The decision was made by North Korea's Olympic Committee in the presence of the country's sports minister.
"The committee has decided not to participate in the 32nd Olympic Games to protect athletes from the global health crisis caused by the coronavirus," the sports ministry said in a statement.
It also states that the North Korean Olympic Committee at the meeting discussed how professional sports in the country should be developed, how to win medals in international competitions and that general sports should be promoted.
North Korea closed its borders in January last year to try to shut down the corona virus. Dictator Kim Jong-Un has repeatedly claimed that the country has succeeded in this and believes that not a single case of covid-19 has been discovered, which many experts doubt.