KCNA: North Korean wrestler wins gold medal at World Wrestling Championships

Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A North Korean female wrestler has clinched the gold medal at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, according to Pyongyang's state media.

KCNA reported Thursday Pak Yong Mi won the gold medial in the women's 53kg freestyle wrestling event.

The World Wrestling Championships includes participants from 100 countries, including China, Russia, Cuba and Iran. South Korea is also participating in the event being held from Sept. 14 to Sept. 22.

Pak defeated athletes from Cuba, China. In the final match she beat a Japanese competitor on Wednesday.

KCNA's report came on the same day as the anniversary of the signing of inter-Korean Sept. 19 agreement, also known as the Pyongyang Joint Declaration.

North Korea did not issue a public statement regarding the anniversary, South Korean news service News 1 reported Thursday.

During a press briefing, Seoul's unification ministry said it would be "inappropriate to assign an intention" on the North's decision to stay silent. The ministry also said it is carefully monitoring the situation.

South Korea was planning to observe the anniversary at Dorasan Station near the DMZ, without the North's participation, but outbreaks of African swine fever and emergency measures have led to a cancellation, according to the report.

North Korean leader signed the Pyongyang Declaration with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018.