"Last time, the North Korean anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem → This time, only the South Korean flag failed to rise"... How many "absurd incidents" related to Korea have there been? "Japan also sheds light on it" [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

Another absurd operational incident surrounding Korea occurred at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. After the North Korean anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem earlier, this time only the Taegukgi (South Korean flag) of the winning country, the Republic of Korea, failed to rise properly.

The South Korea men's under-23 (U-23) football team, led by head coach Lee Min-seong, defeated host nation Japan 1-0 in the men's football final at Toyota Stadium in Japan on the 3rd to win the gold medal.

With this victory, South Korea has reached the top of the podium for the fourth consecutive time, following the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang, and 2022 Hangzhou Games, setting a golden milestone as the first team to win four straight men's football titles in Asian Games history.

However, an unexpected problem arose at the award ceremony, which should have been the most glorious moment.

After the gold medals were awarded to the South Korean players, the national anthems were played and the flags of the medal-winning countries were raised. While the flags of Japan and China, which won silver and bronze respectively, rose normally, only the Taegukgi positioned in the center remained motionless.

The South Korean players had to watch the flag that barely rose while placing their hands over their hearts and singing the national anthem.

Ultimately, the Taegukgi failed to be raised properly until the end of the national anthem. Afterwards, as officials resolved the issue, the flag was finally hoisted late, prompting boos from the South Korean cheering squad.

Local Japanese media also highlighted this scene. Japan's Nikkan Sports reported, "Another problem has occurred," stating, "Boos erupted because the flag of winning country South Korea did not rise at the football award ceremony."

The outlet explained, "At the end of the award ceremony attended by South Korea, Japan, and third-place China, while the national anthems were being played, the flags of the three countries were raised. However, a problem occurred where only the South Korean flag in the center failed to rise, while the Japanese and Chinese flags on either side went up."

It added, "The South Korean flag only rose as the anthem was ending, and boos naturally rang out among the South Korean supporters."

Operational incidents related to Korea have occurred repeatedly at this tournament.

Last month, during the first group stage match of men's field hockey between South Korea and Bangladesh, an absurd incident occurred where the North Korean anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem.

Before the match, South Korean players were waiting for the national anthem while looking at the Taegukgi, but the music that echoed through the stadium was not the South Korean national anthem. It was none other than the North Korean anthem.

At the time, the AP News agency reported, "South Korean players appeared flustered, unsure of how to react."

The organizing committee realized the mistake late and played the South Korean national anthem again. However, another problem arose here.

As the scheduled start time approached, the referee instructed the players from both teams to exchange greetings while the national anthem was still playing.

Consequently, the South Korean players had to greet their opponents and prepare for the match without finishing singing the national anthem.

Earlier, the Nam Ja-chuk-gu (CEO) team also experienced an absurd transportation incident.

Here is what happened. Last month, ahead of the group stage match against Qatar, the bus carrying the South Korean delegation headed to a baseball stadium instead of the football venue. As a result, South Korea arrived at the stadium approximately 30 minutes later than scheduled.

Despite the chaotic situation, South Korea defeated Qatar 4-1 in a decisive victory.

The men's basketball team was also affected. On the 20th of last month, as South Korea prepared for the final against host nation Japan, they were scheduled to move to their morning training ground. However, the vehicle to transport the delegation did not arrive, preventing them from conducting training.

The South Korea Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, led by head coach Nicolas Madsen, overcame these adverse conditions to defeat Japan 67-57 and win the gold medal at the Asian Games for the first time in 12 years.

However, the transportation issues did not end after winning the gold medals.

Even during the move to the airport for their return home the day after the final, the delegation's bus arrived late.

And at the very end of the tournament, another absurd incident occurred where the Taegukgi failed to rise in relation to South Korea.

The outlet reported, "At this tournament, there have been issues such as an operational error where the North Korean anthem was played during the national anthem performance in other South Korean sports events."

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*This content was translated by AI.