N.K. paper says coronavirus casts dark cloud over Tokyo Olympics
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean newspaper said Friday the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus is casting a "dark cloud" over the prospect of this summer's Tokyo Olympics.
"The international community predicts that it will be difficult for the Games to be held successfully," Minju Joson, the daily newspaper of the North's cabinet, said.
"Nobody can be sure of how long the spread of the infectious disease will last," it said. "Some even say that it will disappear only when it becomes summer as seen in the case of SARS ... A dark cloud is cast over the staging of the Games."
SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, which swept the world in 2003.
The paper added that many countries are reluctant to send their athletes to Japan and are already canceling scheduled matches ahead of the Olympic Games.
The report suggests the North may be thinking about whether it should participate in the Olympics.
Japanese citizens wearing masks walk outside on Feb. 27, 2020, in front of the Olympic rings installed at the Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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