Olympic organisers apologise for introducing South Korean athletes as North Korean

Olympic organisers have issued a "deep apology" after South Korea’s athletes were mistakenly introduced as North Korea during the opening ceremony of the Paris Games.

The error occurred as the South Korean team paraded down the River Seine, where both French and English announcers referred to them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the official name of North Korea, Caliber.Az reports, citing British media.

The mistake was corrected when North Korea’s delegation later passed by, with the correct name used for their introduction. However, the subtitle on the television broadcast displayed the correct title for South Korea.

The South Korean sports ministry has announced plans to lodge a "strong complaint with France on a government level" over the gaffe. The ministry expressed "regret over the announcement" and highlighted that Second Vice Sports Minister Jang Mi-ran, a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, has requested a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach.

In response, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an apology on its official Korean-language X account, stating: "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, officially known as the Republic of Korea, has sent 143 athletes to this year's Games, competing in 21 sports, while North Korea has sent 16 athletes, marking its first participation since the Rio 2016 Olympics.