Starting in 2020, North Korean players stopped competing internationally for three years, returning for the 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023), where Kim competed in four events, but did not win a medal.[3][5] In April 2024, Kim and her mixed doubles partner Ri Jong Sik qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics by defeating Spain in the ITTF World Olympic Qualification Tournament, 4–3.[6]
Kim and Ri, unranked by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) due to their limited experience in international competitions, were the last-ranked team in the Olympic mixed doubles competition and faced defending champion Japan – ranked second globally – in the opening round.[7][8] In a major upset, the North Korean pair defeated Japan by a score of 4–1.[7][9] The pair followed it up by defeating eighth-seeded Sweden and then fourth-seeded Hong Kong to reach the tournament finals against China.[8][10] They were defeated in the finals, 4–2, and thus received the silver medal, becoming the first Olympic medal-winners from North Korea in eight years.[11][12] After the tournament, the pair, having previously avoided the media, briefly answered questions at a press conference, with Kim noting that "We prepared a lot for the Olympics. We had a good performance but there are some regrets. We'll do better next time to win the gold."[13]
Kim is noted for using a rare type of table tennis racket, featuring long pimpled rubber on the backside, which Reuters stated "caught many top players off guard" at the Olympics.[13] Swedish player Kristian Karlsson noted that "Her serve gave me a lot of trouble. Some of them looked easy, but I missed them. The rubber she uses is very unusual among female players and almost nonexistent among male players."[13]
Following their silver medal, Kim and Ri shared a selfie on the podium with their fellow medallists, including Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin of South Korea. This was celebrated around the world as a moment of great sportsmanship, but reportedly led to criticism from the North Korean authorities, who according to Daily NK placed Kim and Ri under "ideological scrutiny" upon their return to the country.[14]
^Yun-seok, Ahn (13 April 2024). "북 탁구 혼성복식팀, 파리 올림픽 참가 자격 획득" [North Korea table tennis mixed doubles team qualified for Paris Olympics]. SPNews.co.kr (in Korean).
^ abAhn, Hong-seok (28 July 2024). "[올림픽] 북한 리정식-김금용, 탁구 혼복서 우승 후보 일본 제압 '대이변'" [[Olympic Games] North Korea's Ri Jeong-sik and Kim Geum-yong beat Japan, the candidates for the table tennis mixed boxing title, in a 'great upset']. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean).
^"북한, 8년 만 올림픽 메달…탁구 혼복 리정식-김금용 銀[올림픽]" [North Korea wins Olympic medal after 8 years... Table Tennis Mixed Ri Jeong-sik – Kim Geum-yong Silver [Olympic]]. SPNews.co.kr (in Korean). 30 July 2024.
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