Organizing committee apologizes for playing N. Korean anthem at S. Korean hockey match

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organizing committee apologized in Nagoya, Japan, after the North Korean anthem was mistakenly played at a South Korean hockey match on Friday. The anthem mix-up happened before South Korea’s men’s Pool A game against Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Gifu, Japan. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee lodged an official complaint and demanded an apology and prevention of a repeat. KSOC President Ryu Seung-min called the error unacceptable and urged a thorough investigation.

The match was South Korea’s men’s Pool A game against Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Gifu, Japan.

The North Korean anthem was played instead of South Korea’s anthem before the game, and Bangladesh’s anthem was played afterward before the South Korean anthem was finally played.

Around 9 p.m. on Friday, two officials from the Asian Games organizing committee visited the South Korean team office and offered an official apology.

KSOC President Ryu Seung-min said the KSOC would keep making efforts to help South Korean athletes focus on their competitions and demanded measures to prevent a recurrence.

Published Sep 19, 2026 10:00 am KST

Players line up before a Pool A match of men's hockey between South Korea, right, and Bangladesh at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Gifu, Japan, Friday. Courtesy of Korea Hockey Association

NAGOYA, Japan — The organizing committee of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has apologized for mistakenly playing the North Korean anthem at a South Korean hockey match, the South Korean sports governing body said Saturday.

Before the men's Pool A match against Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Gifu, Japan, on Friday, the North Korean anthem was played instead of South Korea's.

The match organizers then played Bangladesh's anthem before playing the South Korean anthem later.

Right after the incident, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) lodged an official complaint with the organizing committee over the anthem mix-up, demanding an official apology and prevention of a recurrence.

"Around 9 p.m. later that day, two officials from the Asian Games organizing committee visited the South Korean team office and offered an official apology for the error in playing the anthem," the KSOC said in a release.

KSOC President Ryu Seung-min said the KSOC will keep making efforts to help South Korean athletes focus entirely on their competitions without being distracted by issues unrelated to the games.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for the national anthem, a symbol of our nation, to be performed incorrectly at an international multisport event, and we view this matter with the utmost seriousness," Ryu said.

"We will continue to demand that the organizing committee thoroughly investigate the cause of this incident and implement measures to prevent its recurrence."

在日本名古屋，爱知-名古屋亚运会组委会就周五韩国男子曲棍球比赛中误奏朝鲜国歌一事公开道歉。这起国歌混淆事件发生在韩国男子曲棍球队与孟加拉国队在岐阜县绿色体育场举行的A组比赛前。韩国体育与奥林匹克委员会已就此事提出正式投诉，并要求组委会道歉，同时保证此类事件不再发生。韩国体育与奥林匹克委员会主席柳承敏称这一错误令人无法接受，并敦促对此事进行彻底调查。

这场比赛是韩国男足在A组对阵孟加拉国的比赛，比赛地点在日本岐阜县岐阜市的岐阜县立绿色体育场。

比赛开始前，播放的是朝鲜国歌而不是韩国国歌；比赛结束后，播放的是孟加拉国国歌，最后才播放韩国国歌。

周五晚上9点左右，亚运会组委会的两名官员前往韩国代表团办公室，正式道歉。

韩国奥委会主席柳承敏表示，韩国奥委会将继续努力帮助韩国运动员专注于比赛，并要求采取措施防止此类事件再次发生。

发布于2026年9月19日上午10:00（韩国标准时间）

周五，在日本岐阜县岐阜县绿色体育场举行的爱知-名古屋亚运会男子曲棍球A组比赛中，韩国队（右）对阵孟加拉国队，球员们在比赛前列队。图片由韩国曲棍球协会提供。

日本名古屋——韩国体育管理机构周六表示，爱知-名古屋亚运会组委会就韩国冰球比赛中误播放朝鲜国歌一事道歉。

周五，在日本岐阜县岐阜县绿色体育场举行的男子A组对阵孟加拉国的比赛前，播放的是朝鲜国歌而不是韩国国歌。

比赛组织者随后播放了孟加拉国国歌，之后才播放了韩国国歌。

事件发生后，韩国体育奥林匹克委员会（KSOC）立即就国歌混淆事件向组委会提出正式投诉，要求正式道歉并防止再次发生此类事件。

韩国奥委会在一份声明中表示：“当天晚上9点左右，亚运会组委会的两名官员来到韩国代表队办公室，就播放国歌的错误正式道歉。”

韩国奥委会主席柳承敏表示，韩国奥委会将继续努力，帮助韩国运动员全心全意专注于比赛，不受与比赛无关的问题的干扰。

“在国际综​​合性运动会上，国歌作为我们国家的象征，如果演奏错误，这是绝对不可接受的，我们对此事高度重视，”柳说。

“我们将继续要求组委会彻底调查此次事件的原因，并采取措施防止此类事件再次发生。”