March 29, 2023
Features

Prejudice, not just COVID, is behind DPRK’s expected absence from Paralympics

COVID-19 is DPRK’s immediate concern, but experts say the country also discriminates against people with disabilities

With North Korea already out of the ongoing Summer Games, it’s increasingly unlikely that they will participate in next month’s Tokyo Paralympics due to COVID-19 concerns.

The Paralympics would be the latest in a growing list of international sporting events that the DPRK has refused to send athletes to due to the pandemic. Most recently, it announced on Thursday that it would not participate in next year’s U23 Asian Cup or Women’s Asian Cup.