North Korea Returns to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
Preview
North Korea’s various geopolitical disagreements and tensions are very well known, and while it’s rare to get a glimpse of North Korean life the Olympics are one place on the international stage that we do.
North Korea’s involvement in the Olympics goes back decades and allows us to witness the athletic prowess of a distant country.
This blog talks about North Korea’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics and highlights its athletes along with controversies. With diplomatic tensions on display, it’s important to remember the spirit of the athletes who came and honoured the Olympic games.
Olympic Comeback
Having avoided the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because of COVID-19 concerns, North Korea made a comeback to international competition this summer at the 2024 Paris Games. North Korea continues to participate in the Olympics despite a long history of diplomatic isolation, making the International Olympic Committee (IOC) one of their most important international allies. Global fascination is often piqued by North Korea's participation in these games, which combines athletic prowess with political intrigue. Let's investigate what they brought to the Summer Olympics in Paris!
North Korea at the Opening Ceremonies
Competing as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea made its 11th Olympic appearance in Paris. Their participation this year marked a comeback after skipping the 2020 Tokyo Games. The DPRK sent 16 athletes in total to compete in various sports, including boxing, table tennis, athletics, diving, gymnastics, judo, and wrestling. The year was successful for North Korea, with its athletes winning a total of 6 medals: 2 silver medals and 4 bronze medals.
Ri Jong Sik (2nd from the left) and N Kim Kum Yong (centre) join in the selfie taken by South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon (left) at the Paris Olympics
Ri Se-ung winning the bronze medal in Men’s Greco-Roman Wrestling
The official count of athletes who won medals is as follows:
· Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi securing silver in the Women’s synchronized 10m platform
· Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik winning the silver medal in mixed doubles Table Tennis
· Pang Chol-mi winning bronze in the Women’s 54 kg Boxing event
· Kim Mi-rae winning bronze in the Women’s 10m platform
· Ri Se-ung securing bronze in the 60kg Men’s Greco-Roman Wrestling category
· Choe Hyo-gyong winning bronze in the Women’s 58kg freestyle wrestling event
A moment of controversy arose when North Korean and South Korean table tennis players took a selfie together on the podium. This rare display of unity came amidst the background of recent tensions between the two countries. In August 2024, South Korea flew and air-dropped anti-North Korean pamphlets across the border, to which North Korea responded with balloons filled with trash; many of which are still being found today. The selfie, given the political strain, sparked debate, with some seeing it as a hopeful gesture while others criticizing it. Comparisons were drawn to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, where North and South Korean athletes competed under a unified flag. Unfortunately, these athletes are now facing ideological scrutiny in their home country.
Further mishaps occurred during the opening ceremony, when Olympics organizers accidentally announced South Korea as the People’s Republic of Korea – the name North Korea competes under. North Korean officials took this as offensive toward their delegation, and were vocal about their disappointment.
North Korean athletes leaving Pyongyang International Airport to Depart for Paris
On the geopolitical front, Russia was banned from the 2024 Games after its invasion of Ukraine in the ongoing war. In response, Russia is set to host the World Friendship Games in 2025, an international sporting event akin to the Olympics, yet historically organized by socialist countries as an alternative to the ‘Westernized” sporting events. Since Russia and North Korea are known to be strong allies, this puts North Korean athletes in a tough situation, as they’re expected to participate. However, the IOC has taken a strong stance, declaring the World Friendship Games a politically motivated event and threatening to penalize any athletes who take part. It remains to be seen what decision North Korea will ultimately take.
To conclude, North Korea’s return to the 2024 Paris Olympics was a notable moment for their country and for the world. Their athletes performed admirably, winning many medals, but the event was also marked by moments of tension, like the controversial podium selfie with South Korean athletes. It’s clear that North Korea’s participation in the Olympics continues to reflect broader geopolitical dynamics, and looking ahead to the 2025 World Friendship Games, it should be interesting to view how the intersection between sports and politics evolves!
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