North Korea has notified South Korea of its decision not to participate in the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade, which will open on July 3.
 
The North is said to have sent an email to the event’s organizing committee on Friday evening, saying it cannot participate in the sports event for political reasons because the United Nations opened a field office on North Korean human rights in Seoul.
 
The organizing committee explained that the email had been addressed to Eric Saintrond, secretary-general of the International University Sports Federation, but the federation said the email was not delivered.
 
In March, North Korea submitted a letter of participation to the federation, saying that it would send a team of 108 members to the South Korean city.
 
If finalized, North Korea’s absence could hinder preparations for the Gwangju Universiade, which has already completed drawings for some games including women’s soccer and handball.