March 29, 2024
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Citing COVID-19, North Korea decides not to attend Tokyo Olympics

The decision was made by the DPRK Olympics Committee in late March, state-run website reports

North Korea has decided not to send its athletes to the upcoming July 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the country's state-run website Sports in DPRK said on Monday, quashing South Korean hopes of an Olympic breakthrough in its relations with Pyongyang.

North Korea came to the decision, which follows a quietly reported mystery meeting of the DPRK's Olympics committee on March 25, after judging that it would be unsafe to send its sportspersons to Japan due to COVID-19.

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