Additionally, he won two silvers at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.
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“It is only gold (that matters)”, he said. Later he told Reuters: “I told myself don’t give up, don’t give up”.
North Korea has been misreporting the activities of politician Choe Ryong Hae in Brazil, according to South Korean press reports.
The global sporting arena offers one of the rare opportunities for some North-South bonding, although the level of interaction is usually dictated by the prevailing state of relations.
“It would be impossible for North Koreans to talk and act in that way without government direction and strict internal guidelines”, said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University.
Also on Wednesday, North Korean weightlifter Choe Jon Wi placed eighth in the Men’s 77kg event.
North Korea left the London 2012 games with six medals (four gold and two bronze), while South Korea came away with an impressive total of 28, including 13 golds.
Kim will compete again in round 1 of women’s team table tennis on Friday, with teammates Ri Myong Sun and Ri Mi Gyong.
Reconciliation efforts were later put on hold due to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
In recent months, the relations between the two had become worse after the missile launches from North Korea.
Pyongyang has also accused the USA of “bluffing that they can mount a pre-emptive strike” on the country. North Korea also cherishes the idea of unification, and much of its propaganda is aimed at stirring such feelings in the South, though the North’s vision is of a single Korea controlled by Pyongyang. He says the Olympics offer the two Koreas a chance to find some common ground.
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After the competition, Mr Kim congratulated his South Korean rival, whom he described as a world-famous shooter.
