Operational blunders at Asian Games disrupt Korean team

Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have drawn criticism over repeated operational blunders affecting the South Korean team. The wrong national anthem was played before a men’s field hockey match in Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, and the South Korean delegation filed a protest. Athletes also complained about poor housing and transport failures, including leaks, a missing team vehicle and a bus taking football teams to the wrong venue.

The anthem mistake happened before a men’s field hockey Pool A match between South Korea and Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said two organizing committee officials visited the South Korean delegation’s office to apologize for the anthem error.

The organizing committee expected about 15,000 athletes and officials but later registrations rose to about 17,000 after new events were added, leaving a shortage of rooms.

Men’s basketball player Byun Jun-hyung posted a video showing a bathroom floor soaked by a leak and wrote, Please save us.

South Korea’s men’s basketball team canceled a Sunday morning training session before its final against Japan because the scheduled transport vehicle never arrived.

Published Sep 21, 2026 7:00 am KST

From anthem error to bus mishaps, Asiad organizers draw criticism for sloppy organizing

Players from South Korea, right, and Bangladesh line up before their Pool A men's field hockey match at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Gifu prefecture, Japan, Friday. Before the match, North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's. Yonhap

Japan's organization of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is drawing criticism over a string of missteps, from playing the wrong national anthem to poor housing conditions and repeated transportation failures.

Last Friday, North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's before a men's field hockey Pool A match between South Korea and Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara.

The South Korean delegation demanded an explanation and sent an official letter of protest to the organizing committee.

"The national anthem, a symbol of the country, should never be played incorrectly at an international multi-sport event, and we view this matter with utmost seriousness," Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min said.

"We will do our best to protect our athletes so they can focus on competition without being affected by issues outside the games. We will also continue to demand that the organizing committee investigate the cause and take steps to prevent a recurrence."

The KSOC said Saturday that two organizing committee officials visited the South Korean delegation's office the previous day to apologize for the error.

The controversy surfaced even before the opening ceremony. At Chubu Centrair International Airport, south of Nagoya City, the South Korean delegation was barred from bringing in a large national flag last Thursday.

A welcoming event at the athletes' village featured performers dressed as armed warriors portraying Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th-century Japanese ruler who invaded Korea between 1592 and 1598.

The organizing committee said the welcoming event was meant to introduce the local culture and tourism of Aichi and Nagoya, and was not intended to endorse any historical figure or convey a historical message.

Operational problems have also plagued the games, from athletes' housing to transportation.

The organizing committee chose not to build an apartment-style athletes' village for the roughly 15,000 athletes and officials it expected, citing rising construction costs and environmental concerns.

It turned instead to hotels, a cruise ship and prefabricated containers, but registrations later climbed to about 17,000 after new events were added, leaving a shortage of rooms.

Athletes complained about the conditions inside their assigned housing. Men's basketball player Byun Jun-hyung, 30, posted a video on social media earlier this month showing a bathroom floor soaked with water from a leak, writing, "Please save us."

The South Korean men's basketball team canceled a training session scheduled Sunday morning ahead of its final that day against Japan because a vehicle scheduled to transport the team never arrived.

South Korea's U-23 football team faced transportation problems as well last week. During its first group-stage match against Qatar, the bus driver did not know the stadium's location and drove to the wrong venue, causing both teams to arrive about 30 minutes late.

日本爱知-名古屋亚运会因一系列影响韩国代表团的运作失误而饱受诟病。在岐阜县立绿地体育场举行的男子曲棍球比赛前，竟然播放了错误的国歌，韩国代表团对此提出抗议。运动员们还抱怨住宿条件差、交通不便，包括漏水、缺少队车以及将足球队送错比赛场地等问题。

在岐阜县加贺见原市的岐阜县绿色体育场举行的韩国队与孟加拉国队男子曲棍球A组比赛前，发生了奏国歌出错的事件。

韩国体育和奥林匹克委员会表示，两名组委会官员前往韩国代表团办公室，就国歌错误一事道歉。

组委会预计约有 15,000 名运动员和官员，但后来由于增加了新的比赛项目，注册人数增加到约 17,000 人，导致房间短缺。

男子篮球队员卞俊亨发布了一段视频，视频中浴室地板被漏水浸湿，并写道：“请救救我们。”

韩国男篮取消了周日上午与日本队决赛前的训练，因为预定的交通工具没有到达。

发布于2026年9月21日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

从国歌出错到巴士事故，亚运会组委会因组织工作马虎而饱受批评。

周五，在日本岐阜县阪神原市岐阜县立绿地体育场，韩国（右）和孟加拉国的球员在男子曲棍球A组比赛前列队。赛前，误奏了朝鲜国歌，而非韩国国歌。（韩联社）

日本在组织爱知-名古屋亚运会方面犯下了一系列错误，从播放错误的国歌到恶劣的住宿条件和屡次出现的交通故障，都受到了批评。

上周五，在岐阜县加贺见原市岐阜县绿色体育场举行的韩国男子曲棍球A组韩国对阵孟加拉国的比赛前，误播放了朝鲜国歌，而不是韩国国歌。

韩国代表团要求组委会作出解释，并向组委会递交了正式抗议信。

韩国体育奥林匹克委员会（KSOC）主席柳承敏表示：“国歌是国家的象征，绝不应该在国际综合性运动会上演奏错误，我们对此事高度重视。”

“我们将尽最大努力保护运动员，让他们能够专注于比赛，不受赛场外因素的影响。我们也将继续要求组委会调查事件原因，并采取措施防止类似事件再次发生。”

韩国奥委会周六表示，两名组委会官员前一天前往韩国代表团办公室，就此错误表示道歉。

这场争议甚至在开幕式之前就已出现。上周四，在名古屋市以南的中部国际机场，韩国代表团被禁止携带一面大型国旗入境。

在运动员村举行的欢迎仪式上，表演者装扮成武装武士，扮演16世纪日本统治者丰臣秀吉，他于1592年至1598年间入侵朝鲜。

组委会表示，此次欢迎活动旨在介绍爱知县和名古屋市的当地文化和旅游业，并非意在支持任何历史人物或传达任何历史信息。

从运动员住宿到交通运输，运营方面的问题也困扰着本届奥运会。

组委会决定不为预计到场的约 15,000 名运动员和官员建造公寓式运动员村，理由是建筑成本不断上涨和环境问题。

主办方转而选择酒店、游轮和预制集装箱，但随着新活动的增加，注册人数后来攀升至约 17,000 人，导致房间短缺。

运动员们抱怨他们分配的宿舍条件恶劣。30岁的男子篮球队员卞俊亨（音译）本月初在社交媒体上发布了一段视频，视频显示浴室地板因漏水而浸泡在水中，他写道：“请救救我们。”

韩国男篮取消了原定于周日上午进行的赛前训练，当天他们将与日本队进行决赛，原因是原定接送球队的车辆没有到达。

韩国U23足球队上周也遭遇了交通问题。在小组赛首场对阵卡塔尔的比赛中，巴士司机不熟悉球场位置，开错了地方，导致两队都迟到了大约30分钟。