Olympic torch relay restarts in Japan
With Pyongyang out, the two nations will not be able to jointly field teams — something that many in South Korea had hoped would transpire once again.
South Korea's Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said Seoul had hoped the Tokyo Olympics would be a chance to "foster peace and reconciliation between the two Koreas".
"We regret it could not happen," it added in a statement.
The decision also dealt a blow to will also weaken chances that the two Koreas will be chosen to jointly host the 2032 Games, an idea agreed upon during a 2018 summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.