The organizers of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have apologized in public after a significant error occurred at Friday’s opening ceremony. Held on the banks of the Seine, the ceremony drew millions of viewers worldwide and hundreds of thousands of onlookers, despite the gloomy weather.
Reviews of the inaugural event were divided, with some criticizing the decision to forego an opening ceremony in an Olympic stadium.
Athletes from every national team, in a novel departure from the custom of entering a stadium waving their national flags, were paraded to onlookers on boats. However, a major mishap during the ceremony spoiled the occasion, forcing the organizers to apologize to the public.
At the ceremony along the Seine, athletes from South Korea were proclaimed as representing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea, by mistake.
Even though their boat bore the correct name, the Republic of Korea, broadcasters in both French and English mistook them, which led to an apology from the Olympic committee.
The organizers stated on X: “We sincerely apologize for the mistake that was made when the Korean team was introduced during the broadcast of the opening ceremony.”
After the incident, Vice Minister Jang Mi Ran of the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has called IOC President Thomas Bach to a meeting. The ministry said in a statement that it has also encouraged the Foreign Ministry of South Korea to complain to the French government.
A major mix-up happened at the 2012 London Olympics when the South Korean flag was inadvertently shown on the screens before North Korea’s women’s football team’s match against Colombia, causing them to leave the field.