[Nagoya AG] Another Incident... This Time, the Taegukgi Failed to Rise on Time

Malfunctioning Flagpole Mars Football Victory Ceremony
Confusion Continues Until Anthem Ends, Crowd Boos
Repeated Mishaps: Bus Errors, North Korean Anthem Played Instead

Even at the very end of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, a series of absurd incidents persisted.

On October 3 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the Taegukgi flag representing South Korea was not properly raised on the flagpole during the men's football awards ceremony, despite South Korea winning the gold medal. South Korea defeated the host nation, Japan, 1-0 in the final, securing their fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football title.

At the men's soccer medal ceremony of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 3rd at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the South Korean Taegukgi was not raised despite winning the gold medal. Toyota=Yonhap News Agency

Just when the players should have been celebrating, receiving their gold medals and listening to the national anthem, the Taegukgi flag positioned at the center flagpole failed to rise in time with the anthem. Officials in charge of the flag raising appeared flustered when the system did not function properly, and upon noticing this, the South Korean players pointed toward the flagpole, unable to hide their bewilderment.

Ultimately, the Taegukgi flag never reached the top of the pole by the end of the anthem, leading to boos from the crowd.

Throughout this tournament, both major and minor operational mishaps occurred repeatedly. There were countless instances of buses heading to incorrect locations instead of the stadium or training grounds, and during a match involving the South Korean hockey team, the North Korean national anthem was played instead of South Korea's. These are just a few examples of incidents that are unacceptable at an international multi-sport event.

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