S. Korea demands meeting with IOC chief over opening gaffe

Yonhap, Philippine News Agency

Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa personally relayed the news to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a Wednesday reception in Makati. (Pixabay photo)

PARIS –  The South Korean sports ministry said Saturday it is seeking a meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach over a gaffe during the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics in which South Korea was incorrectly introduced as North Korea during the parade of athletes.

In a statement, the ministry said Jang Mi-ran, the second vice minister of sports who attended the ceremony in the French capital Friday, has asked the IOC to arrange a meeting with Bach over the incident, and asked the country’s chef de mission, or the top delegate, Jeong Gang-sun, to demand a quick response from the IOC and the local organizing committee.

“We also asked the foreign ministry to lodge a strong complaint with France on a government level,” the sports ministry added. “The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee immediately asked the Paris organizing committee to prevent a recurrence of similar cases and will submit an official protest under our chef de mission. The committee will also meet with the IOC.”

When the South Korean delegation rode a boat on the Seine River and came into the spotlight as the 48th nation, the French-speaking announcer said through the PA system, “Republique populaire democratique de Coree,” followed by the English announcement, “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” which is the official English designation of North Korea.

The subtitle on the broadcast feed, shown on giant screens along the Seine and on television for international viewers, correctly showed “Republic of Korea” in English.

North Korea was identified correctly when it entered the parade as the 153rd nation — based on the alphabetical order in French.

The IOC issued an apology on its official Korean-language X account, saying, “We’d like to offer a deep apology over the mistake that occurred in the introduction of the South Korean delegation during the opening ceremony.”

The IOC has not yet posted an apology on its English-language social media account. (Yonhap)