South Korea Demands Apology After Olympic Mishap

South Korea expressed dismay at the misidentification of its athletes as from North Korea during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. They demanded assurances from the organizers to prevent such errors in the future. The International Olympics Committee apologized for the mistake, which has already been reported to the Games' organizers.

South Korea has voiced regret over the misidentification of its athletes as North Korean during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, demanding guarantees from organizers to prevent future errors.

As the South Korean delegation passed on the Seine, the announcer incorrectly introduced them as from the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea' - North Korea's official name - in both French and English. The same was repeated when announcing the North Korean team.

In response, South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, as confirmed by the ministry's statement. '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 statement read.

The National Olympic Committee of South Korea swiftly referred the incident to the Games' organizers and sought assurances that it wouldn't recur. The IOC has acknowledged the mistake and issued a 'deep apology' on its Korean language handle on X.

South Korea's Paris Olympics delegation comprises 143 athletes competing in 21 events, while North Korea, participating for the first time since 2016's Rio Games, has sent 16 athletes.

(With inputs from agencies.)