North Korea at the Olympics

Last updated
North Korea at the
Olympics
Flag of North Korea.svg
IOC code PRK
NOC Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Medals
Ranked 50th
Gold
16
Silver
19
Bronze
28
Total
63
Summer appearances
Winter appearances
Other related appearances
Unification flag of Korea (pre 2006).svg  Korea (2018)

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (commonly known as North Korea) first participated at the Olympic Games in 1964. The National Olympic Committee for North Korea is the Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and was created in 1953 and recognized in 1957. The Korean Unification Flag has occasionally been flown by North Korea alongside South Korea at the Olympics, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korean and South Korean athletes unified to form the Korea women's national ice hockey team.

Contents

History

The unified Korean team at the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony PyeongChang Olympic Opening Ceremony 14.jpg
The unified Korean team at the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony

North Korea's first Olympic appearance was in the 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria. The nation participated in its first Summer Olympic Games eight years later at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Since then, the nation has appeared in every Summer Games, except when North Korea joined the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, when they boycotted the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, and in 2020, citing COVID-19 concerns. [1]

North Korea's attendance at the Winter Games has been sporadic; eight of the last thirteen Games have included a North Korean team.

During the 1998-2007 Sunshine Policy era, North Korea and South Korea symbolically marched as one team at the opening ceremonies of the 2000, [2] 2004, and 2006 Olympics, but competed separately.

North Korea sent 22 athletes to compete in five sports at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. As in 2000 and 2004, North and South Korean athletes marched together at the opening ceremonies. A unified women's ice hockey team included players from both North and South Korea. North Korean athletes also competed in alpine skiing, figure skating, short track speed skating and cross-country skiing. [3]

Alongside the 22 athletes, North Korea sent a delegation of 400 supporters to the 2018 games. This delegation, led by North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam, included cheerleaders, taekwondo practitioners and an orchestra. [4]

North Korean athletes have won a total of 63 medals, two of which were won at the Winter Games. Government funding plays a major role in Korea's success. Elite athletes often enjoy highly developed facilities and luxurious lifestyles, compared with their peers. [1]

In 2018, the United Nations, due to conflicts, rejected an exemption to sanctions for sporting equipment to help athletes prepare for the 2020 Summer Olympics being sent to North Korea. [5]

On 6 April 2021, North Korea announced it would not participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns. [6] Because the Olympic Charter mandates members' participation, the International Olympic Committee suspended North Korea from its activities until the end of 2022, thus prohibiting the country from participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. [7]

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Medals by Winter Games

Medals by summer sport

SportGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Weightlifting pictogram.svg  Weightlifting 58518
Wrestling pictogram.svg  Wrestling 32510
Gymnastics (artistic) pictogram.svg  Gymnastics 3003
Boxing pictogram.svg  Boxing 2338
Judo pictogram.svg  Judo 2248
Shooting pictogram.svg  Shooting 1023
Table tennis pictogram.svg  Table tennis 0235
Diving pictogram.svg  Diving 0112
Volleyball (indoor) pictogram.svg  Volleyball 0011
Totals (9 entries)16182458

Medals by winter sport

SportGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Speed skating pictogram.svg  Speed skating 0101
Short track speed skating pictogram.svg  Short track speed skating 0011
Totals (2 entries)0112

List of medalists

Summer Olympics

GamesMedalNameSportEvent
1972 Munich Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ri Ho-jun Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Mixed 50 metre rifle, prone
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kim U-gil Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's light flyweight
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Kim Yong-ik Judo pictogram.svg Judo Men's 63 kg
Ri Chun-ok
Kim Myong-suk
Kim Zung-bok
Kang Ok-sun
Kim Yeun-ja
Hwang He-suk
Jang Ok-rim
Paek Myong-suk
Ryom Chun-ja
Kim Su-dae
Jong Ok-jin
Volleyball pictogram.svg Volleyball Women's tournament
Kim Gwong-hyong Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 52 kg
1976 Montreal Gold medal icon.svg Gold Gu Yong-ju Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's bantamweight
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Ri Byong-uk Men's light flyweight
1980 Moscow Silver medal icon.svg Silver Jang Se-hong Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 48 kg
Li Ho-pyong Men's freestyle 57 kg
Ho Bong-chol Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 52 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg BronzeHan Gyong-si Men's 52 kg
Ri Byong-uk Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's light flyweight
1992 Barcelona Gold medal icon.svg Gold Choi Chol-su Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's flyweight
Pae Gil-su Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics Men's pommel horse
Kim Il Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 48 kg
Ri Hak-son Men's freestyle 52 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Kim Yong-sik Men's freestyle 57 kg
Ri Gwang-sik Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's bantamweight
Ri Pun-hui
Yu Sun-bok
Table tennis pictogram.svg Table tennis Women's doubles
Ri Pun-hui Women's singles
Kim Myong-nam Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 75 kg
1996 Atlanta Gold medal icon.svg Gold Kye Sun-hui Judo pictogram.svg Judo Women's 48 kg
Kim Il Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 48 kg
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kim Myong-nam Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 70 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg BronzeJon Chol-ho Men's 76 kg
Ri Yong-sam Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 57 kg
2000 Sydney Silver medal icon.svg Silver Ri Song-hui Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 58 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Kim Un-chol Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's light flyweight
Kye Sun-hui Judo pictogram.svg Judo Women's 52 kg
Kang Yong-gyun Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 54 kg
2004 Athens Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kim Song-guk Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Men's featherweight
Kye Sun-hui Judo pictogram.svg Judo Women's lightweight
Kim Hyang-mi Table tennis pictogram.svg Table tennis Women's singles
Ri Song-Hui Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 58 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Kim Jong-su Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 metre pistol
2008 Beijing Gold medal icon.svg Gold Hong Un-jong Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics Women's vault
Pak Hyon-suk Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 63 kg
Silver medal icon.svg Silver O Jong-ae Women's 58 kg
An Kum-ae Judo pictogram.svg Judo Women's lightweight
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Pak Chol-min Men's lightweight
Won Ok-im Women's lightweight
2012 London Gold medal icon.svg Gold An Kum-ae Judo pictogram.svg Judo Women's 52 kg
Om Yun-chol Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 56 kg
Kim Un-guk Men's 62 kg
Rim Jong-sim Women's 69 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Ryang Chun-hwa Women's 48 kg
Kim Myong-hyok Men's 69 kg
Yang Kyong-il Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 55 kg
2016 Rio de Janeiro Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ri Se-gwang Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics Men's vault
Rim Jong-sim Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 75 kg
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Om Yun-chol Men's 56 kg
Choe Hyo-sim Women's 63 kg
Kim Kuk-hyang Women's +75 kg
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Kim Song-guk Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 m pistol
Kim Song-i Table tennis pictogram.svg Table tennis Women's singles
2024 Paris Silver medal icon.svg Silver Kim Mi-rae
Jo Jin-mi
Diving pictogram.svg Diving Women's synchronized 10 metre platform
Ri Jong-sik
Kim Kum-yong
Table tennis pictogram.svg Table tennis Mixed doubles
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Kim Mi-rae Diving pictogram.svg Diving Women's 10 metre platform
Pang Chol-mi Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Bantamweight(54kg)
Ri Se Ung Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 60 kg
Choe Hyo-gyong Women's freestyle 53 kg

Winter Olympics

MedalNameGamesSportEvent
Silver medal icon.svg Silver Han Pil-hwa 1964 Innsbruck Speed skating pictogram.svg Speed skating Women's 3000 metres
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Hwang Ok-sil 1992 Albertville Short track speed skating pictogram.svg Short track speed skating Women's 500 metres

Multiple medalists

AthleteSportGames Gold medal olympic.svg Gold Silver medal olympic.svg Silver Bronze medal olympic.svg BronzeTotal
Kye Sun-hui Judo pictogram.svg  Judo 1996, 2000, 20041113
Kim Il Wrestling pictogram.svg  Wrestling 1992, 19962002
Rim Jong-sim Weightlifting pictogram.svg  Weightlifting 2012, 20162002
An Kum-ae Judo pictogram.svg  Judo 2008, 20121102
Om Yun-chol Weightlifting pictogram.svg  Weightlifting 2012, 20161102
Ri Song-hui Weightlifting pictogram.svg  Weightlifting 2000, 20040202
Ri Byong-uk Boxing pictogram.svg  Boxing 1976, 19800112
Kim Mi-rae Diving pictogram.svg  Diving 20240112
Kim Myong-nam Weightlifting pictogram.svg  Weightlifting 1992, 19960112
Li Bun-hui Table tennis pictogram.svg  Table tennis 19920022

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Taylor, Adam (3 January 2018). "Why the Olympics matter when it comes to North Korea". The Washington Post . Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  2. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 488.
  3. "Winter Olympics 2018: North Korea will send 22 athletes to Pyeongchang". BBC News . January 20, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  4. "North Korea at the Winter Olympics: All you need to know". BBC News . February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  5. Butler, Nick (2018-08-09). "IOC disappointed after UN reject demand for sporting equipment to be sent to North Korea". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  6. Choe, Sang-hun (6 April 2021). "North Korea, citing the pandemic, will skip the Tokyo Olympics". The New York Times . Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  7. "North Korea suspended from IOC after Tokyo no-show". Reuters. Reuters. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.

Works cited