A South Korean athlete takes a photo with a North Korean athlete on the podium at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, after they received bronze medals in the women's 54-kilogram boxing event at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
South Korea‘s Im Ae-ji (25) and North Korea’s Pang Chol-mi (29) were defeated by Turkey’s Hatice Akbas and China’s Chang Yuan, respectively, on Sunday, resulting in Im and Pang winning bronze medals, as the Olympics awards bronzes to boxing athletes who lose in the semifinals.
 |
(from left) Turkish boxer Hatice Akbas, Chinese boxer Chang Yuan, North Korean boxer Pang Chol-mi and South Korean boxer Im Ae-ji (Yonhap) |
The first and second prizes went to Chang and Akbas, respectively, in the medal ceremony and they took photos together after an International Olympics Council official handed Samsung smartphones to the awardees as gifts.
It is the second time South and North Korean athletes have stood on a podium together at the Paris Olympics.
In the medal ceremony for the mixed doubles table tennis event on July 30, South Korea's mixed doubles table tennis team -- Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin – received bronze medals and North Korea's team -- Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong — were awarded silver medals.
Photos of the two teams briefly shaking hands and taking a photo together went viral as a demonstration of the Olympic spirit.
 |
The flags of South (right) and North Korea (second from right) are displayed next to each other in the medal ceremony for the women's 54-kilogram boxing event at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, as female boxers from the two countries were both awarded the bronze. (Yonhap) |
