Organizers stopped the anthem after South Korean players alerted officials and Seoul's sports body said it would file a formal protest.
The North Korean national flag is raised near the athletes accommodation zone for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya on Sept. 18. NEWS1

The National anthem for North Korea was played instead of South Korea's at an Asian Games hockey match, adding to a slew of mishaps at the soon-to-officially-begin global games.

The North Korean anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem, the "Aegukga," before South Korea's Group A match against Bangladesh in the men's hockey competition at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Kakamigahara Green Stadium in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, on Friday.

As in football and basketball, the national anthems of both teams are played before hockey matches as the players line up on the field.

After the South Korean team was introduced, the "Aegukga" was supposed to play, but North Korea's anthem came on instead. The startled South Korean players hurriedly removed their hands from their chests and alerted officials to the error.

The organizing committee quickly stopped North Korea's anthem and played the Bangladeshi national anthem. The South Korean national anthem was then played at an awkward moment just before the two teams began the match.

“We collected evidence, including video footage, to determine exactly what happened and ultimately confirmed that North Korea's national anthem was played,” a Korean Sport & Olympic Committee official said. “We plan to lodge a formal protest with the organizing committee.”

A similar mishap occurred during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, when the stadium announcer mistakenly introduced South Korea as North Korea as the boat carrying the South Korean delegation entered. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) later issued a formal apology to the Seoul delegation.

The organizing committee for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has come under criticism over a series of errors. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who launched Japan's invasions of Korea in the late 16th century, was featured at a welcome event at the athletes' village. Multiple errors have also occurred in transportation arrangements and athlete accommodations, affecting their preparation and performance.