“We mingle and say hello with athletes from other countries, so why can’t we (North and South Koreans) do that?” she asked.
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The victor of Olympic gold in the event at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Jin became the first shooter, male or female, to win the same shooting event at three consecutive Games and to land four individual shooting gold medals, the South Korean having also won 10m air pistol gold in the British capital four years ago.
“If our two countries (the Democratic People’s of Korea and South Korea) were united as one, the gold and bronze medals would be recognised as for one country – Korea”.
His comments came as a surprise as North Korean athletes rarely comment on the topic of unification – a sore point in inter-Korea relations – and he did so despite North Korea recently banning a popular unification song. “I hope to see him again at the next Olympics”, she added.
Mr Suryeol Park was moved by Mr Kim’s courage. “Don’t give up”, he said of his faltering start. “Even though you got a bronze medal, your words deserve a gold medal”, he wrote.
He became the first shooter to win one event in three consecutive Olympics, and the first Korean to win a gold medal in three Olympics in a row and to win medals in four consecutive Olympics. His predecessors had won much earlier in 2004 and 1972.
The two Koreans later exchanged a winners’ handshake during the awards ceremony.
Bronze medallist Kim expressed regret that he and Jin were not able to compete for a unified Korea.
The statement slightly shocked the audience because it is not usual for a North Korean athlete to voice out his opinion on the divided peninsula at an global sporting event such as the Olympics.
“South Korea was first, Vietnam second and us (North Korea) third”, said Kim.
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A photo of them posing for the shot went viral on Twitter and was shared hundreds of thousands of times. “I will train with a goal of catching him and try to win the gold later”.
