North Korean Olympians Face Ideological Scrutiny Over Paris Selfie

In what many saw as a brief yet powerful testament to the unifying power of sports, a selfie taken at the Paris Olympics has reportedly landed two North Korean athletes in hot water back home. The image, which captured a rare moment of camaraderie between North and South Korean table tennis players, has sparked controversy and led to claims that the North Korean athletes involved are now undergoing intense ideological scrutiny.

The selfie was taken during the medal ceremony for the mixed doubles table tennis event, where the North Korean duo, Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik, won silver medals. They posed alongside their South Korean counterparts, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, as well as the Chinese gold medalists, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, smiling for the cameras on the podium. The image quickly went viral, drawing hundreds of thousands of likes on the official Instagram page of the Games and earning a spot in People magazine’s top 12 moments of sportsmanship in Paris.

However, the warm reception of the photo outside North Korea contrasts sharply with the reaction inside the secretive state. According to reports from the Daily NK, a Seoul-based website specializing in North Korean affairs, Kim and Ri have been placed under "ideological scrutiny" by their government. The athletes, along with members of the North Korean Olympic Committee, have reportedly been subjected to a month-long "ideological scrubbing" since their return from Paris in mid-August.

The reports indicate that North Korean athletes were instructed not to interact with competitors from other countries, including South Korea, and warned that those who violated this directive could face severe consequences. The table tennis players are said to have been criticized in an official report for "grinning" in the now-famous selfie, taken alongside athletes from what the regime considers its "number one enemy".

This incident comes at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as military exercises involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan have provoked strong reactions from Pyongyang. Furthermore, the growing relationship between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin has only added to the regional unease.

The extent of any potential punishment for the athletes remains unclear. According to the Korea Times, North Korean athletes returning from international events undergo a three-stage "ideological review", culminating in self-reflection sessions where they are expected to critique both their own actions and those of their teammates. Expressions of genuine remorse may spare them from political or administrative penalties, although the nature of such penalties is unknown.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the reports, stating that the North Korean government's actions reflect its efforts to control its citizens' behavior even beyond its borders. The organization has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to protect athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse, emphasizing that no athlete should face retribution for actions that align with the Olympic values of respect and friendship.

While Kim and Ri brought home silver medals, not all North Korean athletes have fared so well. The Daily NK cited a previous instance from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the North Korean football team faced severe repercussions for their poor performance. After losing all three group stage matches, the players were reportedly subjected to a grueling six-hour session of criticism, and their coach was allegedly forced to work on a construction site as punishment.