North Korean anthem played in front of South Korean flag, leaving Korean athletes 'shocked'... National anthem not even heard to the end before match began

*This content was translated by AI.

An absurd incident occurred where a North Korean national anthem was played instead of South Korea's national anthem in front of the South Korean flag as Korean athletes stood at attention.

The South Korean men's Ha Ki (CEO) team, led by coach Min Tae-seok, defeated Bangladesh 5-0 in their first Group A match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 18th at Gifu Kakamigahara Green Stadium in Japan.

The match result was a decisive victory. However, an unexpected and absurd situation unfolded even before the game began.

AP reported that a procedural error occurred during the national anthem ceremony ahead of the South Korea-Bangladesh match on this day.

Here is what happened: As South Korean athletes stood facing the South Korean flag waiting for their national anthem, the music playing throughout the stadium was not South Korea's national anthem.

It was none other than North Korea's national anthem.

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, South Korean athletes could not hide their bewilderment.

AP stated at the time that "South Korean athletes appeared flustered, unsure of how to react."

It further explained that "many players stood at attention, while some brushed back their hair. A few players stood with their right hands over their hearts while the music played."

The tournament organizers eventually realized the mistake late. After playing Bangladesh's national anthem first, they then replayed South Korea's national anthem.

However, another absurd situation occurred at this point.

With the scheduled match start time rapidly approaching, the referee instructed both teams to exchange greetings while South Korea's national anthem was still being played.

As a result, South Korean athletes had to greet their opponents and begin preparations for the match before the national anthem concluded.

AP reported that "because of this, South Korean athletes were forced to start the match without even hearing their national anthem to the end."

Fortunately, the South Korean athletes remained composed despite the chaotic situation.

South Korea maintained dominance throughout against Bangladesh and secured a 5-0 victory. They started the tournament on a high note by earning three points in their opening match.

The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games officially open on the 19th. However, due to the large-scale schedule involving over 11,000 athletes, some sports including hockey began playing matches before the opening ceremony.

Just one day before the official opening, an incident occurred where North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's. Amidst ongoing controversies over accommodation and transportation issues, another controversy surrounding tournament operations has now been added.

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*This content was translated by AI.