North Korea cancels participation at Summer Universiade due to political reasons - organizers

SEOUL, June 22. /TASS/. North Korea’s team has withdrawn from the Summer Universiade, to be held in South Korea’s Gwangju on July 4-14, due to political reasons, the organizing committee said on Monday. The North Korean side sent a letter to the organizing committee and the International University Sports Federation on June 20, saying that it would not participate due to several reasons. "The document says the first is Pyongyang’s discontent with the scheduled opening of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. The second is the "continuing military conflict between the North and South Koreas," the committee’s official said. The organizers hope however that North Korea would change its decision and take part in the Universiade as this event has "no political component and on the contrary, serves the cause of peace and unity," she said. North Korea’s delegation to the Universiade was expected to consist of 75 athletes and 33 officials. Pyongyang said it planned to compete at the student games in such sports as athletics, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, table tennis, judo, women’s football and handball. Last time, North Korea participated in the Universiade when South Korea hosted the event in 2003. The competition was held in the city of Daegu. Read more