North Korean table tennis players Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik are being investigated for their behavior during the Olympic Games in Pariswhere their victory photos with South Korean athletes caused controversy in their home country.
According to reports from the Telegraph, Kim Kum-yong is criticized for smiling in a victory photo with South Korean athletes, who North KoreaRi Jong-sik, Kim’s table tennis partner, could also face disciplinary action for standing smiling next to the gold medalists from China and the bronze medalists from South Korea after the podium ceremony.
The footage, which captured a rare moment of sportsmanship between athletes from competing nations, went viral worldwide. But it has not been well received in North Korea, where leader Kim Jong Un’s regime tightly controls interactions with South Koreans and other foreign competitors.
Since the team’s return on August 15, they have been subjected to a month-long “cleansing” intended to remove any influence of “non-socialist” culture, the Daily NK reported. The process, administered by North Korea’s Ministry of Sports, involves a three-stage ideological review designed to ensure the athletes align with state-sanctioned values.
North Korean athletes have reportedly been instructed to avoid interacting with South Korean or other foreign athletes during the Olympics. Violations of these guidelines could result in penalties, although the specific nature of the possible penalties remains unclear.
Historical precedent suggests serious consequences for perceived disobedience. For example, after the North Korean soccer team’s poor performance at the 2010 World Cup, players were subjected to a six-hour public critique session and their coach was sent to construction.