[Asian Games] North Korea No Longer Attends the Gold Medal Press Conference... The Silent ‘Boxing Hero’

Bang Cheol-mi does not appear at press conference after victory in China... Organizing Committee announces North Korea's absence 10 minutes before the end

‘Boxing hero’ Bang Cheol-mi, who won the gold medal in boxing at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, did not attend the post-game press conference. 바카라사이트

North Korea did not attend the press conference after losing the previous table tennis and basketball games, and did not attend this time despite winning the gold medal.

Bang Cheol-mi won the gold medal by defeating China's Chang Yuan in the women's boxing 54kg final held at the Hangzhou Gymnasium on the afternoon of the 4th.

After the game, Bang Cheol-mi met with reporters in the mixed zone (common reporting area) and passed without saying a word, pointing with her finger in the direction of the press conference room when reporters asked about her thoughts.

Typically, after the final match of this competition, the medalists visit the press conference together to express their thoughts.

However, with about 10 minutes left before the scheduled press conference, an official from the organizing committee announced that “North Korean athletes will not participate.”

As the bronze medalists also did not attend, only silver medalist Chang Yuan attended the press conference.

An official from the organizing committee simply replied, “(Not participating) was entirely North Korea’s decision,” and “They said they would not participate.”

When asked about the reason for non-participation, a North Korean team official met outside the stadium simply replied, “Ask that to the organizing committee.”

North Korean reporters who met at the scene also ignored the reporter's questions about the absence.

North Korea did not attend the press conference after the team of Cha Soo-young and Park Soo-kyung lost the gold medal to Shin Yu-bin and Jeon Ji-hee in table tennis on the 2nd.

The next day, after losing to China by 56 points in the women's basketball semifinals, she did not appear at the press conference.

However, it is unusual for a gold medalist, who is not a losing player, to not appear at the press conference.

Previously, in the case of North Korea's weightlifting event, all silver and bronze medal winners also attended the press conference.

In particular, Bang Cheol-mi's absence is evaluated as unexpected given that he also served as a flag bearer representing North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games.

Bang Cheol-mi, a member of the Geumgangsan Sports Team, is the winner of the women's 51kg class at the 2019 Asian Championships, and won the 'Republic Championships', North Korea's national sports competition, last year.

At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, she won a silver medal.

She was also selected as one of North Korea's 'Top 10 Best Players' in 2018, 2021, and 2022.