The team, founded in January Juche 45 (1956), began the weightlifting event in 1959.

Among the world-level weightlifters produced by it is Rim Jong Sim who took the women's 69 kg title of the 30th London Olympiad by lifting 261 kg in total. She was listed as one of the ten best players of the country for Juche 101 (2012).

Choe Nong Gyun, weightlifting coach of the team, told KCNA:

"Since its founding, the team has won 18 gold, 33 silver and 87 bronze medals in the weightlifting events of international tournaments, including World Weightlifting Championships, Olympiad, World Junior Weightlifting Championships, Asian Games and Asian Weightlifting Championships.

Kim Myong Nam of the team won a gold medal in the men's weightlifting 70 kg category of the 28th Asian Weightlifting Championships held in Japan in April 1996. He also bagged gold and bronze medals in the 25th and 26th Olympiads, the 11th Asian Games and the 63rd and 64th World Weightlifting Championships, setting new world records nine times and Asian records twelve times.

Male weightlifters Kim Jong Nam and Pang Kum Chol, too, obtained excellent results in various international games.

Female weightlifter Jo Pok Hyang broke the world record in the 63 kg category of the Asian Junior and Juvenile Weightlifting Championships held in Myanmar in 2012.

Choe Hyo Sim, Ryo Un Hui and Kim Su Jong of the team took the titles of the 58 kg, 69 kg and 75 kg categories respectively in the championships, thus displaying the radically developing weightlifting techniques of the DPRK."