The South Korean government will exert diplomatic efforts to persuade North Korea to attend this year's Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The decision was made during a standing committee meeting of the National Security Council(NSC) on Friday, where participants agreed to work towards realizing a "peace Olympics" in Japan from July 23 to August 8.

This comes as Pyongyang had earlier announced it will not be participating in the Summer Games due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The standing committee also inspected the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, following National Security Adviser Suh Hoon's recent trilateral dialogue with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts.

The committee plans to closely consult with countries with vested interest for a swift resumption of denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang.