North Korea announced on Friday that it would not attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing because of the coronavirus outbreak and actions by "hostile forces."
North Korea accused the United States of attempting to sabotage the Games' success in a letter to China, official media reported Friday.
State news agency KCNA's description of the letter made no mention of a diplomatic team, and the country has maintained a stringent self-enforced border lockdown that has prevented even its own diplomats from entering and effectively shut off practically all trade.
North Korea's absence from the Beijing Games would deprive South Korea of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish formal diplomatic relations with its neighbor.
South Korean officials had hoped that the Olympics would serve as a forum for official delegates from both Koreas to meet and discuss subjects other than sports.
"We were unable to participate in the Olympics because of 'enemy forces' actions and the global epidemic," Sputnik reported.
North Korea, the letter continued, will "completely support the Chinese comrades in all their efforts to host a brilliant and wonderful Olympic event."
However, it is unknown whether North Korea, like the other countries, intends to send athletes.
The letter denounced certain actions taken by the U.S., which said in December that government officials would boycott the 2022 Winter Games as a result of China's poor human rights record, while allowing American athletes to compete in Beijing.
Numerous other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have also announced diplomatic boycotts in the intervening period.
North Korea characterized the boycotts as an "insult to the spirit of the worldwide Olympic Charter" and an attempt to "discredit China's international image."
North Korea has sent senior political figures to prior games, notably Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
North Korea's second highest official, Kim Yong Nam, visited Beijing in 2008 to attend the Summer Olympics.
North Korea is a close ally of China. Pyongyang is reliant on China for the majority of its external trade, despite being subjected to severe United Nations sanctions over its nuclear weapons program.
However, the North's chances of competing in next month's Beijing Olympics have dimmed in recent months.
KCNA reported that preparations for the Beijing Olympics, which begin Feb. 4, are proceeding "satisfactorily" as a result of "good efforts" by Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership.
