Korean Sport & Olympic Committee: "Received Apology from Organizers for National Anthem Error at Hockey Match"

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced on September 19 that it has received an official apology from the organizing committee regarding the incident in which the North Korean national anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem during the men's hockey match at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

On the previous day, at Gakamigahara Green Stadium in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, the North Korean national anthem was mistakenly played as the national anthem of South Korea before the start of the Group A men's hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh.

On the 18th, during the national ceremony before the first match of the men's hockey Group A preliminary round between South Korea and Bangladesh held at Gakamigahara Green Stadium in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, the North Korean national anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem, leaving our players bewildered. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Immediately following the incident, the South Korean delegation demanded an explanation from the organizing committee and sent an official letter of protest under the name of delegation head Lee Sang-hyun. In particular, they called for an official apology from the organizing committee, a thorough investigation into the cause, and measures to prevent recurrence.

According to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, at around 9 p.m. on the day of the incident, two officials, including the head of participating countries at the Asian Games organizing committee, personally visited the South Korean delegation office to officially apologize for the national anthem error.

The South Korean delegation also lodged an official protest and sent a letter of complaint to the organizing committee regarding the earlier 'Toyotomi Hideyoshi-related performance'. The delegation expressed strong regret over a series of inappropriate incidents involving the South Korean team occurring around the opening of the Games.

Ryu Seungmin, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, stated, "There must never be an incident where the national anthem—one of the most important symbols of a country—is mistaken in an international multi-sport event. We view this matter with utmost seriousness. Above all, we will do our best to protect and support our athletes so that they can remain fully focused on the competition without being affected by issues outside of the games. We will continue to demand a thorough investigation and preventive measures from the organizing committee to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again."

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced that during the Games, it will make the protection of the rights and honor of the South Korean team its top priority, and will actively respond to any major issues that arise in the competition or organizational process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.