South Korean Field Hockey Team's National Anthem Mix-Up at Asian Games
Organizers mistakenly play North Korean anthem before match, leaving athletes bewildered.
South Korean men's field hockey players were left stunned and bewildered when the North Korean national anthem was played instead of their own before a match at the Asian Games. The incident occurred prior to their game against Bangladesh at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan.
As the teams lined up for the pre-game anthems, the PA system unexpectedly began playing the anthem associated with North Korea. The South Korean athletes appeared visibly shocked and unsure how to react to the error, with some placing their hands over their hearts while others expressed disbelief.
Organizers quickly recognized the mistake, halting the music and issuing an apology. "We are really sorry, terribly sorry. National anthem for the Republic of Korea, we played a different song. I'm really sorry," an announcer stated.
The national anthem mix-up led to a hurried resolution. Following the apology, the Bangladesh anthem was played, followed by the correct South Korean anthem. However, due to time constraints before the scheduled start, the referee instructed the players to begin the match while South Korea's anthem was still playing, preventing the team from singing it in full.
According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the situation was described as an "awkward mishap." The report highlighted the players' bewilderment and the subsequent rush to begin the game.
The national anthem of North Korea is banned in South Korea due to the ongoing division of the peninsula following the Korean War.
Despite the anthem blunder, the South Korean field hockey team went on to defeat Bangladesh with a commanding score of 5-0. The Asian Games officially commenced on Thursday, September 10, with 59 events scheduled before the closing ceremonies on October 4.