Description
North Korean Athletes Arrive in Paris, Reminiscent of a Spy Operation… Return to the Olympics After 8 Years
Exit through another entry gate and block access to Korean reporters with the cooperation of French police.
North Korean athletes entered Paris, France, and announced their return to the Olympic stage after eight years.
With swift movements reminiscent of a spy operation, the North Korean team blocked access to South Korean reporters and headed straight to the 2024 Paris Olympic Village.
The North Korean team, which departed from Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on the morning of the 20th, arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, at around 1:00 PM on the 21st, Korean time, via Beijing, China.
However, due to a problem with one of the team’s luggage, they were held in the baggage claim area for about three hours before boarding a bus heading to the athletes’ village. 사설 토토사이트
The North Korean team that arrived that day consisted of 21 people, including support staff.
The number of athletes who entered the country was not disclosed by North Korean officials or the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee.
The sight of the North Korean team leaving the arrival hall reminded me of a spy movie.
Four people, including two who introduced themselves as “diplomats” to the airport traffic guide and two North Korean team members who had already entered the country, waited for the team at the “scheduled gate.”
Members of the 'North Korea-France Friendship Association' also prepared a welcoming ceremony for the North Korean team in front of the gate, holding a banner that read 'We warmly welcome the athletes of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.'
However, four North Korean officials suddenly dispersed.
The North Korean athletes came out through a different gate, and French police blocked the access of South Korean reporters to the North Korean team.
There were also police officers checking the passports of the South Korean press.
Members of the Korea-France Friendship Association also watched from afar the North Korean athletes who had boarded the bus.
The North Korean athletes responded to the members of the Korea-France Friendship Association who were waving the North Korean flag by raising their hands inside the bus.
The scene of North Korea's entry announcing its return to the Olympics was different from that of other countries.
North Korea did not send athletes to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, amid the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), citing the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect athletes.
In response, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended North Korea's NOC status until the end of 2022, claiming that North Korea violated the Olympic Charter, which stipulates that "each National Olympic Committee (NOC) has the obligation to send athletes to participate in the Olympics."
As a result, North Korea was unable to compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
After the IOC's sanctions were lifted and North Korea regained its NOC status, it competed in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, making its first appearance on the Asian Games stage in five years since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
It was its first appearance on the Olympic stage in eight years since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
According to MyInfo, the official information site of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, on the 21st, five days before the opening ceremony, North Korea registered 16 athletes in seven events, including wrestling (5 athletes), swimming and diving (3 athletes), table tennis (3 athletes), boxing (2 athletes), and gymnastics, track and field, and judo (1 athlete each).
Ahn Chang-ok, the star of women's gymnastics who won two gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games, took first place overall in the 2024 World Cup series and arrived in Paris as an 'Olympic medal candidate.'
Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi, who combined for a silver medal in the women's synchronized 10m platform diving at the 2024 Doha World Aquatics Championships, are also in the 'medal contenders.'
Bang Chul-mi (54 kg class) and Won Eun-kyung (60 kg class) in women's boxing are gold and silver medalists, respectively, at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
In the case of boxing, the Hangzhou Asian Games were held concurrently as a qualifier for the Paris Olympics.
Moon Sung-hee, who won a silver medal in the women's 70kg judo class at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is also scheduled to compete in this competition.
In wrestling, which has the largest number of participants, the list of participating athletes includes Ri Se-woong in the men's Greco-Roman 60kg class, Kim Sun-hyang in the women's 50kg freestyle class, Choi Hyo-kyung in the 53kg class, Moon Hyun-kyung in the 62kg class, and Park Sol-geum in the 68kg class.
In table tennis, Ri Jeong-sik in the men's class and Kim Geum-yeong and Pyeon Song-gyeong in the women's class are included. In track and field, Han Il-ryong in the men's marathon secured his spot through the "universality quota" system, which allows athletes from various countries to compete in the Olympics.
Additional North Korean Athletes are expected to enter the country.
Ahn Chang-ok, Kim Mi-rae, Jo Jin-mi, and Moon Sung-hee were spotted at the airport, but Han Il-ryong, who will compete in the second half of the competition on August 10, has not been seen.