North Korean athletes were part of one of the most iconic moments at the 2024 Olympics in Paris — and they are reportedly facing punishment for it now.
While all Olympic participants were given the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition, the North Korean athletes were excluded due to UN sanctions against their country over its nuclear and missile programs. Despite this, the medal-winning athletes joined others in taking “victory selfies” and shared a rare but historic moment of camaraderie with South Korean and Chinese athletes.
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These photos quickly went viral, capturing global attention.
The South Korean dude took the selfie. The Chinese lady suggested a different angle. The North Korean champs smiled.
We can absolutely coexist peacefully in our region without constant interference from the US sowing division between us. pic.twitter.com/ImmGbq2Bk7
— 凯王 Kai Wong (@Kai_Wong_CN) July 30, 2024
However, what seemed like a simple act of sportsmanship sparked concerns about the potential repercussions for the North Korean athletes involved.
Reports soon surfaced that the North Korean athletes who participated in the selfies are now facing ideological inspections in Pyongyang. According to a high-level source cited by Daily NK on August 21, the North Korean Olympic Committee delegation and athletes are undergoing a strict ideological evaluation process.
North Korean Athletes May Face Punishment For Viral Moment At The 2024 Olympics
This month-long evaluation is to ensure that the athletes were not influenced by “non-socialist cultures” during their time abroad. This scrutiny has raised alarms, with many fearing that the athletes, despite their success in winning two silver and four bronze medals, could face severe punishment.
In fact, it has ignited public outrage in South Korea, where people have expressed their disappointment over the situation. A post on the popular South Korean online forum, theqoo, with over 27,000 views, drew widespread criticism of the North Korean rule.
- “Countries like that shouldn’t be allowed to participate in the Olympics.”
- “That country is crazy. They shouldn’t be allowed in the Olympics.”
- “If this is how it’s going to be, just ban them from the Olympics.”
- “Why did they even let them participate in the Olympics if this is how they act?”
- “Ugh, what a bunch of lunatics.”
- “Oh, no… ;;”
- “Sigh, North Korean athletes should be really careful about who they interact with from now on… I feel so sorry for them.”
- “Why can’t they just let this go? This is so unfortunate…”
Source: TheQoo
