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South Korea wrongly introduced as North Korea at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Paris Olympics 2024: The International Olympic Committee has issued an apology to South Korea for the gaffe.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday issued an apology after a delegation of South Korean athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony was introduced as from rival North Korea.
As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine on Friday evening, the announcer introduced them as players of the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"—the official name of North Korea. Follow LIVE updates of the 2024 Paris Olympic here.
The announcement was made in French and English. However, the subtitle that ran across the bottom of the television broadcast showed the correct title, reported the BBC.
South Korea and North Korea have been divided since the end of World War II, and tensions between them continue till date.
Following Friday's incident, the South Korean sports ministry said that its second vice sports minister Jang Mi-ran, a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, has asked for a meeting with IOC chief Thomas Bach to discuss the matter, according to AFP.
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The country's foreign ministry also said in a statement it contacted the French embassy in Seoul which expressed regret over what it said was an "incomprehensible mistake".
On its part, the IOC issued an apology to South Korea for the gaffe during the announcement.
Posting a message on its official Korean-language X account, the IOC wrote: "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."
The games opened with a four-hour long ceremony along the Seine featuring global stars Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, performances spanning historic and modern French culture, and a flotilla of barges carrying more than 6000 Olympians.
After a star-studded opening ceremony along the Seine, the 33rd Olympic Games officially began on July 27. India have sent a strong 117-member contingent to the Olympic Games, hoping to better their tally of 7 medals at the Tokyo Games.
