Lim Ae-ji “I’ll keep it a secret”…North Korea’s Bang Chol-mi smiles in retrospect

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Paris Olympics boxing bronze medalist Bang Chol-mi (DPRK), who did not show a single smile during the awards ceremony, the joint press area and the press conference, only smiled at the words of her fellow bronze medalist Lim Ae-ji (Hwasun County).

Lim Ae-ji and Bang Chul-mi stood side by side on the third place podium during the medal ceremony for the women’s 54-kilogram boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, on Monday (June 9).

Unlike Lim, who appeared at the ceremony with a smile on her face, Bang never cracked a smile.

Even at the press conference, the tension continued as if she was walking on thin ice.

When asked how she felt about her bronze medal, she said, “I came here thinking I could win first place, but I only got third. The Olympics is more important than any other competition, so I put in a lot of effort, but the result didn’t go as I hoped,” she said.

“I was happy to receive a lot of love and attention at the Paris Olympics,” said Lim Ae-ji, who also won a bronze medal. The crowd’s cheers gave me more strength. I wish I could have the opportunity to enjoy a festival like the Olympics.” Her sentiment is at odds with that of her teammate, Lim Ae-ji.

When asked about their feelings on winning bronze medals at the Olympics side by side, the difference in temperature between the two Koreas was stark.

Lim Ae-ji said, “Even though (North and South Korea) are divided now, it was nice to win a medal together. I hope to see her (Bang Chul-mi) in the final next time,” while Bang Chul-mi replied, “There’s nothing different about being in the same ranking as an athlete. I don’t have any other feelings,” she said.

She was also asked, “If you take home a medal, who would be the first person you would want to hang it on.

“There are so many people who helped me prepare for the Paris Olympics. I would give it to everyone I met,” she said.

Bang Chul-mi also said, “I don’t feel very happy because the bronze medal is not what I was hoping for (gold).”

During the press conference, in the corner of the podium, the North Korean boxing leader was listening to Bang Chol-mi’s answers with a hawk’s eye.

Even Bang Chol-mi, who had managed to keep a straight face, lost her composure at Lim Ae-ji’s words.

When a Japanese reporter asked her, “You said you wanted to hug her at the awards ceremony after the semifinals, but did you actually hug her out of sight?”, she couldn’t speak easily.

After a moment of silence, Lim said, “I’ll keep it a secret.”

As if relieved, a smile appeared on Bang Chul-mi’s icy face. 홀짝게임