North Korean Anthem Played at Asian Games Hockey Match

Organizers at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games played North Korea's national anthem instead of South Korea's before the South Korean men's field hockey Group A opener against Bangladesh on Friday, September 18, 2026, at Gifu Kakamigahara Green Stadium in Gifu, Japan. Players lined up facing the South Korean flag reacted with confusion: AP reported many stood at attention, some brushed back their hair, and a few placed right hands over their hearts; Yonhap said they could not hide their bewilderment with hands over hearts before the unfurled flag. The stadium announcer apologized on air immediately after, saying "We are really sorry, terribly sorry. National anthem for the Republic of Korea, we played a different song" and "I'm really sorry." Belatedly realizing the error, organizers played Bangladesh's anthem next, then South Korea's. Pressed for time, the referee instructed players to exchange greetings while South Korea's anthem was still playing, so athletes began without finishing it, Yonhap reported. South Korea won 5-0. Coach Min Tae-seok called it a really serious problem that should never happen after organizers said it was a mistake by those responsible. An official from South Korea's Olympic committee said they were looking into the matter to verify the exact facts. North Korea's anthem is banned in South Korea; the two nations remain technically at war under the 1950-1953 armistice. The opening ceremony was the next day. No contested claims found on the core sequence. The South Korean delegation had separate prior complaints about room size.