Joe
North Korean table-tennis players Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik are reportedly under investigation for their behavior at the Paris Olympics.
The investigation is due to the fact that they were seen smiling and taking selfies with athletes from South Korea and China.
Kim Kum-yong’s smile in a victory photo with South Korean competitors and Ri Jong-sik’s interaction with gold and bronze medal winners have sparked controversy, given the strained relations between North Korea and these countries.
The photographs, which capture a rare moment of sportsmanship between athletes from rival nations, quickly went viral. However, in North Korea, the reactions have been less favorable.
Following their return on August 15, the athletes have been subjected to a month-long ideological assessment process, described as a “cleanse” aimed at eliminating any influence of “non-socialist” culture, according to reports from Daily NK.
North Korean athletes were reportedly instructed to avoid interactions with South Korean and other foreign competitors to prevent any breach of the Central Party’s directives.
The repercussions for defying these guidelines remain unspecified, but past instances suggest severe consequences. For example, after North Korea’s football team failed to score at the 2010 World Cup, the players endured a six-hour public reprimand, and the coach was reassigned to construction work.
