"Selfies of Shin Yubin with North Korean Players, Possible Risk of Political Prison Camp"

"1966 World Cup North Korean Football Players Also Sent to Labor Camps"

North Korean athletes who took 'selfies' with South Korean athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics reportedly underwent ideological censorship in Pyongyang. Park Chung-kwon, a member of the People Power Party and a defector, stated, "They could receive a minimum of three years of revolutionary re-education (labor training) or, at worst, be sent to political prison camps."

On the 27th, on YTN Radio's 'News Fighting, with Bae Seung-hee,' Rep. Park explained, "It seems they will receive at least three years of revolutionary re-education, which means going to a place like a labor camp to work and be trained," adding, "If the sentence is heavier, it could be a 10-year labor reform sentence, which in our country would be equivalent to prison." He continued, "In severe cases, the athletes could be sent to political prison camps."

On the 30th of last month (local time), at the 2024 Paris Olympic mixed doubles table tennis medal ceremony held at South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France, South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, who won the bronze medal, and North Korea's Ri Jong-sik and Kim Geum-yong, who won the silver medal, are taking a commemorative photo together on the podium with the Samsung Z Flip 6. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Rep. Park said, "In North Korea, people are taught that South Koreans live in poverty and destitution, but the North Korean athletes who actually met South Korean athletes would have realized this was not true," adding, "Although it was a brief moment, the North Korean athletes came into contact with South Korean athletes and saw Samsung's latest smartphones, which likely caused significant cognitive dissonance." He said, "Seeing North and South Korean athletes standing side by side on the podium, smiling brightly and taking photos, is truly a beautiful sight and embodies the Olympic spirit itself. However, from the North Korean regime's perspective, they believe they must extract these thoughts from the athletes and punish those whose thinking changes due to such experiences to prevent others from having second thoughts."

He also recalled, "During the 1966 World Cup, North Korean football players advanced to the quarterfinals, but when they returned to North Korea, some were sent to political prison camps or expelled." Rep. Park said, "They had dinner and drinks with South Korean football players, which became a problem," adding, "After that, North Korean football's prominence faded, and there is even a saying that 'North Korean football was ruined by Kim Bu-ja (the Kim Il-sung family).'"

Meanwhile, on the 21st, Daily NK reported that the North Korean Olympic Committee delegation and athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics underwent ideological evaluations in Pyongyang after returning home, and that if it is confirmed they violated orders not to contact foreign athletes, they could be punished.

In particular, regarding table tennis mixed doubles silver medalists Ri Jong-sik and Kim Geum-yong, who took photos with South Korean and Chinese athletes, it is reported that a report containing negative evaluations was submitted. The media stated, "The report reportedly included content such as 'The athletes showed a 'smirking' expression while South Korean athletes, designated as the primary enemy by the authorities, were right next to them,'" adding, "It remains to be seen whether the North Korean authorities will punish the athletes who took selfies or conclude the matter with relatively mild criticism such as warnings or self-reflection."