South Korea expressed regret over an incident during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Friday, July 26, where its athletes were mistakenly announced as being from North Korea. The South Korean delegation has sought assurances from the organizers that this error will not recur.

During the ceremony, as the South Korean athletes' boat sailed along the Seine, the announcer introduced them as representatives of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which is the official name for North Korea. This error occurred in both French and English. The same introduction was used when the North Korean delegation appeared.

Jang Mi-ran, South Korea’s Vice Minister for Sports and Culture, who was present in Paris, requested a meeting with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, according to a statement from the ministry. “We express our regret that the country was introduced as North Korea during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea entered,” the statement read.

Following the incident, South Korea's National Olympic Committee immediately contacted the event organizers, demanding assurance that such a mistake would not happen again. South Korea's delegation at the Games consists of 143 athletes competing in 21 events. In contrast, North Korea, which is making its first Olympic appearance since the 2016 Rio Games, has sent 16 athletes.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.