Tokyo Olympics 2020: Disgust over TV network's 'inappropriate' coverage of opening ceremony

An image of Chernobyl appears alongside Team Ukraine. Screenshot / MBC

A Korean broadcast network has been forced to apologise after using "totally inappropriate" graphics during the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony.

MBC was criticised for images chosen to represent countries as athletes entered Tokyo's National Stadium last night for the Parade of Nations.

When Ukraine was introduced, for example, an image of Chernobyl appeared on the screen.

Later, Haitian athletes were accompanied by a caption which read: "The political situation is fogged by the assassination of the president."

Team Haiti's moment of glory. Screenshot / MBC

Italy entered alongside an image of pizza, while El Salvador was introduced with a picture representing Bitcoin.

MBC released a statement after a tsunami of backlash: "In today's Opening Ceremony broadcast, inappropriate photos were used when introducing countries like Ukraine and Haiti. Also, inappropriate photos and subtitles were used for other countries. We apologise to the viewers of Ukraine and other countries."

The drama comes after TVNZ was heavily criticised for cutting to an ad break during a minute's silence held for Covid victims during the opening ceremony.

While TVNZ had made viewers aware beforehand the coverage would not be an uninterrupted affair, it had noted it would only cut to ad breaks at carefully chosen moments.

Kiwi viewers vented their outrage on social media, describing the ad break as tactless, inappropriate and disrespectful.