During a match at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the South Korean men's hockey team experienced an unexpected incident when the North Korean national anthem was played instead of the South Korean anthem. The Korea Sports Council has demanded an official apology from the tournament's organizing committee.
On September 18, the Korea Sports Council stated, "An error occurred during the group stage match between South Korea and Bangladesh at the Green Stadium in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, where the North Korean anthem was played instead of the South Korean anthem." The council added, "After recognizing the incident, we immediately discussed response measures and sent a protest letter to the organizing committee under the name of team leader Lee Sang-hyun."
The issue arose before the match when both national anthems were to be played. Despite the announcer's introduction of the South Korean anthem, the North Korean anthem was broadcast over the stadium speakers.
In a moment of confusion, South Korean players, who had placed their hands over their hearts in front of the national flag, appeared startled and lowered their hands. After the North Korean anthem was stopped, the Bangladeshi anthem was played. The South Korean players waited for their anthem, but it did not play. It was only when both teams were about to high-five before the match that the South Korean anthem finally played.
Following the incident, the Korea Sports Council took immediate action, requesting an explanation of the circumstances from the organizing committee through the protest letter. They also demanded an official apology and measures to prevent a recurrence.
This is not the first time South Korea has been mistaken for North Korea at an international event. During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the announcer mistakenly introduced the South Korean delegation as North Korean, prompting an official apology from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Despite the chaotic atmosphere, the South Korean team, led by coach Min Tae-seok, remained unfazed and secured a decisive 5-0 victory over Bangladesh.
Having won a bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, South Korea aims to medal for the second consecutive time. They will face Indonesia in their second match at the same venue on September 22 at 11 a.m.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.