▲ This file photo, published by the Korean Central News Agency on April 7, 2025, shows the 31st Pyongyang International Marathon held the previous day in the North Korean capital. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-marathon event

N. Korea cancels int'l marathon due to some reasons: tour agency

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has decided to cancel the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon, originally set for April 5 in the country's capital, due to some reasons, a Beijing-based tour agency said Monday.

Koryo Tours, which specializes in travel to North Korea, broke the news on its website, saying, "This decision was communicated to us by the DPR Korea Athletics Association and has been confirmed as final."

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.

The agency said no further information has been provided regarding the reasons for the cancellation.

The international event, previously named the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, was inaugurated in 1981 to commemorate the April 15 birthday of late national founder Kim Il-sung.

Beginning in 2020, it was suspended for five consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being resumed last year as a channel for the country to earn foreign currency.

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