PYONGYANG: North Korea’s sports ministry said on Tuesday that it will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics this year, dashing South Korean hopes the Games could serve as a catalyst to revive stalled peace talks.
The decision was made at a meeting of North Korea’s Olympic committee, including its sports minister Kim Il guk, the ministry said on its website. “The committee decided not to join the 32nd Olympics Games to protect athletes from the global health crisis caused by the coronavirus,” it said.
The decision makes it the first time North Korea has missed a Summer Olympics since it boycotted Seoul in 1988 amid the Cold War. North Korea has one of the world’s strictest quarantine regimes, despite the government’s denial that any cases have been detected in the country.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry expressed regret over the North’s decision, saying it had hoped that the Tokyo Olympics would provide an opportunity to improve inter-Korean relations.
The North’s withdrawal from Tokyo is also a setback for plans, agreed at a 2018 summit between South Korean President Moon Jae and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to pursue a joint Korean bid to host the 2032 Games.
Japanese Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa told reporters today (Tuesday) she was still confirming details and couldn’t immediately comment on the matter. Japan’s Olympic Committee said North Korea has not yet notified it that it wouldn’t participate in the Tokyo Games.
