North Korea's anthem played for South Korea's field hockey team at Asian Games 2026
Organisers play North Korean anthem before South Korea’s match vs Bangladesh
Dubai: The chaos at the 2026 Asian Games seems to have no end as another viral incident unfolded at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Friday ahead of the South Korea vs Bangladesh's men's field hockey match.
The latest blunder saw organisers of the event mistakenly playing North Korea’s national anthem ahead of South Korea’s game on Friday.
Videos circulating on social media showed South Korean players appearing unsure how to react as the anthem played. Some stood at attention, while others ran their hands through their hair. Several players also kept their right hands over their hearts during the ceremony.
The organisers quickly realised the error and corrected it, playing Bangladesh’s anthem before South Korea’s.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, the incident was described as an “awkward mishap”.
“Standing with their hands over their hearts in front of the unfurled South Korean flag, the South Korean players could not hide their bewilderment,” Yonhap reported.
The report also added that the correct anthem was played later, but it was too late. The referee had already instructed the players to exchange greetings while South Korea’s anthem was still being played, meaning the team couldn’t sing their national anthem while standing with each other.
Despite the unusual start, South Korea had plenty to celebrate later, securing a 5-0 victory over Bangladesh in the Pool A match. They now face Indonesia on September 22.
The incident came a day before the official opening ceremony of the Asian Games, which is scheduled to take place on September 19.
Several sporting events, however, have already begun ahead of the ceremony. Field hockey is among the competitions getting underway early, allowing teams to complete their schedules within the wider Games programme.
