North Korea at the Olympics
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|North Korea at the|
|NOC||Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea|
|Other related appearances|
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (commonly known as North Korea) first participated at the Olympic Games in 1964. 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.
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 North Korea 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 sporadic; eight of the last thirteen Games have included a North Korean team.
In 2010 a team competed at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
North Korea sent 22 athletes to compete in five sports at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea in February 2018. As in 2000 and 2004, North and South Korean athletes marched together at the opening ceremonies. A unified women's ice hockey team included players from both North and South Korea. North Korean athletes also competed in alpine skiing, figure skating, short track speed skating and cross-country skiing.
Alongside the 22 athletes, North Korea sent a delegation of 400 supporters to the 2018 games. This delegation, led by North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam, included cheerleaders, taekwondo practitioners and an orchestra.
North Korean athletes have won a total of 56 medals, two of which were won at the Winter Games.
Given its poor economy and small size, North Korea's performance is relatively successful. However, government funding plays a major role in Korea's success. Elite athletes often enjoy highly developed facilities and luxurious lifestyles, compared with their peers.
In 2018 the United Nations have rejected due to conflicts an exemption to sanctions for sporting equipment to help athletes prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games being sent to North Korea.
Medals by Summer Games
Medals by Winter Games
Medals by summer sport
Medals by winter sport
List of medalists
|Silver||Han Pil-Hwa||1964 Innsbruck||Speed skating||Women's 3000 metres|
|Bronze||Hwang Ok-Sil||1992 Albertville||Short track speed skating||Women's 500 metres|
2020 unified Korea team
- List of flag bearers for North Korea at the Olympics
- North Korea at the Paralympics
- Sport in North Korea
- Category:Olympic competitors for North Korea
- Taylor, Adam (3 January 2018). "Why the Olympics matter when it comes to North Korea". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 488.
- "Winter Olympics 2018: North Korea will send 22 athletes to Pyeongchang". BBC News. January 20, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- "North Korea at the Winter Olympics: All you need to know". BBC News. February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- "Democratic People's Republic of Korea". International Olympic Committee.
- "Results and Medalists — North Korea". Olympic.org. International Olympic Committee.
- "Olympic Medal Winners". International Olympic Committee.
- "North Korea". Sports-Reference.com.
- Taylor, Adam (10 August 2016). "The Olympics are tough for all athletes. For North Koreans, they're worse". Washington Post.