In a letter to China, North Korea announced that it would not be participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, citing COVID-19 and “hostile forces” as its motives.
In a summary of the letter posted by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea, which is often referred to by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), blamed the United States (US) for its absence at next month’s event.
“The US and its vassal forces are getting ever more undisguised in their moves against China aimed at preventing the successful opening of the Olympics, it pointed out, saying: The DPRK Olympic Committee and the DPRK Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports resolutely reject those moves, branding them as an insult to the spirit of the international Olympic Charter and as a base act of attempting to disgrace the international image of China,” the letter says.
Despite its no show, the letter stressed that Pyongyang “would fully support” its “Chinese comrades… to hold splendid and wonderful Olympic festival” and expressed hope that “the fraternal Chinese people and sportspersons would successfully open the Beijing Winter Olympics by overcoming all sorts of obstructions and difficulties, rallied close around General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China.”
The letter, written by North Korea’s Olympic Committee and sports ministry, did not specify if it was referring only to the participation of its athletes. The North Korean delegation was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until the end of 2022 after the country failed to send a team to the Tokyo Olympics last year due to COVID-19 concerns.
North Korea has frequently criticised the US’ “hostile” foreign policy, including joint military exercises with South Korea, American troops on the Korean peninsula, and the United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programme.
Meanwhile, China is North Korea’s longtime ally and economic benefactor. Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un professed their intention to strengthen bilateral ties last July while exchanging messages on the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between the two countries.
Addressing its friendship with China, the letter further promised to “strengthen the friendly exchange, cooperation and travel with the Chinese sports organs and athletes under the wise leadership of the respected Kim Jong-un.”
The Beijing Winter Olympics will be held between February 4 to 20, and the Paralympics from March 4 to 13. At this stage, the US, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Lithuania are among the countries to have announced a complete diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics due to human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. New Zealand has also decided to boycott the games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Japan has said that it will not send any senior officials.