North Korea has not entered the opening Olympic qualifier, this year's International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Colombia.

Whether that absence from the IWF World Championships has anything to do with the IWF Executive Board's recent ruling that countries which do not allow free anti-doping controls will be excluded from all competition is not known.

"At the moment we have no information from North Korea," Antonio Urso, general secretary of the IWF, told insidethegames earlier this month.

However, speaking in the host city of Jinju on the other side of the Korean border, IWF President Mohamed Jalood maintained: "IWF will endeavour various ways to help North Korea participate in the 2023 Jinju Asian Weightlifting Championships.

"Also, we ask Jinju city for cooperation to help small Asian countries have a chance to participate in the championships."

Abdullah Jarmal, vice-president of the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF),  emphasised the fact that the Jinju 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships will be an important competition to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"AWF will do our best to help Asian countries enter the event," Jarmal said.

"We hope Jinju city will be fully ready for accommodation, transportation services, and visa issuance so that it not only attracts more Asian countries to participate but will also be recalled as a magnificent international event."

The eight-strong IWF delegation which visited Jinju also included Choi Sung-yong , President of the Korean Weightlifting Federation.

The team inspected Jinju Arena, the main competition hall, as well as function rooms and training areas.

"The coming championships are the first official international sports event in Jinju and a flagship competition to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and we will make our best preparations for its excellence," said Jinju Mayor Cho Kyoo-il.

Cho has been officially invited to attend this year's World Weightlifting Championships in Bogotá in Colombia from December 5 to 16.