IOC SUSPENDS N. KOREA FROM THE OLYMPICS

[Anchor Lead]

The IOC has suspended North Korea’s Olympic Committee until next year for not participating in the Tokyo Olympics. North Korea will be banned from participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics next year. But its athletes will likely be qualified to compete individually.

[Pkg]

The IOC has suspended the North Korean Olympic committee until next year. In a news conference on September 8 local time, IOC chief Thomas Bach said the North Korean committee was the only one that didn't participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games and that the IOC board of directors unanimously decided to suspend it until 2022.

[Soundbite] Thomas Bach(OC President)

Pyongyang will be banned from participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics next year. It will also be deprived of any financial support from the IOC during the suspension period. The North decided to skip the Tokyo Olympics back in March, citing the spread of COVID-19. But it did not officially notify the IOC of its decision. The IOC later offered coronavirus vaccines to the regime, but the offer was eventually turned down. The IOC made it clear that the North’s non-participation in the Games was a serious reason for suspension. However, it left the door open for letting North Korean athletes compete as individuals. The IOC chief said the committee will reach the right decision on North Korean athletes when the time is right. He added the IOC has the authority to reconsider the duration of suspension for North Korea.