North Korea will not participate in the Winter Olympics in Beijing

North Korea said on Friday that it would not participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games due to “hostile forces” and the epidemic.

“North Korea will not be able to participate in the event due to enemy force maneuvers and global epidemics,” the country’s state-run agency KCNA said in a letter to the Chinese Olympic Committee on Thursday.

However, Pyongyang supported Beijing’s preparations for the event and strongly criticized the United States and its “satellites” for “preventing the successful opening of the Games”, calling it “an insult to the spirit of the International Olympic Committee”. Charter “by KCNA.

The North Korean team did not participate in the Tokyo Games last summer due to the epidemic, which prompted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend its participation until the end of 2022 for failing to comply with the Olympic Charter’s obligation to send a delegation. Athletes.

The IOC also announced that it would open the door to evaluate the participation of athletes in the country who qualify for the Games.

Since the outbreak, North Korea has suspended trade with its main trading partner, China, as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus, and fears of a shortage of supplies.