The country said it would skip this summer’s Olympics to “protect players from the global public health crisis caused by Covid-19,” according to a report released Tuesday in North Korean media DVK Sports, a sports-related website.
The decision was made by the DPRK Olympic Committee, which held a video conference with committee members and sports officials in the capital Pyongyang on March 25, DVK Sports reported.
The Games are currently scheduled for July 23 to August 8. The Paralympics will follow, from August 24 to September 5.
The organizers had to postpone the Olympics for the first time in the event’s history in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee said international spectators would be denied entry to Japan due to the prevalence of the coronavirus in the country and abroad.