Photo: Sina Weibo

Repeated mistakes in presenting wrong national flag for South Korea during the ongoing Paris Olympics have driven South Koreans crazy but has been joked about by Chinese netizens as a “sense of relaxation” that demonstrates French people’s romantic, casual and chill attitude. 

South Korean sports enthusiasts have been driven mad by the Paris Olympics almost every day since the opening ceremony when the South Korean delegation sailing down the Seine River in the French capital was introduced with the official name for North Korea, “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” in English. South Korea, meanwhile, is formally known as the Republic of Korea.

On the day of the opening ceremony, the official social media account of the Olympics uploaded multiple sets of photos showing various national delegations sail down the Seine River by boat. However, some South Korean netizens noticed that only the South Korean flag was blurred, and none of the South Korean athletes’ faces were clearly visible. The incident sparked controversy in South Korea, with some netizens claiming that “South Korea was discriminated against,” South Korea’s Chosun Daily reported. 

A mistake about South Korea’s national flag was made once again on Monday when South Africa’s national flag was misused as South Korea’s on the medal count board. 

Another incident that irritated South Korean sports fans was when South Korean sabre fencer Oh Sang-uk won the first gold medal for the country, his name was misspelled as Oh Sangku. 

Mistakes made about South Korea during the Paris Olympics were not only made by the French host. 9News, one of Australia’s most comprehensive news networks, wrongly used the Chinese national flag to mark South Korean athletes' achievements on the medals tally on the first day of the Paris Olympic Games.

Due to the mistakes appearing one after another, South Korean audience were hurt in their feelings and many South Korean netizens referred these mistakes to a matter of diplomatic protocol rather than merely the problem of the host of the Olympic Games. 

Some South Korean netizens speculated that the organizing committee of the Paris Olympic Games is taking revenge on South Korea since the French delegation was marked by a Russian national flag during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. 

As it is, the unreliable French organizing committee does not actually target South Korea since its mistakes related to other countries also occurred from time to time. During the women's 100-meter breaststroke semifinals held on Monday, Argentine swimmer Macarena Ceballos had a Chinese flag displayed at her presentation, which surprised and embarrassed her a lot. 

Considering so many mistakes and embarrassing moments occurred during the Paris Olympics, many Chinese netizens joked that such incidents represent French people’s commendable “sense of relaxation.”

According to the live broadcast of the opening ceremony by China Central Television, with less than two hours to go before the start of the opening ceremony’s red-carpet event, the red carpet had yet to be fully laid out. Compared with some well-prepared Olympic Games, the Paris Olympics have demonstrated French people’s openness, freedom and inclusiveness, Chinese netizens commented. 

Different from previous opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games that were held indoors at stadiums, it was innovative for the Paris Olympics organizing committee to arrange an outdoor opening ceremony along the Seine River. With performances arranged in between the introduction of athlete delegations from different countries, and onlooking audiences present alongside the river bank, audiences worldwide had a pleasant feeling through watching the opening ceremony. 

Global Times