NBC Sports analyst issues late apology after offending Koreans
NBC’s Joshua Cooper Ramo
By Jung Min-ho
Five days after his words caused a major backlash, NBC Sports analyst Joshua Cooper Ramo issued an apology for comments during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics.
“I sincerely apologize to anyone offended by my comments during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics last Friday,” he said on Twitter Wednesday (U.S. time). “I did not intend to minimize or disrespect a part of Korean history that must never be forgotten. The PyeongChang Winter Olympics are a tribute to all that this impressive host nation has accomplished and to its future. Korea has forged a unique, powerful and important path of development based on Korean values and experiences.
“It is also a country to which I feel a deep personal connection, where I have many warm friendships and fond memories from years of travel, so this makes me particularly regret any distraction. I hope for a successful Olympics in the spirit of peace and unity these Games represent.”
Last Friday, as Japan entered the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony, Ramo said: “Every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural and technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation,” a comment that infuriated many Koreans.
His incorrect and insensitive comment about Korea’s history got him taken off the network’s Olympics coverage.
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https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sports/2018/02/702_243976.html
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Speaking to The Korea Times, the broadcaster also apologized earlier this week, saying: “NBC has great respect and admiration for South Korea and its people.”
Yet many Koreans wonder what took him so long to apologize for the obvious mistake.
His statement comes as many people are urging a boycott of Starbucks, of which he is a board member.
The U.S. coffee chain has become popular here in recent years. The annual operating profit of Starbucks Coffee Korea, its local unit, surpassed 100 billion won ($94 million) last year for the first time.