Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
South Korean hockey players were left visibly confused after the North Korean national anthem was played instead of South Korea’s before their men’s field hockey match against Bangladesh at the Asian Games on Friday, September 18.
The South Korean team was lined up on the field at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara when the North Korean anthem began playing. Players appeared unsure how to react, with some standing at attention, while others looked around in confusion or put their hands over their hearts.
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The stadium announcer had introduced the music as the national anthem of the Republic of Korea, but organisers soon realised that the wrong anthem had been played.
AP reported that the organising committee apologised for the error and corrected it. Bangladesh’s national anthem was played first, followed by South Korea’s anthem.
NO CORRECTION FROM ASIAN GAMES
However, with the match already running behind schedule, the South Korean players were unable to complete the anthem ceremony. The referee instructed both teams to exchange greetings while South Korea’s anthem was still being played, meaning the players had to begin the match before the ceremony was properly completed.
The unusual incident did not affect South Korea on the field. They went on to beat Bangladesh 5-0 in their opening Pool A match, with five different players finding the net.
South Korean news agency Yonhap described the incident as an “awkward mishap”, while reports from South Korea said the players could not hide their bewilderment as the unfamiliar anthem played in front of the South Korean flag.
The men’s field hockey competition began before the official opening ceremony of the Asian Games, which is scheduled for Saturday. Several sports have started early to accommodate the packed programme at the multi-sport event.
HISTORY OF NORTH vs SOUTH KOREA
The mistake carries significance because South Korea and North Korea are not simply two countries with similar names. They have been divided since the Korean War, and relations between the two governments remain highly sensitive.
At international sporting events, the two Koreas compete separately and use different national symbols, including their own flags and anthems. South Korea’s national anthem is “Aegukga”, while North Korea’s is “Aegukka”. Playing one in place of the other therefore goes beyond an ordinary error involving two similar-looking files in an event database. It involves two states that have a long history of political and military confrontation.
That makes the anthem ceremony particularly important. National anthems are routinely played at major sporting events to formally represent the participating countries, alongside the display of their flags. The South Korean players were therefore expecting their own national anthem while standing in front of the South Korean flag when the North Korean anthem began.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
