In a stunning turn of events at the recent Olympic Games in Paris, a mysterious table tennis duo from North Korea captured the world’s attention by clinching a silver medal. This journey to the podium is shrouded in intrigue, not only because of their unexpected success but also due to their unique training regimen and a highly anticipated moment of camaraderie with South Korean bronze medalists.

The North Korean pair, 24-year-old Ri Jong-sik and 22-year-old Kim Kum-yong, entered the Olympics as underdogs. The dark horse duo faced formidable opponents from table tennis powerhouses like China, Japan and Germany. Despite the odds, they displayed remarkable skill, agility and teamwork, advancing through the rounds with a series of impressive victories. To put this into perspective, Ri and Kim defeated the second, eighth and fourth seeds before battling against the world number one duo, China’s Wang Chu-qin and Sun Ying-sha, not only as first-time Olympians, but also as the lowest ranked players of 16 teams in the competition. The two players also surprised the audience in a rare display of affection, where they jumped and hugged each other after an hour-long victory, scoring 4-3 against Hong Kong’s Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi-kem.

THE DUO’S SECRET TRAINING LIFE IN CHINA

Since the pair had previously flown under the radar and participated in few international competitions, their moves and tactics became difficult for opponents to study and prepare for. During the Games, it was noted that Kim used a less common racket among professional athletes, which caught many top-notch players off guard. As described by Swedish player, Kristian Karlsson, who lost to the North Korean duo in the quarterfinals, “Her serve gave me a lot of trouble. Some of them looked easy, but I missed them. The rubber she uses is very unusual among female players and almost nonexistent among male players.” 

Although little is known about them, it was reported that Ri and Kim receive their training with the help of interpreters at Chonqing Zhongbin Sports (“Zhongbin”), a professional team in China’s southwestern city of Chongqing led by Head Coach, Li Xia-shuang. Li praised the duo for training very hard every day from 5am and never playing with their phones, “their skills were a little rough when they first came here, but now they have come a long way.” Their coach added that both players do not engage in any leisure activity as they “cease every second” to train and would always be seen practicing outside their mealtimes or rest hours. Earlier this year, Ri and Kim, along with two other North Korean table tennis players, represented Zhongbin in various A-League games in China’s northwestern city of Changchun. Li explained that “as North Korean teams seldom participate in international tournaments, we hope they will stay in condition by participating in the A-League.” However, as the pair had never played together in public or even during their training in China, Li described the Ri-Kim duo as North Korea’s “secret weapon” at the Paris Olympics and explained that their silver medal win was a testament to their dedication and the effectiveness of their covert training program.

TIES AND UNITY

Interestingly, Ri told the press in a rare interview after their match that, “we are trained in China, but our normal practices are in North Korea,” which suggests that China grants North Korean athletes an unusual diplomatic arrangement to enter its borders, while allowing them to hone their skills away from the prying eyes of international competitors and exposing them to Chinese training facilities that are renowned for producing world-class table tennis players. By hosting North Korean athletes, China reaffirms its commitment to the China-North Korea alliance that is essential for maintaining stability in the region. This strategic collaboration also signifies a continuous partnership that could pave the way for future cooperation between the two countries in other areas, such as economic development and cultural exchange.

Although the Chinese-North Korean friendship on the sports field is heartwarming, a moving moment at the Olympics was marked by a rare act of unity between North and South Korea. Echoing a similar viral photo taken during the Rio 2016 Olympics, another historical selfie made headlines after the North Korean duo was seen posing for a photo with the South Korean and Chinese table tennis medalists, along with both Koreas’ national flags in the backdrop, using a Samsung phone. This gesture, captured and shared widely on social media, symbolized a moment of peace between the two Koreas after months of escalating political tensions.