After receiving their silver medal in the men's team 10m running target, their country's first of the Games, the three North Korean athletes first broke with tradition by declining to turn towards the flag during the rendition of the national anthem of the winners, South Korea.
Then, during the customary group photo, where all medal winners bunch together for the cameras, the bronze medallists, Indonesia, joined South Korea on the top rung of the podium, but the three North Koreans, Kwon Kwang-il, Pak Myong-won and Songjun Yu, did not.
During a brief, but awkward delay one of the South Koreans tapped one of the North Koreans on the shoulder and tried to speak to them, but the North Koreans kept silent and did not even look to their left where their rivals stood.
The Hangzhou Asian Games is the first international multi-sport event North Korea is attending since the 2018 edition in Jakarta.
The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty meaning the two sides are still technically at war.
Persons:
Jeong, Kwon Kwang, Pak Myong, Songjun Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Christian Radnedge
Organizations:
Sports Centre, North, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Koreans, Olympic Council of Asia, Hangzhou, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, Thomson
Locations:
Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, South Korea, Indonesia, North Koreans, North Korea, Korea, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo