IOC sorry for South Korea name error in ceremony

The International Olympic Committee has apologised after South Korea’s delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from North Korea.

South Korea expressed regret after the incident and has demanded assurances from organisers the mistake will not happen again.

As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” — the official name of North Korea — in French and English. The blue sign on the boat carrying the country’s athletes did show the correct name.

The announcer used the same name introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.

“We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean athletes during the broadcast of the opening ceremony,” the IOC’s official Korean language account said in a post on X.

IOC president Thomas Bach will speak with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday to further convey an apology over the incident, South Korea’s vice sports minister said in Paris.

“We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering,” the ministry said.

South Korea’s National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games’ organisers and requested that the error will not be repeated.

South Korea’s delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.