The following article is a column by Gareth Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours.

North Korea may have withdrawn from the Olympics and other international sports events during the pandemic, but it would be a mistake to think the country doesn’t care about athletics.

Socialist countries traditionally take sports extremely seriously, both as a way to keep soldiers and citizens fit and to bolster national pride. North Koreans take pride in the country’s Olympic successes, and in the past, the country has rewarded elite athletes who win gold medals with cash, cars, houses and membership in the Workers’ Party of Korea.