It was a heartwarming moment that captured the Olympic spirit, but North Korea’s table tennis champions may be punished for joining a selfie with their opponents from the South.

Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, who won silver medals, are said to be undergoing “ideological evaluation” along with other athletes who returned from the Paris Games.

The assessment is a standard procedure to “cleanse” the team from “exposure to contamination” abroad, the Daily NK reported.

North Korean athletes were reportedly given “special instructions” not to interact with South Koreans or other foreign athletes in Paris, under threat of repercussions.

Since returning from France, the Olympic team is believed to be in the process of a three-stage ideological assessment process by the country’s ministry of sport.

It is said to last about a month, with the intention of purging any lingering influence of “non-socialist” culture.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    19
    arrow-down
    13
    ·
    2 months ago

    Yeah, it’s pretty weird that they’re banning (rightly but not thoroughly enough) Russia, but North Korea, Israel, and China get to participate as equals with the countries that AREN’T currently committing genocide, starving millions, and doping like there’s no tomorrow.

    It’s almost like the ACTUAL reasoning of the IOC is nonpublic and laundry based.

    • BlemboTheThird@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      2 months ago

      I’m pretty sure Russia only got banned because they had a state-sponsored doping system. Long as you don’t get caught with that, you can be as authoritarian as you want.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        If that was true, how come China’s allowed to compete with no restrictions after having 8 of their swimmers test positive in Tokyo and more just weeks before the games?

        • BlemboTheThird@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          2 months ago

          I’m no expert. But probably there just isn’t enough evidence yet to accuse China as a whole of systematically doping its athletes. I’d imagine they err on the side of “allowing participation” with this kind of stuff.