According to reports, the Secretive State of North Korea has decided to opt out of the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics over concerns its athletes could contract coronavirus.
In 2020, North Korea decided to cut ties with other countries of the world to prevent an influx of coronavirus cases in the country.
North Korea has not announced a case of COVID-19, and there are no indications that one has taken place, though Pyongyang’s claim the country has not witnessed a single case of the virus is being doubted by health officials.
According to report recently published on DPRK Sports, a state media outlet that focuses on sports affairs, officials of North Korea announced that the country would not be taking part in this summer’s Games in a bid to “protect players from the world public health crisis caused by Covid-19.”
DPRK Sports reported that the decision was made by Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Olympic Committee, which held a virtual meeting with committee members and sports officials recently in Pyongyang.
The Olympic Games are scheduled to hold between July 23 and August 8. The Paralympics will follow between August 24 and September 5.
This is the first time North Korea will be missing the Olympics since it snubbed the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
