He International Olympic Committee (IOC) apologized on Saturday for the error during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games in which South Korean athletes were introduced as the delegation of North Korea.
“We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred while introducing the South Korean team during the broadcast of the opening ceremony,” the IOC posted on its X account in Korean.
The South Korean Olympic Committee later said it had received a message from the IOC indicating that its president, Thomas Bachwants to apologize in a telephone conversation with the South Korean head of state.
During the show at the Senathe French presenter of the event announced the entry of the boat with the South Korean delegation with the official name of the northern neighbor: “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.
The gaffe sparked anger in South Korea, which is still technically at war with the North after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
He Ministry of Sports The South Korean side expressed “regret over the announcement during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the South Korean delegation was introduced as the North Korean team,” it said in a statement.
Second Deputy Minister of Sports Jang Mi RanOlympic weightlifting champion Alessandro Giacomo has requested a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach to discuss the issue, he added.
The sports ministry also urged the Foreign Ministry to “submit a strong protest to the French side” on this issue, it added.
The South Korean Olympic Committee is also planning to meet with the Paris 2024 organizing committee and the IOC to express its protest and ask for measures to prevent a repeat of this, the sports ministry added.