North Korea at the Olympics

North Korea at the Olympic Games
Flag of North Korea – Flag bearers IOC code  PRK NOC Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Olympic history
Summer Games
1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000 • 2004 • 2008 • 2012
Winter Games
1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1994 • 1998 • 2002 • 2006 • 2010

North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) first participated at the Olympic Games in 1964, appearing only in the Winter Olympic Games that year. Eight years later in 1972, the nation first participated at the Summer Olympic Games. Since then, the nation has appeared in every Summer Games, except when they joined the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, and when they boycotted the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea's attendance at the Winter Games has been infrequent, only seven of the last twelve Games have included a North Korean team. In 2010 a team competed at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

North Korean athletes have won a total of 43 medals, two of which were won at the Winter Games.

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. Although North Korean athletes stay at the Olympic Village, they do so in a "private compound", and are required to stay inside except during practice and competition. They are forbidden from sightseeing in the host country, or from interacting with athletes from other delegations, however they do participate in the Parade of Athletes at the opening ceremony, and witness the closing ceremony.^[1]

North Korea has never participated in the Paralympic Games.^[2] Persons with disabilities in North Korea (with the exception of veterans) are reportedly locked away in camps, and "subjected to harsh and sub-human conditions"^[3], although the United Nations reports that the government is "beginning to consider welfare for the disabled".^[4]

Medalists

Medal	Name	Games	Sport	Event
2 Silver	Han Pil-Hwa	1964 Innsbruck	Speed skating	Women's 3000 metres
1 Gold	Li Ho-Jun	1972 Munich	Shooting	50 metre rifle prone
2 Silver	Kim U-Gil	1972 Munich	Boxing	Light flyweight
3 Bronze	Kim Yong Ik	1972 Munich	Judo	Men's lightweight
3 Bronze	Ri Chun-Ok Kim Myong-Suk Kim Jung-Bok Kang Ok-Sun Kim Un-Ja Hwang Hye-Suk Chang Ok-Rim Paek Myong-Suk Ryom Chun-Ja Kim Su-Dae Chong Ok-Jin	1972 Munich	Volleyball	Women's volleyball
3 Bronze	Kim Gwong-Hyong	1972 Munich	Wrestling	Men's freestyle flyweight
1 Gold	Gu Young-Jo	1976 Montreal	Boxing	Bantamweight
2 Silver	Li Byong-Uk	1976 Montreal	Boxing	Light flyweight
2 Silver	Ho Bong-Chol	1980 Moscow	Weightlifting	Men's flyweight
2 Silver	Jang Se-Hong	1980 Moscow	Wrestling	Men's freestyle light flyweight
2 Silver	Li Ho-Pyong	1980 Moscow	Wrestling	Men's freestyle bantamweight
3 Bronze	Li Byong-Uk	1980 Moscow	Boxing	Light flyweight
3 Bronze	Han Gyong-Si	1980 Moscow	Weightlifting	Men's flyweight
1 Gold	Choi Chol-Su	1992 Barcelona	Boxing	Flyweight
1 Gold	Pae Gil-Su	1992 Barcelona	Gymnastics	Men's pommel horse
1 Gold	Kim Il	1992 Barcelona	Wrestling	Men's freestyle light flyweight
1 Gold	Li Hak-Son	1992 Barcelona	Wrestling	Men's freestyle flyweight
3 Bronze	Li Gwang-Sik	1992 Barcelona	Boxing	Bantamweight
3 Bronze	Li Bun-Hui and Yu Sun-Bok	1992 Barcelona	Table tennis	Women's doubles
3 Bronze	Li Bun-Hui	1992 Barcelona	Table tennis	Women's singles
3 Bronze	Kim Myong-Nam	1992 Barcelona	Weightlifting	Men's middleweight
3 Bronze	Kim Yong-Sik	1992 Barcelona	Wrestling	Men's freestyle bantamweight
3 Bronze	Hwang Ok-Sil	1992 Albertville	Short track speed skating	Women's 500 metres
1 Gold	Kye Sun-Hui	1996 Atlanta	Judo	Women's extra lightweight
1 Gold	Kim Il	1996 Atlanta	Wrestling	Men's freestyle light flyweight
2 Silver	Kim Myong Nam	1996 Atlanta	Weightlifting	Men's lightweight
3 Bronze	Jon Chol Ho	1996 Atlanta	Weightlifting	Men's middleweight
3 Bronze	Ri Yong-Sam	1996 Atlanta	Wrestling	Men's freestyle bantamweight
2 Silver	Ri Song Hui	2000 Sydney	Weightlifting	Women's 58 kg
3 Bronze	Kim Un-Chol	2000 Sydney	Boxing	Men's light flyweight
3 Bronze	Kye Sun-Hui	2000 Sydney	Judo	Women's half lightweight
3 Bronze	Kang Yong-Gyun	2000 Sydney	Wrestling	Men's Greco-Roman 54 kg
2 Silver	Kim Song-Guk	2004 Athens	Boxing	Featherweight
2 Silver	Kye Sun-Hui	2004 Athens	Judo	Women's lightweight
2 Silver	Kim Hyang Mi	2004 Athens	Table tennis	Women's singles
2 Silver	Ri Song Hui	2004 Athens	Weightlifting	Women's 58 kg
3 Bronze	Kim Jong Su	2004 Athens	Shooting	Men's 50 metre pistol
1 Gold	Hong Un Jong	2008 Beijing	Gymnastics	Women's vault (artistic gymnastics)
1 Gold	Pak Hyon Suk	2008 Beijing	Weightlifting	Women's 63 kg
2 Silver	An Kum Ae	2008 Beijing	Judo	Women's lightweight
3 Bronze	O Jong Ae	2008 Beijing	Weightlifting	Women's 58 kg
3 Bronze	Pak Chol Min	2008 Beijing	Judo	Men's lightweight
3 Bronze	Won Ok Im	2008 Beijing	Judo	Women's lightweight

Medal tables

See also: All-time Olympic Games medal count

Medals by Summer Games

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1972 Munich	1	1	3	5
1976 Montreal	1	1	0	2
1980 Moscow	0	3	2	5
1984 Los Angeles	did not participate
1988 Seoul	did not participate
1992 Barcelona	4	0	5	9
1996 Atlanta	2	1	2	5
2000 Sydney	0	1	3	4
2004 Athens	0	4	1	5
2008 Beijing	2	1	3	6
Total	10	12	19	41

Medals by Winter Games

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1964 Innsbruck	0	1	0	1
1968 Grenoble	did not participate
1972 Sapporo	0	0	0	0
1976 Innsbruck	did not participate
1980 Lake Placid	did not participate
1984 Sarajevo	0	0	0	0
1988 Calgary	0	0	0	0
1992 Albertville	0	0	1	1
1994 Lillehammer	did not participate
1998 Nagano	0	0	0	0
2002 Salt Lake City	did not participate
2006 Turin	0	0	0	0
2010 Vancouver	0	0	0	0
Total	0	1	1	2

Medals by sport

Sport	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Wrestling	3	2	4	9
Boxing	2	3	3	8
Gymnastics	2	0	0	2
Weightlifting	1	4	4	9
Judo	1	2	4	7
Shooting	1	0	1	2
Table tennis	0	1	2	3
Speed skating	0	1	0	1
Volleyball	0	0	1	1
Short track speed skating	0	0	1	1
Total	10	13	20	43

See also

• Category:Olympic competitors for North Korea

References

1. ^ "A lonely Olympics experience", The Oregonian, August 19, 2008
2. ^ International Paralympic Committee searchable database
3. ^ "North Korea locks up disabled in 'subhuman' gulags, says UN", The Daily Telegraph, October 21, 2006
4. ^ "North Korea begins to help disabled", UNHCR, March 5, 2008

• "Olympic Medal Winners". International Olympic Committee. http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp. Retrieved 2007-12-14. 
• "Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea". International Olympic Committee. http://www.olympic.org/democratic-people-s-republic-of-korea. Retrieved 2011-08-08.