North Korea Withdraws from Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Citing COVID-19 Concerns

North Korea has become the first nation to publicly withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games due to coronavirus concerns. The country’s sports ministry made the announcement on Tuesday, marking the first time the country will miss a Summer Olympics since it boycotted the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea amid the cold war.

North Korea has won 56 Olympic medals in its history, 54 of which have come at the Summer Games. At the most recent Summer Olympics in Rio, North Korea won 2 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze medals, which ranked the country 34th among all nations on the medals table. Its recent Olympic successes have included medals in weightlifting, gymnastics, shooting, judo, wrestling, and table tennis events.

North Korea has never sent a pool swimmer to the Olympic Games, but has participated in other aquatics disciplines, including synchronized swimming and diving.

North Korea skipped the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, in spite of urging by FINA and the South Korean hosts to participate. They won 2 diving medals at the 2017 World Championships. Also in 2017, they sent a pair of female swimmers, with their top finisher being Jang Myong-gyong, who was 39th in the women’s 50 breaststroke in 35.11.

The country’s most recent World Championships gold medal came in 2015, when then-16 year old Kim Kuk-hyang won gold on women’s platform.

The Olympic Games have become an important unifying point between the two Koreas in the last half-decade. At the 2018 Games, hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea, athletes from both countries marched under a unified flag at the opening ceremonies, and even entered a combined women’s ice hockey team. Kim Yo-jong, the only sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, attended the opening ceremony of those Games, which made waves as it made her the first member of the ruling Kim family to cross the border into South Korea.

The countries also recently launched a joint bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games, although the formal issue of that bid came after Brisbane was pushed forward by the IOC as the probable host of the event.

With tensions again rising in the region after the North resumed missile tests, the absence from the Olympic Games cuts an opportunity to “foster peace and reconciliation between the two Koreas,” as South Korea’s Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said they had hoped for the Games.

“We regret it could not happen,” it added in a statement.

“The committee decided not to join the 32nd Olympics Games to protect athletes from the global health crisis caused by the coronavirus,” North Korea’s sports ministry said on its website.

North Korea claims officially that it has no coronavirus cases, but global health experts are skeptical of that claim in the isolated nation that rarely allows in outside observers.

The Olympic Games are planned for July 23-August 8, 2021, a one year delay from their original timing in 2020.

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leisurely1:29
2 years ago

So one day they announce their bid to host the 2032 games… the next they withdraw from the 2021 games? What’s next, announcing Kim Jong-Un as Bobsled captain for the 2022 Winter Olympics??

Xman
Reply to  leisurely1:29
2 years ago

Kim Jung Un is the captain of all North Korean teams.

Ozsu
Reply to  leisurely1:29
2 years ago

I was just thinking that. This probably won’t help their chances with their 2032 bid

50M Pools Rule
2 years ago

Kim Jong-un is the world’s greatest athlete- they don’t need to participate to have won every gold medal. He already did it himself, while setting every possible world record along the way.

SwimmerNotSwammer
Reply to  50M Pools Rule
2 years ago

Yeah he set the world record for weightlifting when he stood up

Khachaturian
Reply to  SwimmerNotSwammer
2 years ago

you win

Xman
Reply to  SwimmerNotSwammer
2 years ago

That joke was just like Kim jong-un citizens! Perfectly executed!

He said what?
Reply to  50M Pools Rule
2 years ago

Apparently two North Koreans read your post.

Swimmer13
2 years ago

I feel for all the athletes that won’t get a choice whether they compete or not

Huh
Reply to  Swimmer13
2 years ago

For NK athletes its probably a blessing as they dont have to risk concentration camps for poor performances.

Dudeman
Reply to  Swimmer13
2 years ago

They’re not big on the public making choices for themselves over there anyways

Verram
2 years ago

It’s possible some other countries may also withdraw from the Games

Riccardo
2 years ago

Somehow they will still tell their citizens that live without running water that they won the medal count.

Corn Pop
Reply to  Riccardo
2 years ago

Llike you guys won all the wars ?

SuperSwimmer 2000
2 years ago

But what about the 2021 Tokyo Games?

Lbswim
Reply to  SuperSwimmer 2000
2 years ago

Bwahahaha.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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