South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Paris last night was presented as a delegation of its rival North Korea, and asked for assurances from the organizers that this mistake will not be repeated, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
When the barge with the South Korean athletes crossed the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea - in French and in English.
The announcer introduced the North Korean delegation in the same way.
South Korea's Vice Minister of Sports and Culture Chan Mi-ran, who is in Paris, has requested a meeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, South Korea's Sports Ministry said in a statement.
"We regret that our country was represented as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris while the athletes of the Republic of Korea were passing through,", it added.
The South Korean Olympic Committee immediately informed the organizers of the games about what happened and asked that the mistake not be repeated.
South Korea's delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 disciplines. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.