There are observations that predict North Korean table tennis players Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, who took a selfie with South Korean athletes Lim Jong Hun and Shin Yu Bin at the 2024 Paris Olympics, could face revolutionary punishment, specifically called the labor training sentence, for at least 2 to 3 years.
Park Chung Kwon, an elite scientist who graduated from the Kim Jong Un National Defense University and participated in North Korea’s ICBM development, defected to South Korea in 2009 and entered the 22nd National Assembly as a proportional representative for the People Power Party. During an interview on YTN Radio’s News Fighting yesterday, he discussed a recent event where North and South Korean table tennis players took a self together.
Park remarked, “It was remarkable to see North and South Korean athletes on the podium together, taking a selfie with a Samsung smartphone.”
He added, “Even though it was just a fleeting encounter, North Korean players had the opportunity to see the latest Samsung smartphone and interact with South Korean athletes. During that brief exchange, they might have experienced cognitive dissonance, realizing that South Korea is not as struggling or suffering as they had been led to believe.”
When the host asked, “Will these players face punishment?” Park replied, “They will likely receive at least 2 to 3 years of ‘revolutionary punishment.'”
He explained that revolutionary punishment involves labor training and working on farms for about 2 to 3 years. He continued, “If the punishment is more severe, they might face labor 10 years of reform sentence of 10 years, similar to 10 years imprisonment in South Korea, or end up in a political prison camp in extreme cases.”
Park highlighted that North Korea reached the quarterfinals of the 1966 England World Cup but noted that the North Korean soccer players who interacted with South Korean athletes—sharing meals and drinks—faced severe repercussions upon their return, including political prison camps and expulsion.
He elaborated that following this incident, North Korean soccer began to decline. He referenced a saying that attributes the ruin of North Korean soccer to the Kim family, shedding light on the background of the downfall of what was once world-class soccer in North Korea.
Park added that if such incidents continue, it could deter individuals from wanting to represent their country. This, he warned, could lead to a situation where the North Korean regime might struggle to send athletes to international competitions like the Olympics.
