2024-08-28 01:33:33
New Delhi: If someone says that you will be punished for laughing, then believe me, that country is North Korea. Yes, this has happened. North Korean table-tennis players Kim Kum-Yong and Ri Jong-Sik are under investigation for their behavior during the Paris Olympics. Their crime is that their smiling photos with South Korean athletes have created controversy in their country. The stories of the kind of punishment given in Kim Jong Un’s ruled North Korea are hardly hidden from anyone. According to a report in the Telegraph, Kim Kum-Yong is facing investigation for smiling in a victory photo with South Korean athletes, who represent North Korea’s rival country South Korea. Kim’s table-tennis partner Ri Jong-Sik may also face disciplinary action for smiling with China’s gold medalists and South Korea’s bronze medalists after the podium ceremony.
These pictures, capturing a rare moment of sportsmanship between athletes from opposing countries, went viral around the world. It was considered a symbol of peace and friendship. However, it has not been well received in North Korea. According to the regime of leader Kim Jong Un, his players cannot openly interact with other foreign competitors, including South Koreans.
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Since the team’s return on August 15, they have undergone a month-long ‘cleansing’ aimed at removing any influences of a “non-socialist” culture. The process, set out by North Korea’s sports ministry, involves a three-step ideological assessment designed to ensure that the athletes conform to the country’s espoused values.
North Korean athletes were reportedly instructed to avoid interacting with South Korean or other foreign athletes during the Olympics. Violating these instructions could result in punishment. However, the punishment is not certain. After the North Korean football team’s poor performance at the 2010 World Cup, the players were subjected to a six-hour public criticism session, and their coach was sent to work as a construction laborer.