North Korean athletes undergoing ‘ideological evaluation’ for Olympic selfie

Table tennis champions said to be in ‘cleanse from exposure to contamination’ following podium picture with opponents

It was a heartwarming moment that captured the Olympic spirit but North Korea’s table tennis champions may be punished for joining a selfie with their opponents from the South.
Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, who won silver medals, are said to be undergoing “ideological evaluation” along with other athletes who returned from the Paris Games.
The assessment is a standard procedure to “cleanse” the team from “exposure to contamination” abroad, reported the Daily NK.
Citing anonymous official sources in Pyongyang, the outlet, which specialises in North Korean affairs, said the athletes had been criticised for “grinning” next to foreign competitors, especially South Korean bronze medal winners Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin.
The rare interaction on the Paris medal podium between athletes from two countries – still technically at war with each other – had been broadly hailed as a moment of sportsmanship and a show of cross-border unity.
The photo of the Koreans and victorious Chinese team beaming happily at Mr Lim’s phone went viral and made headlines around the world.
JoongAng Ilbo, the South Korean daily newspaper, wrote: “A selfie with both Korea’s national flags and a Samsung phone,” while People magazine named the moment as one of the highlights of the Games.
Samsung, the South Korean electronic giant, is an Olympic sponsor.
North Korean athletes were reportedly given “special instructions” not to interact with South Koreans or other foreign athletes in Paris, under threat of repercussions.
Since returning from France, the Olympic team is believed to be in the process of a three-stage ideological assessment process by the ministry of sport.
It is said to last about a month with the intention of purging any lingering influence of “non-socialist” culture.
The assessment reviews every aspect of the athletes’ conduct, and anyone found to have behaved against the regime’s values and instructions could be subjected to disciplinary actions.
The Daily NK reported it was still unclear whether the photographed athletes could face severe penalties or a lighter warning and an order to undergo self-reflection.
“If they interacted with athletes from other countries, they must strongly reflect on their actions to avoid potential political or administrative punishment,” said a source.
The Telegraph could not independently verify the reports.
International sports competitions in the past have reflected the state of diplomacy between the two nations.
During a period of warming relations in 2018, the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics featured both countries marching together in the opening ceremony and fielding a unified team in the women’s ice hockey competition.
Their relationship has since become frosty amid a prolonged spate of North Korean missile tests and hostility towards Seoul.
North Korea’s athletes often come under severe scrutiny by the authoritarian regime, which views excellence and success on the sports field as a marker of international prestige and validation of the Kim dynasty’s governance.
In 2010, it was reported that the national football team were publicly shamed and their manager forced into construction work after they bowed out of the World Cup with no goals.
The athletes were said to have been subjected to a “six-hour barrage of criticism” for performing badly.