Official announcements from the IOC and South Korean National Olympic Committee

IOC Apologizes for Introducing South Korea's 143-Member Team as North Korea at Paris Olympics

Jul 27, 2024, 12:04 PM

During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, South Korea was mistakenly introduced as North Korea. The error occurred when the South Korean delegation, a 143-member team, was announced as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official name for North Korea, by both French and English speakers. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a formal apology for the mistake, describing it as an 'operational mistake' and expressing deep regret. South Korea's National Olympic Committee has demanded a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach and assurances that such errors will not happen again. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol received a personal apology from Bach. The incident, which occurred as the South Korean athletes sailed down the Seine River, has sparked outrage among South Korean netizens and officials, who have called for measures to prevent future occurrences.