join more international competitions like the Olympics that have provided opportunities for engagement in the past.

Pyongyang confirmed its athletes would compete at the Asian Games in China’s Hangzhou on Saturday, following earlier reports that North Korea had registered for the event. State mediadid