A heartwarming moment of unity between North and South Korean Olympic table tennis players captured the internet’s attention on Wednesday. The viral image shows athletes from the two countries taking a selfie together on the medal podium in Paris, an act celebrated as a rare instance of goodwill amidst heightened political tensions.
Despite North Korea designating the South as its main adversary earlier this year, athletes from both nations shared a moment of camaraderie. After South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon won bronze and North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong secured silver in the mixed doubles event behind China, Lim snapped a group photo on his Samsung phone. The selfie included both Korean teams and the victorious Chinese duo Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.
The widely read daily JongAng Ilbo highlighted the symbolic nature of the image, noting it featured both Koreas’ national flags alongside the Samsung phone. This marked the first time North Korea had appeared on an Olympic podium since 2016, as they skipped the Tokyo Olympics due to the Covid pandemic.
Lim expressed his congratulations to the North Korean team, saying, “I congratulated them when they were introduced as Silver medallists,” in an interview with Korean media following the award ceremony.
The selfie has been widely broadcasted in South Korea, with many commentators praising it as a rare and meaningful display of unity. “This is the true spirit of the Olympics,” one commentator said.