Pro wrestler-turned-lawmaker Antonio Inoki left China bound for North Korea on Saturday without the required authorization of the Diet, saying he wants to keep dialogue with Pyongyang open to resolve bilateral problems.
"I'd like to continue and hope that I will be able to discuss a range of issues face-to-face at an early date," Inoki told reporters at Beijing international airport before boarding a flight to Pyongyang.
Inoki, 70, an Upper House member of opposition group Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), will attend sports events in the North Korean capital and is also planning to meet with Kim Yong Il, director of the International Department of the Korean Workers' Party, and other senior party members.