Organisers of the Olympic Games expressed their “deep regret” for mistakenly introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korean during the opening ceremony in Paris.
As the South Korean team proudly waved their national flag on a boat sailing down the Seine on Friday evening, they were announced in both French and English as representing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while South Korea is correctly referred to as the Republic of Korea.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) addressed the error, stating, “We sincerely apologise for the mistake that took place during the introduction of the Korean team in the opening ceremony broadcast.” This message was shared on X in Korean.
IOC president Thomas Bach is scheduled to meet with South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol, regarding this incident. The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced its intention to lodge “a strong government-level complaint” with the French authorities.
In addition, the South Korean Olympic committee has requested that the Paris Games organisers take measures to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Mark Adams, an IOC spokesperson, described the incident as “clearly deeply regrettable”, adding, “An operational mistake occurred. We can only extend our apologies for this error amid such a complex evening.”
A comparable mistake happened during the 2012 Olympics in London, where organisers apologised due to human error when South Korea’s flag was shown next to North Korea’s women’s football team on stadium screens in Glasgow as the players warmed up for their opening match.
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Since their establishment as distinct nations in 1948, South Korea and North Korea have maintained a strained relationship. The Korean War, which split the peninsula, resulted in the deaths of millions, primarily civilians.
