IOC Apologizes for South Korea-North Korea Mix-Up at Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued an apology following a significant blunder during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, where South Korea's delegation was mistakenly introduced as being from North Korea. This incident occurred as South Korean athletes paraded on the Seine, with the announcer referring to them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the official name for North Korea, in both French and English. Despite the blue sign on their boat displaying the correct name, the error caused considerable embarrassment. In response to the mix-up, South Korea expressed its regret and demanded assurances from the event organizers to prevent a recurrence. The IOC's official Korean language account acknowledged the mistake, stating, "We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean athletes during the broadcast of the opening ceremony." IOC President Thomas Bach is scheduled to speak with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to convey further apologies. The South Korean Ministry of Sports expressed disappointment over the incident, emphasizing that it was unacceptable for their athletes to be misidentified during such a prestigious event. The South Korean delegation comprises 143 athletes competing in 21 events, while North Korea, returning to the Olympics for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent a smaller team of 16 athletes. The South Korean National Olympic Committee has formally referred the matter to the Games' organizers for further action.