SEOUL (Reuters) -- North Korea blamed "hostile forces" and the worldwide pandemic for not being able to attend the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing and accused the United States and its allies of trying to prevent the Games' success, state media said on Friday.
North Korea's Olympic Committee and Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports sent a letter to counterparts in China, including the Beijing Olympics organising committee, expressing their support for the Games despite their absence, KCNA news agency reported.