North Korea at the Olympics

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.

History

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 led the 1988 Summer Olympics boycott in Seoul, South Korea, and in 2020, citing COVID-19 concerns.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

On 6 April 2021, North Korea announced it would not participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns. 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.

Timeline of participation

Olympic Year/s Teams 1912–1936 1948–1960 1964 W (NKO) 1964 S–1968 1972–present (PRK)

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Medals by Winter Games

Medals by summer sport

Medals by winter sport

List of medalists Summer Olympics Games Medal Name Sport Event Ri Ho-jun Shooting Mixed 50 metre rifle, prone Kim U-gil Boxing Men's light flyweight Kim Yong-ik Judo Men's 63 kg Ri Chun-okKim Myong-sukKim Zung-bokKang Ok-sunKim Yeun-jaHwang He-sukJang Ok-rimPaek Myong-sukRyom Chun-jaKim Su-daeJong Ok-jin Volleyball Women's tournament Kim Gwong-hyong Wrestling Men's freestyle 52 kg Gu Yong-ju Boxing Men's bantamweight Ri Byong-uk Men's light flyweight Jang Se-hong Wrestling Men's freestyle 48 kg Li Ho-pyong Men's freestyle 57 kg Ho Bong-chol Weightlifting Men's 52 kg Han Gyong-si Men's 52 kg Ri Byong-uk Boxing Men's light flyweight Choi Chol-su Boxing Men's flyweight Pae Gil-su Gymnastics Men's pommel horse Kim Il Wrestling Men's freestyle 48 kg Ri Hak-son Men's freestyle 52 kg Kim Yong-sik Men's freestyle 57 kg Ri Gwang-sik Boxing Men's bantamweight Ri Pun-huiYu Sun-bok Table tennis Women's doubles Ri Pun-hui Women's singles Kim Myong-nam Weightlifting Men's 75 kg Kye Sun-hui Judo Women's 48 kg Kim Il Wrestling Men's freestyle 48 kg Kim Myong-nam Weightlifting Men's 70 kg Jon Chol-ho Men's 76 kg Ri Yong-sam Wrestling Men's freestyle 57 kg Ri Song-hui Weightlifting Women's 58 kg Kim Un-chol Boxing Men's light flyweight Kye Sun-hui Judo Women's 52 kg Kang Yong-gyun Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 54 kg Kim Song-guk Boxing Men's featherweight Kye Sun-hui Judo Women's lightweight Kim Hyang-mi Table tennis Women's singles Ri Song-Hui Weightlifting Women's 58 kg Kim Jong-su Shooting Men's 50 metre pistol Hong Un-jong Gymnastics Women's vault Pak Hyon-suk Weightlifting Women's 63 kg O Jong-ae Women's 58 kg An Kum-ae Judo Women's lightweight Pak Chol-min Men's lightweight Won Ok-im Women's lightweight An Kum-ae Judo Women's 52 kg Om Yun-chol Weightlifting Men's 56 kg Kim Un-guk Men's 62 kg Rim Jong-sim Women's 69 kg Ryang Chun-hwa Women's 48 kg Kim Myong-hyok Men's 69 kg Yang Kyong-il Wrestling Men's freestyle 55 kg Ri Se-gwang Gymnastics Men's vault Rim Jong-sim Weightlifting Women's 75 kg Om Yun-chol Men's 56 kg Choe Hyo-sim Women's 63 kg Kim Kuk-hyang Women's +75 kg Kim Song-guk Shooting Men's 50 m pistol Kim Song-i Table tennis Women's singles Kim Mi-raeJo Jin-mi Diving Women's synchronized 10 metre platform Ri Jong-sikKim Kum-yong Table tennis Mixed doubles Kim Mi-rae Diving Women's 10 metre platform Pang Chol-mi Boxing Bantamweight(54kg) Ri Se Ung Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 60 kg Choe Hyo-gyong Women's freestyle 53 kg

Winter Olympics Medal Name Games Sport Event Han Pil-hwa Speed skating Women's 3000 metres Hwang Ok-sil Short track speed skating Women's 500 metres

Multiple medalists

Athlete Sport Games Gold Silver Bronze Total Kye Sun-hui 1996, 2000, 2004 1 1 1 3 Kim Il 1992, 1996 2 0 0 2 Rim Jong-sim 2012, 2016 2 0 0 2 An Kum-ae 2008, 2012 1 1 0 2 Om Yun-chol 2012, 2016 1 1 0 2 Ri Song-hui 2000, 2004 0 2 0 2 Ri Byong-uk 1976, 1980 0 1 1 2 Kim Mi-rae 2024 0 1 12 Kim Myong-nam 1992, 1996 0 1 1 2 Li Bun-hui 1992 0 0 2 2

North Korea at the Olympics

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