Olympic organisers have issued a “deep apology” after South Korea’s athletes were mistakenly introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony in Paris.
As the excited, flag-waving team floated down the River Seine, both French and English announcers introduced them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” – the official name of North Korea.
The same name was then used – correctly – when North Korea’s delegation sailed past.
The two Koreas have been divided since the end of World War Two, with tensions between the states further escalating recently.
The subtitle which ran across the bottom of the television broadcast showed the correct title, however.
The South Korean sports ministry said it planned to lodge a “strong complaint with France on a government level” over the embarrassing gaffe.
In a statement, the ministry expressed “regret over the announcement… where the South Korean delegation was introduced as the North Korean team.”
The statement added that the second vice sports minister, Jang Mi-ran, a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, had demanded a meeting with Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an apology on its official Korean-language X account, saying: “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, formally known as the Republic of Korea, has 143 athletes in its Olympic team this year, competing across 21 sports.
North Korea has sent 16 athletes. This is the first time it has competed in the games since Rio 2016.
