The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) has been suspended from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until the end of 2022 for failing to send a team or delegation to the Tokyo Olympic Games. According to IOC President Thomas Bach, the nation violated the Olympic Charter, and “did not fulfill their obligation as stated in the Olympic Charter to participate. North Korea was the only nation in the IOC that did not send athletes to Tokyo, and the IOC says that the nation was warned of the consequences of a no-show. North Korean official statements say that the nation decided against participating to protect its athletes from Covid-19.

IOC officials say that the organization held “lengthy talks and offered solutions, including vaccines” to athletes from North Korea, though the nation’s Olympic committee “systematically rejected” all proposed measures.

Under the suspension, individual athletes from North Korea who qualify to compete in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games could still be able to compete if accepted by a separate decision in the future, the nation will forfeit money it was due from previous Olympic games that had been withheld due to international sanctions. Mr. Bach also stated that the IOC did reserve the right to reconsider the duration of North Korea’s suspension.

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