KUALA LUMPUR – A pair of North Korean table tennis athletes may face serious repercussions for taking a selfie with their South Korean counterparts during the 2024 Paris Olympics, sparking concerns about potential censure amid ongoing tensions between the neighbouring nations.
On July 31, following the Olympic mixed doubles table tennis medal ceremony, six athletes from China, North Korea and South Korea participated in a rare moment of camaraderie by taking a selfie together, facilitated by a Samsung-sponsored initiative.
The image, capturing a brief but significant instance of unity, stood out as a symbol of how sports can transcend political and ideological boundaries – even between nations with fraught relationships.
However, reports from the South Korean news outlet Daily NK, which focuses on North Korean affairs, suggested that the North Korean athletes involved in the selfie – Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong – have been “negatively evaluated” during an ongoing “comprehensive ideological review” which began after they returned to North Korea on August 15.
According to Daily NK, all North Korean athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics are currently undergoing a month-long, three-stage review process.
This process involves assessments by the North Korean Central Communist Party, the Sports Ministry, and the athletes’ respective sporting organisations – with the stated purpose of determining the level of “contamination” from exposure to “non-socialist cultures” during their time abroad.
The report highlighted that the selfie itself, as well as the athletes’ demeanour during the interaction, drew particular scrutiny.
Jong-sik and Kum-yong were reportedly criticised not just for taking the photo but also for smiling while standing next to the South Korean athletes.
Jong-sik was further noted for “staring at other athletes for a long time” and smiling as he descended from the podium.
The situation is compounded by the fact that North Korea has maintained a hostile stance toward South Korea, declaring it the country’s “principal enemy” earlier this year amidst a series of provocative exchanges, including the use of balloons to send propaganda and human waste across the border.
In a related case, North Korean diver Kim Mi-rae, who won bronze in the 10m platform event, was also observed taking selfies with athletes from China.
However, Mi-rae reportedly avoided using the Samsung phone, which is a South Korean product, and her actions appear to have been a calculated attempt to comply with North Korea’s directive to distance its athletes from South Korea.
The incident recalls a similar situation at the Rio Olympics, when North Korean gymnast Hong Un-jong took a selfie with South Korean gymnast Lee Eun-ju.
Despite fears of severe punishment, Un-jong did not face censure at the time, even after she was photographed hugging US gymnastics champion Simone Biles years earlier.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Jong-sik and Kum-yong will face disciplinary action or if the reports are part of North Korea’s standard procedure for evaluating athletes after international competitions.
The outcome will likely reveal much about the current state of inter-Korean relations and North Korea’s stance on international engagement through sports. – August 22, 2024
