A Guide to Russia and North Korea’s Status in the Olympics

Russia’s national anthem has been a regular refrain at medal ceremonies during past Winter Olympics, but “Gimn Rossiiskoi Federatsii” (translation: National Anthem of the Russian Federation) won’t be heard at the Pyeongchang Games in South Korea. In fact, there’s a greater chance -- albeit not so great -- of North Korea’s “Aegukka” (translation: The Patriotic Song) being played. That follows a buildup to the Olympics, which get under way Friday, that’s been dominated by doping politics -- and actual politics.

In December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Switzerland-based governing body of the Olympics, banned Russia from sending a team to Pyeongchang for having operated a state-sponsored program to enhance athletic performance through drugs. Many individual Russian athletes will still be able to compete, however. North Korea, for its part, will participate in the Winter Games for the first time in eight years, the result of talks in January with its neighbor and Olympic host, South Korea. Olympic authorities had been trying since at least 2014 to smooth the path for its participation.