N. Korea event moved

North Korea will no longer host the Junior World Judo Championships due to security concerns, the International Judo Federation ( IJF) said Thursday.

Pyongyang had been due to host the event in October this year but that has now been switched to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

The IJF said the move had been forced because of the “alarming” situation the East Asian nation finds itself in on the international stage with tensions growing in particular with the US, which has sent a missile defense system to South Korea amid concerns about the North’s nuclear ambitions.

The tournament will still go ahead from October 18 to 22.