Asian Games organizers played North Korea’s anthem at South Korea’s match against Bangladesh

Organizers of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games mistakenly played North Korea’s anthem before the men’s field hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh, held Friday in Gifu, Japan. The incident occurred during the pre-match ceremony.

The South Korean players were lined up and waiting for their national anthem when they heard North Korea’s anthem. The athletes appeared puzzled, and some took their hands from their chests and signaled the error to officials.

The organizers stopped the North Korean anthem and played Bangladesh’s anthem. South Korea’s anthem was played afterward, when the two teams were already preparing to start the match. The stadium announcer publicly apologized.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee filed an official protest and requested explanations regarding the error. The blunder did not affect the result: South Korea defeated Bangladesh 5-0 in the first match of Group A.

The incident is sensitive because the two Koreas formally remain at war. The Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.