The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued an apology after a significant error during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the South Korean team was mistakenly introduced as representatives of North Korea. During the ceremony, held along the Seine River in the French capital, the South Korean athletes were incorrectly announced as members of the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the official name for North Korea, in both English and French. The announcer used the same introduction that was intended for the North Korean delegation.

The IOC expressed its regret on its Korean-language social media account after the misinformation sparked dissatisfaction among South Koreans. According to South Korea’s Vice Minister for Sports and Culture, Jang Mi-ran, IOC President Thomas Bach plans to reach out to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to deliver a direct apology.

South Korea and North Korea have technically been in a state of war since their conflict from 1950 to 1953, which ended in an armistice and the establishment of a demilitarized zone, but not with a peace treaty. Tensions between the two countries have risen in recent months, and they have also suspended a key military agreement from 2018.

The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that they “express regret” over the erroneous announcement during the opening ceremony. Jang, who won a gold medal in weightlifting at the 2008 Olympics, has also requested a meeting with Bach to discuss the issue.

The South Korean delegation consists of 143 athletes competing in 21 sports, while North Korea, participating in the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes. North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the French embassy in Seoul, which expressed its regret over the “indescribable error.”

The South Korean National Olympic Committee plans to meet with the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics and the IOC to lodge their protest. The committee has requested measures to ensure that such a mistake does not happen again.

Meanwhile, North Korea has strengthened its ties with Russia amid international isolation. For the first time, reports have emerged of a balloon being sent over the tense border, landing near the South Korean presidential office. North Korea has stated that these balloons, more than 2,000 of which have been dispatched since May, are a response to activists in South Korea who send propaganda via loudspeakers in an attempt to undermine the regime led by Kim Jong Un.