EXPLAINED: Why North Korea’s Olympic silver medalists may face punishment for smiling during a selfie with ‘number one enemy’ – South Korean counterparts

North Korean Table Tennis duo of Kim Kum-Yong and Ri Jong-Sik made history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Not just by winning a silver medal in the mixed doubles category, but by posing for a selfie at the podium alongside their South Korean and Chinese counterparts. A selfie that was posted by the Paris 2024 official handle, and one that went viral – encapsulating the very essence of the modern Olympic Games. However, a month later, it is learnt that the moment hasn’t been received well back home where the duo are facing ‘ideological scrutiny’ for their actions.

What happened?

After finishing second on the podium for the Table Tennis mixed category event at Paris 2024, Kim Kum-Yong and Ri Jong-Sik were seen posing alongside South Korea’s bronze medalists Lim Jong-Hoon and Shin Yubin during the medals ceremony, with the gold medalists, China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha joining them soon after.

Reaction back home

According to Daily NK, the ruling party officials in Pyongyang have received a report containing negative post-Olympics evaluation of  Kim Kum-Yong and Ri Jong-Sik. The report points out to the duo ‘grinning’ while standing next to their counterparts from South Korea – the ‘number one enemy’ nation. The fact that it was widely covered by the international media seems to have made the matters worse for the athletes following their mandatory ‘ideological review’.

What is an ideological review?

A three-step assessment that is mandatory in North Korea after athletes return from an international tournament from any non-communist country to evaluate any form of ‘exposure to contamination’ in their ideology.

It is conducted by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports, and the athletes themselves. Speaking to the Daily NK, a source explained, “The assessment begins the moment the athletes return home. They have to ‘scrub’ their ideology as soon as possible.” Use of the term ‘scrubbing’ indicative of the country’s communist regime and how simply spending time overseas is deemed enough to ‘contaminate’ people in the form of exposure to nonsocialist cultures.

During this three-step process, the athletes who have made contact with athletes from other countries are expected to acknowledge their actions as wrong, or else they might face political and legal actions in the future.

Response from Human Rights Watch

Commenting on the reports coming out of North Korea, the international non-government organization on human rights stated that the International Olympic Committee must step forward to protect the athletes in such instances.

“The International Olympic Committee… has a responsibility to protect athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse, as set out in the Olympic Charter,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

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“North Korean athletes should not fear retribution for actions at the Games, not least when their actions embody the values of respect and friendship, on which the Olympic movement is built,” it added.

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