North Korea’s 2026 Asian Games campaign was a study in contrasts: Its 29-medal haul fell short of its previous performances, but a dominant weightlifting team delivered all seven of the country’s gold medals and proved the DPRK remains a force to be reckoned with in the sport.

North Korea ranked 12th in the overall medal tally when the Aichi-Nagoya Games concluded Sunday, with its success concentrated heavily in a handful of traditional strengths. In other sports, the country failed to match results from the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

Over the three-week span, the DPRK won seven gold, 13 silver