NBC Will Keep Pronouncing ‘Pyeongchang’ Wrong Because They DGAF

NBC is adamant about its pronunciation of Korean Olympic city, Pyeongchang, despite the fact that they’ve been pronouncing it incorrectly — on purpose.

In an interview with Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Broadcasting and Sports, the decision is an official one, insisting that the incorrect pronunciation is “cleaner”.

Members of the Asian community have expressed their frustration at the blatant mispronunciation of the city, taking to Twitter to voice their opinions.

The Asian American Journalists Association routinely encourages media personnel to “use the accurate pronunciation of the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympic games,” saying that “unless you’re pronouncing it the way our guidance shows, it’s incorrect.”

“The correct pronunciation for the host city is Pyeongchang… ang… ah like when you go to the doctor. Ah. Pyeong-Ch-ah-ng. Pyeong-Ch-ah-ng. Pyeong-Ch-ah-ng,” said CeFaan Kim, MediaWatch co-chair at the AAJA.

Huffpost reached out to NBC for comment: “We heard a variety of ways to say PyeongChang during our preparation for the Games, and ultimately decided on the version in which the second syllable sounds like ‘twang,’” said a spokesperson.

Here’s to hoping they decide to pronounce Tokyo correctly in 2020.

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