The quest for sporting glory is a central but often overlooked aspect of North Korea’s efforts to portray itself as a global power. But in its efforts to rise to the top, the nation has often suffered humiliation on the world stage due to high-profile doping scandals.

Despite being a signatory to several anti-doping frameworks, the DPRK has repeatedly been banned from global bodies and major sporting events over its failures to adhere to international norms, highlighting persistent gaps in its dope-testing mechanisms and a lack of transparency.

But stung by its past embarrassments and the loss of opportunities to