By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
Olympic Organizers Apologize for Mistakenly Introducing South Korea as North Korea at Opening Ceremony
Olympic organizers have issued a "deep apology" following an embarrassing mistake at the opening ceremony in Paris, where South Korea's athletes were introduced as North Korea. The mix up occurred as the excited, flag waving South Korean team floated down the River Seine, with both French and English announcers referring to them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the official name of North Korea.
The correct name was then used for North Korea's delegation when it sailed past. The subtitles displayed during the television broadcast did show the correct title for South Korea, mitigating the confusion for viewers.
South Korea's sports ministry expressed significant displeasure over the incident, planning to lodge a "strong complaint with France on a government level." In a statement, the ministry conveyed "regret over the announcement, where the South Korean delegation was introduced as the North Korean team." The second vice sports minister, Jang Mi ran, a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, has demanded a meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to address the error.
The IOC has since apologized on its official Korean language X account, stating: "We would like to offer a deep apology over the mistake that occurred in the introduction of the South Korean delegation during the opening ceremony."
South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, has sent 143 athletes to compete in 21 sports at this year's Olympic Games. In contrast, North Korea, which is competing for the first time since the Rio 2016 Games, has sent 16 athletes.
The two Koreas have been divided since the end of World War Two, with recent years seeing escalating tensions between the two states. This mistake at the Olympic Games only underscores the delicate nature of their relationship and the importance of accurate representation on the international stage.
