NBC Apologizes For Olympic Analyst’s Remarks That Koreans Found Deeply Offensive
During NBC’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony coverage last week, analyst Joshua Cooper Ramo made an observation about the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula that was seen as highly offensive and insensitive to Koreans. He’s now reportedly been relieved from the network’s coverage of the rest of the Games.
Noticing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the crowd, Ramo made the following remarks after pointing out that Japan has occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945:
“But every Korean will tell you that Japan as a cultural and technological and economic example has been so important to their own transformation.”
Following that comment, which Koreans found ignorant considering that a very large percentage of them do not see Japanese colonialism in a positive light, NBC Sports apologized for Ramo’s remarks. Per MSN, this was stated during a Saturday broadcast:
“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.”
In the wake of that apology, NBC has now decided that Ramo will no longer provide on-air analysis during the rest of their Olympics coverage. Per the Korea Times, an NBC spokesperson told the publication that he wouldn’t be back on the air:
An NBC Sports spokesperson, who refused to be named, told The Korea Times Sunday that Ramo has been removed from the role.
“It was possible for him to do more with us here; now it is no longer possible,” the official said.
[image via screengrab]
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