Paris Olympics: Taking selfie with enemy country's players proved costly, now they will have to bear the punishment for smiling

Paris Olympics: Silver medalist North Korean table tennis players Jong Sik and Kim Kum took a smiling selfie on the podium with the enemy country South Korea's players, now an investigation has started against them in this case.

Muskan Kumawat
Muskan Kumawat Verified Public Figure • 16 Apr, 2026 Journalist
Sep 5, 2024 • 12:18 PM
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Paris Olympics: Taking selfie with enemy country's players proved costly, now they will have to bear the punishment for smiling
“Paris Olympics: Taking selfie with enemy country's players proved costly, now they will have to bear the punishment for smiling”
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5 Sep 2024
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Paris Olympics: Taking selfie with enemy country's players proved costly, now they will have to bear the punishment for smiling
Paris Olympics: Taking selfie with enemy country's players proved costly, now they will have to bear the punishment for smiling

After winning a medal in the Paris Olympics, one could see the athletes' selfies on the podium, and quite truly, the whole world appreciated it, including how the rival players celebrated with each other by showing sportsmen spirit in the end. But there is a country that couldn't bear the fact that its players stand and pose, smiling with the athletes of its number one enemy country. That country is North Korea, whose table tennis players took a selfie with the bronze-winning South Korean paddlers on the podium after their silver medal victory. Now, one month later, North Korea has launched an investigation against the mixed doubles pair of table tennis.

Last month's table tennis competition in the Paris Olympics saw North Korean nominees Kim Kum-Yong and Ri Jong-Sik take the silver medal. Meanwhile, their South Korean counterparts Lim Jong-Hoon and Shin Yubin took the bronze medal. The Chinese pair of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha clinched the gold medal for this event. These three pairs, with broad smiles, went on taking selfies with the medals on the podium. The photo was later posted to the official social media of the Paris Olympics and went viral.

According to Patrika, the ruling party officials in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, did not like Kim Kum and Ri Jong smiling with the players of the enemy country. They have been blamed in an evaluation report of these two players. This matter was widely covered by the international media, which does not come under the policies of North Korea.

Muskan Kumawat Verified Public Figure • 16 Apr, 2026 Journalist

Muskan Kumawat is a Journalist & Content Writer at Sangri Times English, covering a wide range of topics, including news, entertainment, and trending stories. With a strong passion for storytelling and in-depth reporting, she delivers engaging and informative content to readers.

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