Table tennis champions said to be in ‘cleanse from exposure to contamination’ following podium picture with opponents

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.

  • Gsus4@mander.xyzEnglish
    623·
    3 months ago

    Precisely for the togetherness that you see in that picture…and NK had to see it as a threat, of course.

      • Gsus4@mander.xyzEnglish
        73·
        3 months ago

        According to Daily NK, a media outlet specializing in North Korean affairs, the North’s delegation returned to Pyongyang on Aug. 15 and is going through what has been described as an ideological evaluation.

        This is a standard procedure for North Koreans who have been exposed to non-communist cultures while abroad. The media outlet said that North Korea views staying in a non-communist country as a form of “exposure to contamination.”

        https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sports/2024/08/600_381093.html

        PS: found the article they cite https://www.dailynk.com/chinese/朝鲜运动员在奥林匹克跟韩国选手嬉笑自拍而/

        • Antmz22@lemm.eeEnglish
          717·
          3 months ago

          Ok, and who is the daily NK and what is their source?

          The source is “anonymous sources”, and the daily nk is a US-South Korean joint propaganda project.

          • Gsus4@mander.xyzEnglish
            5·
            3 months ago

            Good, probably fake news then, the rest of the world, including China, was glad to see it, so hopefully it is also shown and seen positively by NK. But nobody knows what happens in NK through official channels, “fake news” from anonymous sources is all we have.

          • calcopiritus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            63·
            3 months ago

            Do you want north Korea itself to report these news? Of course reporting them is those that are interested in reporting these news.

            It doesn’t mean that the news are real, but it doesn’t mean that they’re fake either.

            • Antmz22@lemm.eeEnglish
              53·
              3 months ago

              I didn’t say it was definitely fake. But it’s certainly not definitely true and that hasn’t stopped almost everyone else here acting like it’s a fact, speaking of…why aren’t you pointing out to them that we shouldn’t necessarily call it fake or real without further analysis?

              If I posted a random article from North Korean news (in collaboration with China or Iran) about something bad with South Korea or the US and the article only cited “anonymous sources”, would the reaction be the same?

              People need to recognize and understand the media/propaganda they are consuming.