After selfie with South Korean athletes at Olympics, North Korean players face 'cleanse' from 'contamination'
Remember the heartwarming viral moment from the Olympics 2024 when North and South Korean athletes, from two nations divided by decades of conflict since the 1950s, posed together for a selfie? Well, it seems the North Korean government isn't feeling as happy about it¡ªword has it they're now punishing their athletes for the friendly gesture.
North Korean athletes were reportedly given strict "special instructions" to avoid interacting with South Koreans or other foreign athletes during the Olympics, with the threat of consequences if they disobeyed.?
According to The Telegraph, North Korea's Kim Kum-yong is now under scrutiny for smiling in a victory photo alongside athletes from South Korea, a nation North Korea views as an enemy.
Similarly, table tennis player Ri Jong-sik might face repercussions after smiling with Chinese gold medalists and South Korean bronze medalists on the podium.?
Since returning home on August 15, the North Korean team has been subjected to a month-long "cleanse" from "exposure to contamination," Daily NK reports, which is?aimed at erasing any traces of "non-socialist" influence.
This ideological "cleanse" involves a three-stage assessment conducted by the country's ministry of sport.
Any athlete found to have defied the Central Party's directives could face penalties, though the exact nature of the punishment remains unclear.?
North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a highly centralised totalitarian state. Often described as a "hereditary dictatorship," the country has been ruled by the Kim family since 1948, with Kim Jong-un currently in power.
What was the viral Olympic selfie between North and South Korean Athletes?
During the Olympics, South Korea secured bronze and North Korea took silver in the mixed doubles table tennis event, finishing behind China.?
After the medal ceremony, South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon snapped a group photo with North Korea's Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong, South Korea's Shin Yu-bin, and China's victorious duo Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.?
The photo quickly went viral as it symbolised a rare moment of unity between North and South Korean athletes.
This was also the first time North Korea had been on an Olympic podium since 2016, as the country had skipped the Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
