North Korean athletes demonstrate their true potential at the Paris Olympics, but their true potential is difficult to gauge due to limited information

At the Paris Olympics, a North Korean pair won the silver medal in the mixed doubles table tennis event. Ri Jeong-sik and Kim Geum-yong had little experience in international competitions, so this upset was a big surprise.
North Korea is not participating in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak and other reasons, making it the first time it has participated in the Summer Olympics in eight years.
The true strength of the North Korean athletes is difficult to gauge, and the North Korean athletes are a force to be reckoned with in this tournament. North Korea unilaterally decided not to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons.
Due to this, she was suspended from international competitions until the end of 2022 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The suspension was later lifted, and she was allowed to compete again at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China last fall.
They began to participate in international competitions. North Korea sent over 190 athletes to the Asian Games to compete in sports such as soccer, table tennis, gymnastics, and shooting. They won 11 gold medals, 18 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal.
They won 10 medals and placed 10th overall. The North Korean team's behavior after losing to Japan in the quarterfinals of the men's soccer tournament also caused a stir. They were not satisfied with the penalty kick decision that decided the game.
Immediately after the match, the North Korean players rushed towards the referees in a fierce protest. Some players tried to stop them, but some of them got heated up and pushed the referee away with their arms.
It was an unusual incident in which the tournament staff rushed onto the pitch to stop the ruckus. North Korea's first Olympic appearance in eight years has been the focus of attention from overseas media since the team departed from Pyongyang on the 20th of last month.
At the Chinese airport where they stopped, the players were photographed by reporters wearing white jackets with the North Korean flag on the chest and blue skirts and pants, but they remained silent when asked questions by reporters.
The group arrived at Paris airport on the 21st and stayed in the athletes' village, but when South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on the 24th, it said, "It is difficult to see North Korean athletes outside of practice, and they are riding carts."
"We were only able to see them moving around," said the North Korean athletes, introducing their situation on the ground. According to Yonhap, a South Korean athlete said in an interview, "I have never met a North Korean athlete even in the restaurant."
North Korean athletes were all smiles and waved during the boat parade at the opening ceremony. The flag bearers were diver Lim Yong-myong and judoist Moon Song-hui.
North Korea set foot on French soil still shrouded in mystery, but a dark horse pair with little experience in international competitions showed impressive form in the mixed doubles table tennis match.
In the first round, Ri Jeong-sik and Kim Geum-young faced the Japanese pair of Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata, winning six consecutive points in the first set and winning the entire match.
Overwhelming. They won 4-1. After the match, Harimoto reflected, "I think they played better than I expected." The North Korean pair continued their winning streak and made it to the finals. The final was held on the 30th, and the World
They faced the No. 1 ranked Chinese pair Wang Chuqing and Sun Yi Xia. They lost the first game 6-11, but fought back in the second game to win 11-7. They were pushed back by the third and fourth games, but in the fifth game they won.
Although they lost 2-4, they brought home their first medal of the tournament. After the match, they proudly held up the North Korean flag. At the awards ceremony, a message from the bronze medal winner, South Korea, was sent to them.
At one point, she responded to requests to take selfies. While Ri had a stiff expression, Kim was smiling throughout the event. At the press conference for medalists, Kim said, "Next time, I want to win the gold medal.
"I want to get stronger so I can win," said Ri, but he didn't say much. North Korea is sending a total of 16 athletes to the Paris Olympics in table tennis, wrestling, boxing, diving, and other sports.
There is little information about North Korean athletes, and they do not have many opportunities to participate in international competitions, so it is difficult to gauge their true abilities. They are a force to be reckoned with, and it is likely that they will continue to pull off upsets in the future.