North Korean Tennis Players Face Punishment For Selfie With South Korean

The most iconic moment of the Paris Olympics was a selfie taken by medal-winning table tennis players from both sides of the Korean peninsula. However, things seem to have taken a different direction for the players as it caused trouble for the North Korean duo upon their return home.

Players Posed Together For A Selfie

The South Korean mixed doubles players Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin and the North Korean pairing Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik after receiving the medals posed together for a selfie on the podium. The picture also included Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, the Chinese gold medallists.

The picture immediately drew the attention of the fans and received thousands of likes when it was posted to the Games’ official Instagram site. People magazine called it one of the Olympics’ top 12 moments of sportsmanship in Paris.

However, as per reports Kim and Ri had been placed under “ideological scrutiny” since their return home land in mid-August, the North Korean athletes have reportedly faced standard procedures for those who have been exposed to life outside the communist state.

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

Facing Harsh Punishment 

According to Daily NK, a North Korean website, the athletes were already warned of facing punishment if they tried to interact with fellow competitors, even including South. 

The table tennis players were reportedly criticized in a report to officials for “grinning” while posing with athletes that the regime has labeled its “number one enemy.”

They have faced harsh punishment, the players were reportedly subjected to an excoriation for six hours. The coach, Kim Jung-hun, was forced to work on a construction site. Moreover, other players were also punished for underperforming. 

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