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Korean TV crew apologises for 'legitimate' rehearsal broadcast
Taiwanese aborigines leave the National Stadium in Beijing after taking part in a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which is expected to have a cast of 10,000.
Photo: AFP
South Korean broadcaster SBS said on Thursday it had filmed a rehearsal of the Olympic opening ceremony legitimately, but expressed sorrow that China felt offended.
An SBS crew filmed the rehearsal early this week without having to sneak into the National Stadium, or the " Bird's Nest", where the opening ceremony would be held, a network official said.
"Nobody stopped us when we entered the main stadium on Monday. Chinese officials let us in after we showed our ID cards and we shot the rehearsal," the official said. He asked not to be identified, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
SBS spokesman Park Jae-man said it was regrettable if Beijing Olympics organisers felt offended by the broadcast.
"The purpose of the broadcast was aimed at heightening enthusiasm towards the Beijing Olympics by showing South Korean viewers the magnificence of the opening ceremony. There was no other intention," Mr Park said, adding that his company did not tape it secretly.
There were no huge surprises from the footage shot by SBS in the darkened stadium, although it gave a glimpse of the lavishness of the 3-1/2-hour opening ceremony next Friday with an expected cast of 10,000.
SBS did not show the lighting of the Olympic torch, but reported that a golden phoenix was expected to swoop down into the stadium for the climactic event.
The extravaganza has been one of Beijing's most closely guarded secrets although organisers let it slip that the opening will include fireworks, Chinese opera and a tribute to victims of the earthquake in Sichuan province in May that left nearly 88,000 dead or missing. In the video, undulating white columns apparently simulated a waterfall, and giant blue whales were projected onto the strips of a roof bordering the opening of the top of the stadium. The video also showed a giant blue-and-green illuminated globe on the floor of the stadium at one point.
The rehearsal included contemporary dancers dressed in black - and others twirling ribbons, dozens of drummers, martial arts experts, and several colourfully dressed performers suspended by wires and floating above the audience.
One segment featured six actors on a raised platform surrounded by hundreds of other performers, while cymbals clanged noisily in the tradition of Peking Opera. The most impressive part of the show was a countdown accompanied by drums, an SBS report said. Footage showed rows of hundreds of people, flashing cards to form the number two, then one, while chanting lustily. Strobe lights flashed.
Apart from YouTube, the SBS video was also posted on sina.com, a popular website, but was no longer available for viewing on Wednesday evening. A posting on SBS' website had been removed by yesterday afternoon.
On Wednesday, Wang Hui, spokeswoman for the organising committee, said the organisers were deeply upset.
Yesterday, another spokesman, Sun Weide, said the media had been told not to take footage of the rehearsal, and that the matter was being investigated.
"At the beginning of the rehearsal, they made an announcement saying that nobody was supposed to take any pictures," Mr Sun said. "Of course, I don't think it's authorised. We are still looking into the details of the situation."
The leaking of the video drew swift condemnation from mainland internet users, some of whom called for a boycott of South Korean goods.
"How could such a network be so unprofessional? They are no better than paparazzi," said one comment posted on popular website Tianya.cn. "Resolutely boycott Korean goods," urged another.
But other netizens called for calm and said the television station should not be blamed for a lapse in security that allowed it to film.
"We should look for the reason within the measures and system to guarantee the opening ceremony's secrecy. Blaming others doesn't solve anything," a commentary posted on sina.com said.