ZURICH/PYONGYANG – The Ice Hockey Association of the DPR Korea announced that they had to withdraw their team from the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division III in Dunedin, New Zealand.

The organization stated that for unspecified reasons they will not be able to send a team to the event that will be played 16-22 January 2012.

The tournament will now be staged with the five remaining participants: Iceland, China, Turkey, New Zealand and Bulgaria.

A new schedule with a five-team format according to the Sport Regulation will be compiled in collaboration with the host organizer and the participants.

The withdrawal only applies to the U20 team, but not DPR Korea’s other two entries in the World Championship program, in the men’s senior and women’s senior categories.