Olympic organizers have issued an “apology” after South Korea’s athletes were mistakenly introduced as North Korea during the opening ceremony in Paris.
While the South Korean team paraded down the River Seine, both French and English announcers referred to them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” which is North Korea’s official title.
The same designation was correctly used later when North Korea’s delegation appeared.
The two Koreas have been separated since the end of World War II, and recent tensions between them have been high.
Although the television broadcast displayed the correct title in subtitles, the South Korean sports ministry has announced plans to file a “strong complaint” with the French government regarding the error.
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.