On July 27, following the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism expressed regret over the introduction of the South Korean team as “North Korea” during the 2024 Paris Olympic opening ceremony.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Jang Mi-ran, currently in Paris, requested a meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to address the issue. The ministry has also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey a strong protest to the French authorities on behalf of the South Korean government.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), South Korea’s National Olympic Committee (NOC), immediately requested measures to prevent recurrence from the organizing committee upon learning of the mislabeling. An official protest letter signed by the head of the South Korean delegation will be sent shortly.
Additionally, on July 28, the day following the opening ceremony, the KSOC plans to meet with representatives from the Olympic organizing committee and the IOC to convey their protest and request measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The Paris Olympic opening ceremony, held along the Seine River, was attended by approximately 7,000 athletes from 205 countries.
When the South Korean team entered as the 48th team, the announcer introduced them in French as “République populaire démocratique de Corée” and in English as “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” both of which refer to North Korea. When the North Korean team entered as the 153rd team, they were introduced correctly.
The subtitle on the broadcast feed, shown on giant screens set along the river and on television for international viewers, correctly showed “Republic of Korea” in English.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
