news-engine

About the Author Nick Hall Nick Hall is a writer based in Sydney, Australia. Follow him on Twitter. Get behind the headlines | Evergreen Ping-pong propaganda: North Korea’s failed bid to crown a table tennis queen At its version of Hitler’s Olympics, Pyongyang hoped superstar Pak Yong Sun would showcase nation’s sporting supremacy Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on North Korea’s hosting of the World Table Tennis Championships in 1979. Part 1 on how Pyongyang attempted to use the competition to improve ties with the U.S. can be read here. Everything seemed to be falling into place for a North Korean propaganda coup when the country’s table tennis star Pak Yong Sun won her second consecutive championship. Pak (sometimes spelled Pak Yung Sun) achieved a rare feat when she claimed the gold medal in the women’s final at the 34th World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) in Birmingham, © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. |