PARIS — South Korea's sports ministry is pushing for a formal meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach following an incident at the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony where South Korea was mistakenly introduced as North Korea. The error occurred during the athlete parade, sparking significant diplomatic and organizational concerns.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Second Vice Minister of Sports Jang Mi-ran, who was present at the ceremony, has formally requested that the IOC arrange a meeting to discuss the incident. Additionally, South Korea's chef de mission, Jeong Gang-sun, has been instructed to secure a swift response from both the IOC and the Paris organizing committee. The ministry has also involved the foreign ministry to express a strong complaint to the French government.
During the parade, as the South Korean athletes sailed along the Seine River, they were incorrectly introduced by the French-speaking announcer as "Democratic People's Republic of Korea," North Korea's official designation. Although the subtitles on the broadcast correctly identified the delegation as "Republic of Korea," the verbal error led to confusion and offense. The IOC has since issued an apology on its Korean-language social media platform but has yet to do so in English.
The sports ministry emphasized the need for measures to prevent such errors in the future and announced plans to submit an official protest through its Olympic committee. The situation underscores the sensitivities involved in international representations and the importance of accuracy in such global forums.