Olympic organisers have issued an apology after mistakenly introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korean during the opening ceremony in Paris.
As the enthusiastic South Korean team paraded down the River Seine, both French and English commentators incorrectly referred to them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” which is North Korea’s official name.
North Korea’s delegation was then introduced using the correct name as they floated past.
Since the end of World War II, the two Koreas have been separated, with recent tensions further straining relations.
Although the television broadcast displayed the correct name in a subtitle, the error was still significant.
The South Korean sports ministry announced it would file a formal complaint with the French government regarding the mistake.
In a statement, the ministry expressed regret over the error, noting that the South Korean team had been incorrectly announced as the North Korean delegation.
The statement also revealed that Jang Mi-ran, the second vice sports minister and a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, had requested a meeting with Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) offered an apology on its Korean-language X account, stating: “We deeply regret the mistake made in introducing the South Korean delegation during the opening ceremony.”
South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, has sent 143 athletes to this year’s Olympics, competing in 21 sports.
In contrast, North Korea has sent 16 athletes to the games, marking its first participation since the Rio 2016 Olympics.
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