NBC Issues Apology To Korean People After Correspondent's Insensitive Comment

NBC issued an apology to Korean people Saturday after NBC sports analyst Joshua Cooper Ramo came under fire for making an ignorant comment about Korea where the 2018 Winter Olympics is being held.

Ramo reportedly offended many Koreans during the live broadcast of the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday. Ramo said: "Now representing Japan, a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945. But every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural and technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation."

The comment enraged many Koreans for insinuating they had forgotten about the violence wrought by Japan during their 35-year rule.

According to the Korean Times, one person wrote on the NBC Facebook page: "Your comments about Korea are absolutely rubbish. After decades of human rights violations, exploiting our resources, and attempts to destroy our heritage, Japan is nowhere close to being thanked, but absolutely despised."

In a statement read live on NBCSN early Saturday morning, host Carolyn Manno said:

“During our coverage of the Parade of Nations on Friday we said it was notable that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the trip to Korea for the Olympics, 'representing Japan, a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945 but every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation.' We understand the Korean people were insulted by these comments and we apologize."

This marks a second instance this year NBC has landed itself in hot water regarding their Korean coverage. Last month, Lester Holt was criticized for his somewhat tepid reporting on North Korea.

NBC news anchor Holt sparked outrage on Twitter for what was perceived as flattering coverage on North Korea. He faced backlash on social media for saying he and his crew were treated with respect during their trip to the Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea — a country criticized for its totalitarian rule. Some media outlets were quick to call out Holt on his praise for the country, claiming he was feeding propaganda.

In December 2017, NBC Chicago issued an apology after it confused the name of a deceased member of the popular Korean rock band Shinee with another rock band BTS.

During the coverage, NBC featured footage of another rock band while reporting on the death of the band member from Shinee.

NBC posted an apology on Twitter after facing tremendous backlash that said: “Yesterday, while reporting on the death of Kim Jong-hyun, a member of the popular South Korean boy band SHINee, NBC 5 mistakenly aired video of the band BTS during our morning newscast. We sincerely apologize for this error.”

The 2018 Winter Olympics kicked off on Friday with the official Opening Ceremony. The celebration took place at the 35,000-seat Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea.