South Korean gymnast Lee Eun-Ju, who found herself in the international spotlight after taking a selfie with a North Korean competitor in Rio, said Friday she was surprised by the extraordinary response to such a simple act. A snapshot of Lee and North Korea's Hong Un-Jong posing for the selfie on Lee's phone swiftly went viral on Twitter, with many hailing the image as a perfect illustration of the Olympic spirit.

The photo has been tweeted and shared hundreds of thousands of times, with the likes of IOC president Thomas Bach describing it as a "great gesture."

In a radio interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS on Friday, the 17-year-old said the decision to grab a selfie with Hong had been totally spontaneous.

"I saw her and asked to take a picture together as a souvenir," Lee said.

"I didn't expect such a huge reaction so I'm still awed by that," she added.

The two had never met before Rio.