South Korean Athletes Mistaken as North Koreans at Paris Olympics
South Korea mistakenly introduced North Korea’s official name as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” during the athletes’ parade at the opening of the Paris Olympics. The incident has stirred controversy, leading to calls for an apology and action to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
The South Korean Ministry of Sports issued a statement expressing regret over the error and requested a meeting with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach. The IOC was asked to respond to the mistake, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was urged to lodge a complaint with France at the government level. Additionally, the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee called on the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee to take steps to avoid such incidents in the future.
Despite the mishap with South Korea’s introduction, North Korea was correctly presented as the 153rd country in the parade according to the French alphabetical order. South Korea’s Chief of Mission for the Paris Olympics, Jeong Gang-sun, will convey his country’s protest to the IOC regarding the error.
The IOC has issued an apology through its official X account that broadcasts in Korean, expressing deep regret for the mistake made during the opening ceremony. However, an apology has not yet been posted on the IOC’s English social media account.
The incident highlights the importance of accuracy and sensitivity when representing countries in international events like the Olympics. It serves as a reminder of the need for meticulous planning and attention to detail to prevent such errors in the future.
