The Paris Olympics coordinators have released a formal apology after accidentally presenting the South Korean team as North Korea during the opening ceremony
The mistake, which happened in both the English and French transmissions on July 26, started an enormous public clamor.
IOC President
The president of the IOC issued an apology to the leader of South Korea over the phone.
The expression of remorse came after the commentator wrongly identified the South Korean team as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea.”
London Olympic Incident
This error is reminiscent of the 2012 London Olympics, where officials erroneously showed the South Korean flag during a North Korean women’s football match.
The IOC communicated its most profound regrets over the most recent opening ceremony blunder and promised to audit the episode to prevent future mistakes.
Press Conference
An Instagram video of IOC spokesperson Mark Adams speaking at a press conference that took place on July 27, 2024, was recently shared by the Associated Press (AP).
He addressed the issue of mixing up the names at the opening ceremony.
Naming Mix Up
Athletes from South Korea proudly waved their flag as they sailed down the Seine in a boat during the opening ceremony.
However, the commentators erroneously alluded to them in English and French as the Democrtic People’s Republic of Korea, which is the official name for North Korea, not South Korea. The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.
“Clearly Deeply Regrettable”
Adams voiced his disappointment and described the incident as “clearly deeply regrettable.”
“An operational error was made,” Adams added. “We can only apologize, in an evening of so many moving parts, that this mistake was made.”
Frustration and Remorse
His tone suggested that he was frustrated and felt remorse about the mistake.
“We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean team during the opening ceremony broadcast,” the IOC wrote in Korean on X.
Formal Complaint
In addition, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism made the announcement that they would issue the French government with “a strong government-level complaint.”
To resolve the issue, Thomas Bach, the IOC president, plans to meet with South Korea’s Leader, Yoon Suk Yeol.
“Human Error”
The president and leader will talk about the problem and try to find a solution. The Paris Olympics organizers have been contacted by the South Korean Olympic Committee.
They need to guarantee that such an occurrence doesn’t reoccur. The IOC president expounded, “The problem was identified as a human error, for which the IOC is deeply sorry”.
Tense Relationship
The situation is made more serious by the tense relationship that exists between South Korea and the North. The countries have not been on good terms ever since the end of World War II.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have steadily increased in recent weeks. Pyongyang has sent a huge number of rubbish filled inflatables to South Korea. A portion of these inflatables have even arrived at the official compound in Seoul.
Mounting Difficulties
This year, around 143 South Korean competitors will compete in 21 sports during the Olympics when contrasted with the 16 competitors sent by North Korea. As the Paris Olympics starts, South Korea faces mounting difficulties on and off the field.
As of late, South Korean swimmers on the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team, including Kim Woomin and Hwang Sunwoo, needed to move into a hotel close to the La Defense Arena.
Transport Incident
Here they will compete during the Olympics after a horrendous encounter on the transports used to move competitors from the village.
Found 12 km away, the town is very distant from the arena. Tight security and traffic on the streets stretch out the forty-minute excursion to 90 minutes.
In addition, buses without air conditioners have their windows taped to prevent terrorist attacks.
