North Korea's Olympic team has left for Paris. The country is set to take part in the Summer Games for the first time in eight years.

The North's delegation is comprised of about 20 members. The group, accompanied by sports minister Kim Il Guk, made a stopover at an airport in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Saturday. The Games are set to begin later this month.

The athletes were wearing white jackets with North Korean flags on them. They were also wearing blue skirts or pants. They did not respond to questions from the media.

North Korea took part in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but the nation did not send a team to the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021. It cited the global coronavirus pandemic as a reason.

The North's Olympic Committee says the country wants to try to win more medals at international sporting events.

The committee says its aim is to showcase the dignity of the country and encourage the North Korean people.

Analysts say the North is trying to boost its prestige by participating in the Olympics.