LONDON: North Korea has notified the International Paralympic Committee of its decision not to participate in the Tokyo Paralympics this summer, Jiji Press learned Tuesday.

North Korea has already made clear its decision not to attend the Tokyo Olympics this summer due to concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic, through a website of the country’s Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports.

The Paralympics and the Olympics are scheduled to start on Aug. 24 and July 23, respectively, after being postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

In a statement, the IPC expressed a wish to see as many nations as possible in the Tokyo Paralympics while promising to afford close cooperation to the Tokyo Games organizing committee and the Tokyo metropolitan government to hold the event safely.

According to the IPC’s website, North Korea sent two athletes to both the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

JIJI Press