North and South Korean Table Tennis Players Capture Attention with Olympic 2024 Selfie.

At the 2024 Olympics, a selfie featuring table tennis players from North and South Korea has garnered significant attention. North Korean duo Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong made headlines by securing the silver medal in the mixed doubles event. Meanwhile, South Korean players Lim Jong Hoon and Shin Yu Bin clinched the bronze medal. The four athletes stood together on the podium and later took a selfie with the Chinese gold medalists, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. International media outlets hailed this photo as embodying the “true spirit” of the Olympics.

This Olympics marks the first time since Rio 2016 that North Korean athletes have stood on the Olympic podium. South Korean athlete Lim Jong Hoon expressed his congratulations to the North Korean pair: “I congratulated them when they were introduced as the silver medalists.”

In the mixed doubles event, featuring 16 pairs, Kim Kum Yong and Ri Jong Sik were ranked the lowest. However, they defied the odds by defeating the 2nd, 8th, and 4th seeds to reach the final, where they faced the top-seeded Chinese duo, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. Despite losing 2-4 in the final, Kim and Ri equaled North Korea’s best Olympic table tennis result, with Kim Hyang Mi winning silver in women’s singles at Athens 2004. Ri Jong Sik also became the first North Korean male table tennis player to win an Olympic medal.

A significant factor in Kim Kum Yong and Ri Jong Sik’s success is their enigmatic presence. Their absence from international competitions for three years due to COVID-19 concerns meant that opponents were unfamiliar with their playing style and preparations. The North Korean players only returned to the international scene at the 2022 Asian Games (held in September 2023).

The silver medal in table tennis is North Korea’s second medal at Paris 2024, following Mirae Kim and Jin Mi Jo’s second-place finish in the 10m synchronized platform diving event.

This isn’t the first time athletes from North and South Korea have shared a moment of unity at the Olympics. At Rio 2016, North Korean gymnast Hong Un Jong took a selfie with her South Korean counterpart. The two even chatted amiably before Hong’s qualifying round in gymnastics.

At that time, there were concerns about Hong’s fate upon her return to North Korea due to the strained relations between the two countries. Hong, one of North Korea’s most successful Olympians, having won gold at Beijing 2008, virtually disappeared from the international scene after Rio. However, according to North Korean defectors, Hong was not punished for her selfie with the South Korean athlete or for her unremarkable performance at Rio 2016. North Korea expert Michael Madden confirmed that Hong was doing well and had not faced any repercussions.

The 2024 Olympics have once again highlighted the power of sports to bridge divides, with North and South Korean athletes coming together in a moment of shared celebration. This symbolic act serves as a reminder of the unifying spirit of the Olympics, transcending political boundaries and fostering goodwill among nations.