North Korea has reportedly notified China that it fully supports the Beijing Olympics though it cannot participate in the event.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Friday that the North's Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports sent a letter to China's Olympic Committee and other organizations. 

In the letter, the North reportedly said it could not take part in the Olympics due to the hostile forces' moves and the COVID-19 pandemic, but it would fully support all the efforts by the Chinese people to hold a splendid and wonderful Olympic festival.  

The International Olympic Committee earlier suspended the North from the Beijing Olympics as punishment for refusing to participate in last year's Tokyo Games over COVID-19 concerns.  
 
North Korea also stressed that it will not spare efforts to strengthen its friendly relations with China by enhancing exchanges and cooperation with Chinese sport organizations and athletes.

The letter was reportedly delivered by the North Korean ambassador to Beijing on Wednesday when the North launched what it claims to bee a hypersonic missile. 

South Korea had hoped that the Beijing Olympics would serve as a venue for dialogue with the North as the PyeongChang Games had. But foreign minister Chung Eui-yong acknowledged last month that chances of such an exchange are getting slimmer.

[Photo : YONHAP News]