RIO DE JANEIRO -- Nothing is ever easy for the rival Koreas, even that most ubiquitous and usually innocent of Olympic interactions, the selfie.Like dozens of athletes at the Rio Games, gymnasts Hong Un Jong of North Korea and Lee Eun-ju of South Korea met on the sidelines during competition and training.The 17-year-old Lee, who is at her first Olympics, posed Thursday for a smiling selfie with Hong, a 27-year-old veteran. That friendly encounter and others between the two were captured by journalists -- and immediately took on larger significance for two countries still technically at war.Such meetings are not illegal in South Korea, but they are complicated by the two countries long history of animosity and bloodshed.Hong became the first female gymnast from North Korea to win a gold medal in 2008, when Lee was 9 and living in her native Japan. Lee moved to South Korea in 2013 because her Korean father wanted her to learn more about the countrys culture.A few days after the selfie was taken, Lee and Hong met again Sunday while on the floor at the same time during preliminary competition. Lee was eliminated, while Hong will compete in the vault final.IOC President Thomas Bach described the Koreans selfie as a great gesture.Fortunately, we see quite a few of these gestures here during the Olympic games, Bach said Tuesday.Photos of their warm moments delighted many South Koreans and provided a rare note of concord in otherwise abysmal relations between the rivals. It is unclear if the gymnasts interaction was seen in the North, an authoritarian state with extremely limited press freedom and where access to outside media is usually blocked.The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war because there has been no peace treaty signed to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War. Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea, and the neighbors regularly trade insults and warnings of war, including recent threats from the North of missile strikes on Seoul and its ally, Washington.A web of laws, most left over from the days when the South was ruled by a dictatorship, govern how South Koreans are supposed to interact with North Koreans. Travel and communication are severely restricted; even praising the North is illegal in the South.South Koreans are required by law to obtain government permission for any planned meeting, communication or other contact with North Koreans.This requirement is waived for spontaneous interactions with North Koreans that can happen during foreign travel, like the Olympics. But South Koreans must still provide an account of what happened to the South Korean Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean issues, within seven days, according to the ministry.So while its OK for South Korean athletes to talk to the North Koreans they meet at the Olympics, they must later submit reports about the encounters to their Olympic committee, which will then pass the information to the government.These brief, friendly moments between North and South Korean athletes at the Olympics may not seem to be a big deal to outsiders, but they often stimulate deep emotions on the Korean Peninsula, which has been divided by the worlds most heavily armed border for decades and where many long for eventual reunification.Inter-Korean ties, never good, have been terrible in the past decade of conservative rule in the South. But there were friendlier days under previous liberal governments in Seoul, and they were often seen most clearly in sports. North and South Koreans, for instance, marched together under a flag that symbolized unification during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.Whatever happens in politics, many South Koreans love seeing their athletes treating North Korean competitors with respect, and theres always lots of media attention on these moments of harmony. North Korea also cherishes the idea of unification, and much of its propaganda is aimed at stirring such feelings in the South, though the Norths vision is of a single Korea controlled by Pyongyang.When North Koreas womens soccer team won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, and the South won bronze, many South Koreans expressed delight in seeing players from both countries celebrate together after the medal ceremony, smiling and putting their arms around each other.Similarly, the Rio Olympic selfies represent a small thaw in otherwise frigid ties -- just as long as its all reported to the authorities.---AP writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this story from Seoul, South Korea.---Follow Foster Klug, APs Seoul bureau chief, at www.twitter.com/apklug Cheap Swingman Bulls Jerseys . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Cheap Bulls Jerseys Authentic . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. http://www.cheapbullsjerseys.com/ . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Wendell Carter Jr. Jersey . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Cheap NBA Jerseys . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91.Thierry Henry has called for unity as Arsenal look to bounce back from recent setbacks and end their 12-season wait for the Premier League title. Having beaten Leicester in mid-February, a run of three Premier League games without a win, coupled with FA Cup and Champions League exits at the hands of Watford and Barcelona respectively, have seen the Gunners hopes of silverware suffer a severe blow.The current state of results has seen manager Arsene Wenger bear the brunt of intense criticism from disgruntled supporters, with fans divided over the 66-year-olds future. Henry on CL draw Thierry Henry on difficult task for Manchester City against PSG But Sky Sports pundit Henry believes his former club still have a chance to win the title, and has called for everyone associated with Arsenal to rally behind the team.Arsenal have to remain positive as that is the only thing they can do right now, Henry said. There are still nine games to go.In order for Arsenal to go forward, they have to block all the negativity that is around the club at the moment. Thierry Henry thinks if Arsenal beat Everton this weekend, they still have a slim chance of winning the Premier League title I have never heard the crowd at the Emirates react as they did against Watford. It doesnt help when you play and hear the fans having a go at what you do, or a decision from the bench.Ive played in stadiums where the fans are not happy and it doesnt help. If that negativity comes from the stands, it becomes very difficult for anyone, especially when you havent won the title for 12 years.Now is the time for everyone to pull in the same direction - players and fans - in order for the team to go all the way. They need to have that togetherness at this crucial time. It doesn’t help when you play and hear the fans having a go at what you do, or a decision from the bench. They need to have that togetherness at this crucial time. Thierry Henry - Sky Sports pundit Arsenal still have a possibility to win the title mathematiically.dddddddddddd. As Wenger has said, you have to hope for the best in this type of situation.The Gunners travel to Goodison Park on Saturday looking to close an 11-point gap to league leaders Leicester City. Arsene Wenger is wary of dropping out of the Champions League positions Henry admits Wengers side face a difficult task in catching the Foxes, but feels it is too early to judge Arsenals season.If Arsenal dont win at Goodison Park it will make things very difficult, Henry added. They have a game in hand on Leicester and Spurs, so if they can win at Everton they can apply some pressure.There is also something happening behind them, West Ham are coming and Arsenal still have to go to Upton Park, so they cannot afford to stand still. Arsene Wenger says Arsenal must beat Everton if theyre to have a realistic chance of winning the Premier League They lost against Swansea at home, which people didnt expect, and now they need points. At the end of the season, only then, can we judge the team.Discussing what the team have done wrong throughout the season wont help the current situation or what lies in front of them. Right now it is about winning the title and that is what everybody wants to see. Also See: Wenger tells Arsenal to relax Everton v Arsenal preview Martinez: Wenger a rare breed Premier League questions China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale NFL Gear Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys ' ' '