North And South Korea Gymnasts Pose For Selfie

Their countries are still at war with each other, but that didn't stop Olympic gymnasts Lee Eun-ju of South Korea and Hong Un-jong of North Korea from posing for a quick selfie at the Rio Games. The heart-warming photo, taken during the training period before the start of the competition, has been hailed as a symbol of unity during a tense period in North and South Korean relations. The photo has done the rounds on social media, with many people saying it represents the spirit of the Olympics.

"This is why we do the Olympics," tweeted political scientist Ian Bremmer alongside the image. His sentiment has since been retweeted more than 19,000 times.

However, some people questioned whether Hong, 27, is allowed to socialise with "the enemy", and whether she would be punished when she returns home to North Korea.

The Rio Games is 17-year-old Lee's first Olympics, while Hong won gold in vault at the 2008 Beijing Games, becoming North Korea's first gymnast to win a medal at the Olympics. People have highlighted the contrast between the gymnasts' level of diplomacy and the behaviour of the Lebanese Olympic Team, who allegedly refused to ride on the same bus with Israeli athletes, the BBC reported.