Three coaches of other teams in Hangzhou, who did not wish to be named, said the records were achieved unfairly and should not be recognised - a view also expressed widely on social media.

North Korea’s women set six world records on the way to helping their team to finish top of the medals table in the sport for the second time in succession at the Asian Games.

Kang Hyongyong had a sweep of records at 55 kilograms and 76kg, Ro Songgum set two at 49kg and Kim Ilgyong one at 59kg.

None of the North Koreans had competed since December 2019 or earlier, and none had been subject to the same anti-doping testing regime as other lifters in Hangzhou.

"They’ve been training under different rules to everyone else and that’s unfair - the records shouldn’t stand," said one coach.

The IWF said that 14 North Korean athletes at the Asian Games, seven men and seven women, all complied with the rules on providing their whereabouts information three months before the competition, and were eligible to compete.

All but one of them won a medal.

Two North Koreans on the preliminary entry list had not provided sufficient whereabouts information, the IWF said.

"The Organising Committee was informed about their ineligibility and the two lifters concerned are not competing in Hangzhou."

IWF president Mohammed Jalood said, "If the PRK athletes are eligible to compete here the world records stand, what else can we do or say?"

The IWF also said that all 14 North Korean lifters had been "subjected to at least one doping control at the Asian Games".

A new IWF anti-doping policy comes into effect on January 1, from when North Korea will have to "open up" to allow doping control officers into the country for unannounced testing if it wants to compete in IWF events.

Discussions between the IWF and North Korean sports authorities have taken place in Hangzhou this week.