“I’ll keep it a secret.”
“You said you wanted to hug North Korea’s Bang Chol-mi, but did you actually hug her out of sight?” a Japanese reporter asked Lim Ae-ji, 25, of Hwasun-guncheong, South Korea, after the medal ceremony for the women’s 54-kilogram boxing class at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, on Monday (Sept. 9). Bang Chol-mi, 30, whose facial expressions were monitored by North Korean officials, smiled for the first time since hearing the question. It was a moment that revealed the friendship between the two Koreas, 메이저사이트 which has been frosty at best.
The friendship between Lim Ae-ji and Bang Chul-mi, who won bronze medals side-by-side in the women’s 54-kilogram boxing category at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was also on display at the awards ceremony. When Lim Ae-ji stepped up to the podium, Bang Chul-mi, who was up first, made a small gesture. Her expression was impassive, but it was clearly a gesture of consideration for Lim. Even before the semifinals, Bang Chul-mi reportedly encouraged Lim to “fight” when they met at the athletes’ village weight room.
Despite their mutual affection for each other, Bang Chul-mi remained stoic throughout the awards ceremony and appeared aloof during the press conference. After the ceremony, Lim Ae-ji said in the joint press area, “I didn’t talk to her because I realized that there was a reason she couldn’t talk to me.” She continued, “I think it would be rude if I called her ‘sister’ in such an atmosphere. I felt like I shouldn’t have gotten closer to her,” he added.