The table tennis event at the Paris Olympics featured a heartwarming moment when the South Korean and North Korean players agreed to take a selfie on the medal podium.
Lim Jong-hoon of South Korea, who secured a bronze medal with his partner in the mixed doubles event of table tennis, took the initiative to capture the moment with his team and their cross-border neighbours from North Korea, who won the silver, by whipping out a camera and taking a selfie together.
This photo has captured global attention, with many viewing it as an inspiring symbol of cross-border unity and the centuries-old shared family ties and cultural bonds despite a free relationship between the two countries at the diplomatic level.
Technically, the two Koreas remain at war, with the Korean War ending in 1953 under an armistice agreement but without a formal peace treaty. However, recent sporting history demonstrates the unity of the two Koreas despite decades of tension.
During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, they marched together in the opening ceremony and competed as a unified team in women’s ice hockey
Discussions about the two countries competing as a unified team in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were very close to fruition. But ultimately, they did not materialize, leading to a freeze in sporting relations.
Recent Debacles
Recently, tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated when North Korea sent thousands of garbage-filled balloons to South Korea, some of which landed near the presidential compound in Seoul.
During the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics, both the French and English announcements mistakenly referred to South Korea’s 143 athletes as North Koreans.
This error occurred last Friday during their debut on a boat along the River Seine, where the athletes glided down with their flags raised during the countries’ parade.
The announcements incorrectly referred to South Korea as the ‘People’s Democratic Republic of Korea,’ which is an incorrect reference to North Korea. North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while South Korea is officially the Republic of Korea.
The Olympic organizers have since issued a ‘deep apology’ for the mistake.