South Korea has expressed regret over an incident during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, where its delegation was mistakenly introduced as being from rival North Korea.
As the South Korean athletes paraded along the Seine, the announcer referred to them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” which is the official name for North Korea, in both French and English. This misidentification was compounded when the North Korean delegation subsequently passed and was introduced correctly.
In response to the blunder, South Korea’s Vice Minister for Sports and Culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was present in Paris, requested a meeting with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. The South Korean Ministry of Sports released a statement emphasizing their disappointment over the mix-up, stating, “We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering.”
The National Olympic Committee of South Korea promptly contacted the Games’ organizers to address the issue and sought assurances that such an error would not occur again in the future.
For the Paris Olympics, South Korea’s delegation comprises 143 athletes competing in 21 different events. In contrast, North Korea is returning to the Games for the first time since the Rio 2016 Olympics, sending a smaller contingent of 16 athletes. The miscommunication highlights the ongoing tensions and complexities surrounding the relationship between the two Koreas, and South Korea is determined to ensure that its athletes receive the recognition they deserve during this prestigious international event.
