On the evening of October 3rd, Beijing time, the South Korea U23 team defeated the Japan U23 team 1-0, achieving a four-consecutive championships at the Asian Games.
However, an unexpected incident occurred during the post-event award ceremony.
After receiving the gold medal, the South Korean team entered the stage where the national anthem was played. However, the South Korean flag, which was supposed to fly alongside the national anthem, did not rise until the end of the anthem. The flag remained down as if it were not supposed to be raised properly.
This situation led to dissatisfaction among Korean fans at the scene, and boos could be heard from the stands. According to the video footage, it was only after the national anthem ceremony was over that the Korean flag was slowly raised.
In this Asian Games, South Korea competed with a U23 team, using three extra players beyond the age limit. In the final match, South Korea defeated the host Japan 1-0, winning the gold medal in men's football for the fourth consecutive time.
This is not the first time that a mistake has occurred during the national anthem performance at this Asian Games. On September 18th, the men's hockey event featured a match between South Korea and Bangladesh. As per tradition, the national anthems of both countries were played before the game. Unfortunately, the organizing committee mistakenly played the North Korean national anthem instead of the South Korean one. According to South Korean media reports, the South Korean team members looked at each other in confusion, unable to do anything in response, and were also unable to place their hands over their chests as usual.
On September 19th, the National Olympic Committee of South Korea issued a statement on its official website, stating that it has received an official apology from the Asian Games Organizing Committee regarding the mistake in playing the Korean national anthem instead of the North Korean national anthem during the ice hockey matches at the Asian Games.
(Compiled by Observer Network from Knews, Tiger Pool Sports, and LiveBar)
