Pyongyang seeks to host international judo championships

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is reportedly close to securing its first significant global sports event in almost 40 years, in line with top leader Kim Jong-un's plans to turn the country into a sporting powerhouse.

According to Inside the Games, a website specializing in the organization of international sporting events, Pyongyang hopes to host the world junior judo championships in 2017, and the world weightlifting juniors a year later.

The last major global sports event to be held in the DPRK was the world table tennis championship, in 1979.