As reported by North Korea's state media on Friday, the country has officially informed China that it will not be participating in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing "hostile forces' maneuver" and the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons.

Olympic officials from North Korea's Olympic Committee and Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports wrote an open letter that was sent to the relevant Chinese government officials, including the General Administration of Sport and the Chinese Olympic Committee as well as the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Most notably, both domestic and international-oriented North Korean state media outlets reported on the country's absence from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

It was reported in a Korean-language dispatch that "the letter states that we have been unable to participate in the Olympics as a result of hostile forces' maneuvers and the worldwide pandemic situation." State-run media, including the party organ Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency, reported the news in a Korean-language dispatch.

We, on the other hand, would enthusiastically support and endorse the Chinese comrades in their efforts to stage a magnificent and historic Olympic festival.

North Korea claimed in the letter that the "anti-China conspiracy and machinations by the United States and its supporting forces are becoming more vicious."

North Korea's Olympic Committee and Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports "resolutely oppose and rebuff" the move, which the country describes as "a nefarious act of attempting to tarnish the international image of China," according to the country.

The letter, written by North Korean Ambassador to China Ri Ryong-nam and delivered to the Chinese General Administration of Sport on Wednesday, coincided with the launch of what North Korea claimed was a "hypersonic missile" by the North Korean regime.

In a statement issued on Friday, South Korea's Unification Ministry stated that the country would conduct a thorough analysis and assessment of the situation without "prejudicing" North Korea's intentions behind the notification or the timing of the letter's delivery.

In a regular briefing, deputy spokesperson Cha Duck-chul stated that "there has been no change in the government's fundamental stance that we hope the Beijing Olympics will serve as an opportunity to contribute to peace in Northeast Asia and the world." "We will continue to keep a close eye on the situation," says the spokesperson.

North Korea was officially barred from participating in the Winter Olympics in Beijing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in September.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board suspended the North Korean Olympic Committee until the end of this year in response to Pyongyang's unilateral decision not to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place last July.

Individual participation in the Beijing Olympics by North Korean athletes qualified for the Games was not prohibited, however, with the International Olympic Committee stating that it would "take an appropriate decision in due course for the athletes concerned."

North Korea previously sent a diplomatic delegation to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, led by then-President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-nam, despite the fact that the country had no athletes qualified for the games.

In the meantime, however, the North Korean government's official announcement of its absence suggests that the country's chances of sending an Olympic delegation are slimmer, especially given that the country has placed a high priority on maintaining its border closure and lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for nearly two years.

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said in late December that Seoul saw little chance of restoring inter-Korean relations if the upcoming Beijing Olympics gained momentum, but that Seoul would not abandon its efforts to resurrect the peace process.

We will do everything in our power to improve inter-Korean relations and to expeditiously reactivate the peace process on the Korean Peninsula by taking advantage of all available opportunities," Kim said. "Until the very end, we will not give up hope."