As the Paris gymnastics arena erupted in cheers for Simone Biles securing her third gold medal of the 2024 Olympics, North Korean gymnast An Chang-ok was among those applauding.
In Saturday’s women’s vault final, North Korea shared the stage with South Korea and the US. An, 21, smiled for the cameras, waved, and even hugged some fellow finalists—a rare display of friendliness from a North Korean athlete, who was closely chaperoned throughout her trip.
North Korea’s participation in the Games, including athletes who even posed for selfies with South Korean rivals, has sparked hopes of a partial reopening after a period of severe isolation, marked recently by tensions such as balloon launches filled with waste towards the South.
Jean H Lee, a former Associated Press journalist who established the agency’s first bureau in Pyongyang, described the North’s involvement as a “remarkable” return to the international scene, despite ongoing issues with its nuclear program.
North Korea did not send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to stringent isolation measures during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, its presence in Paris indicates an effort to reconnect with the global community, Lee noted.
The North’s nuclear ambitions remain a significant source of tension with South Korea and the US, but no animosity was evident among the gymnasts in Paris. The new generation of North Korean athletes, who have won two silvers so far, have intrigued sport commentators with their unexpected performances.
According to Prof Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King’s College London, North Korea’s approach to “sports diplomacy” aims to present the country as normal through limited participation in global events. Athletes serve as some of the “few actors that North Korea has who won’t be viewed suspiciously” by the world.
The contrast between the support for Biles and An was striking. Biles was cheered by a host of celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Tom Cruise, and Snoop Dogg, and received a roaring reception from thousands of fans. In contrast, An received only polite applause from neutrals, as ordinary North Koreans are not permitted to leave their country.
It is unlikely that many in North Korea were able to watch the Games live, as they are not being broadcast in the country, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). BBC Monitoring has only found a few text reports in the tightly controlled state media.
However, John Everard, the UK’s ambassador to North Korea from 2006 to 2008, believes that the results are likely known to the “chattering class” in Pyongyang through various channels. North Korean athletes, including An Chang-ok, have arrived in a lavish host city, contrasting sharply with the austere Pyongyang airport where they were filmed departing last month.
While top North Korean athletes might have some awareness of global events, Everard suggests there would still be a “shock factor” given the differences between their home and the host city.
A notable moment of the Games was when a South Korean table tennis player took a selfie with his North Korean counterparts, a rare gesture of unity between the two nations still technically at war. Prof Ramon Pacheco Pardo speculates that this act was sanctioned by Pyongyang, signaling that the issue lies with the South Korean government rather than its people.
Similar gestures of unity occurred in past Games, such as the joint North-South women’s ice hockey team at the Winter Games. The selfie represents one of the North’s few visible interactions with the outside world, alongside a brief press conference by the table tennis players.
Unverified footage has also shown An with a collection of pin badges, a popular trade item among international gymnasts. Following their exposure to the Western world, the athletes are likely to face a rigorous “debrief” upon returning home to ensure they adhere to official messaging, according to Lee, co-host of the BBC World Service’s Lazarus Heist podcast. While athletes deemed to have “failed” might not face punishment, they could endure intense “self-criticism” sessions.
“The big hit for not winning a medal isn’t so much the punishment, it’s that you don’t gain all the benefits that you could have gained,” said Everard. Victorious athletes may be given higher status in society and even prizes such as a new home.
It remains uncertain whether this latest display of sporting diplomacy will lead to significant new talks between the two Koreas. The initial goodwill in Paris was momentarily disrupted when organizers mistakenly mixed up the two nations’ names during the opening ceremony, prompting an apology.
Outside the Bercy Arena after Saturday’s gymnastics events, a fan from Seoul expressed skepticism about any substantial political change. However, she noted that seeing athletes from both Koreas sharing a stage served as a reminder of their shared humanity.