Gold and Silver Medalists at Paris 2024 Olympics Face Ideological Censorship Again in North Korea

Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon of the South Korean desk tennis staff meet China’s Wang Chu-qin and Solar Ying-sha, who received gold medals, and North Korea’s Ri Jong-sik and Kim Geum-yong, who received silver medals, on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games Desk Tennis Blended Doubles Awards Ceremony held at Area 4 De Paris in Paris, France on the thirtieth (Korea time) We take a commemorative photograph collectively. 2024.7.30. Information 1 North Korean athletes who took ‘selfies’ with South Korean athletes on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games have been reported to be topic to ideological censorship in Pyongyang upon their return. A unfavourable analysis report on them has additionally been submitted to the Central Get together, elevating the potential of punishment.

Each day NK, a media outlet specializing in North Korea, reported on the twenty first, citing a high-ranking supply in Pyongyang, that the delegation of the North Korean Olympic Committee and athletes collaborating within the Paris Olympics have been present process an ideological evaluate (censorship) in Pyongyang after returning to Korea on the fifteenth.

The media defined that the rationale North Korea is revising its ideology is as a result of it considers staying overseas itself as an act of publicity to corruption, which suggests publicity to a non-socialist tradition. A supply mentioned, “The dialogue begins from the second the gamers return house. “The objective is to cleanse your ideology as rapidly as attainable,” he added.

Based on the media, North Korean athletes collaborating in worldwide competitions obtain critiques in three phases over a interval of a few month. It’s anticipated that the athletes who participated on this Olympic Video games may even obtain three ranges of evaluate, together with these from the Central Get together, the Ministry of Sports activities, and their very own critiques.

It’s identified that the final assembly presently underway in Pyongyang is a central celebration normal assembly and is organized by the sports activities division underneath the Propaganda and Agitation Division of the Get together Central Committee. The Normal Meeting of the Central Get together investigates, analyzes and evaluates the entire course of from the departure to the return. If athletes are discovered to have acted opposite to the celebration’s insurance policies or academic tasks throughout the Olympic Video games, they may even be punished.

North Korean athletes are mentioned to have been instructed to ‘not come into contact with international athletes, together with South Korean athletes’ earlier than collaborating within the Olympics. If that is confirmed to have been breached, it seems that it will likely be topic to a penalty.

On this Olympic Video games, the ‘Victory Selfie’ program was carried out the place medal winners went as much as the rostrum and took selfies with Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Flip 6 product. North Korea’s Kim Geum-yong and Ri Jeong-sik, who received silver in desk tennis combined doubles, additionally took selfies on the rostrum with South Korea’s Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon, who received bronze, and Solar Ying-sha of China. and Wang Chu-qin, who received gold. This scene was additionally chosen as one among AFP’s high 10 information tales from the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Nevertheless, the gamers risked punishment in North Korea. It’s mentioned {that a} report containing unfavourable evaluations of each gamers has been submitted to the celebration. Based on the supply, the report included the content material that ‘Korean gamers, whom the authorities have outlined as the primary enemy, are subsequent to them and smiling brightly.’ Within the case of Kim Geum-yong, he was mentioned to smile whereas taking a selfie, and Ri Jeong-sik smiled whereas gazing athletes from different nations for a very long time after coming off the rostrum.

The media mentioned, “It stays to be seen whether or not the North Korean authorities will really punish them or whether or not they may shut the matter with comparatively gentle criticism reminiscent of warnings or self-reflection.” The supply defined, “Athletes who’ve been involved with gamers from different nations should strongly mirror on their errors throughout self-criticism with a purpose to keep away from political and administrative punishment sooner or later.”

Within the meantime, it’s identified that the efficiency of this Olympic Video games might be intensively evaluated within the normal assembly of the Cupboard Sports activities Ministry held after the final assembly of the Central Get together. Athletes can obtain recognition or punishment relying on their efficiency. Up to now, gamers who carried out beneath expectations in worldwide competitions have been punished with one or two months of unpaid work.

Kim So-young, Donga.com reporter sykim41@donga.com