PARIS/SEOUL, July 27 — Paris Olympic organisers have apologised to South Korea after their delegation was labelled the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the television broadcast of yesterday's opening ceremony down the River Seine, reported the German News Agency (dpa).
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea. The two Koreas have been divided since the Korean War (from 1950 to 1953). Both states are separated by a demilitarised zone, and a joint peace treaty has never been signed.
"We sincerely apologise for the mistake made in introducing the Korean athletes during the opening ceremony broadcast," the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on its South Korean X (formerly Twitter) account today.
South Korea expressed its unhappiness over the incident.
According to the Ministry of Sports in Seoul, a meeting with IOC chief Thomas Bach is being sought. The South Korean National Olympic Committee has also announced that it will send a letter of protest to the IOC to prevent such an incident from happening again.
— Bernama
