North Korea's Anthem Mistakenly Played Before South Korea-Bangladesh Hockey Match at Asian Games

Organizers of the Asian Games in Japan mistakenly played North Korea's national anthem before a hockey match involving South Korea and Bangladesh, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

The error occurred ahead of the South Korean team's hockey fixture against Bangladesh at the multi-sport event, Al Jazeera reported, without specifying the exact venue or date of the game within the tournament schedule.

Al Jazeera's report did not detail how organizers responded in the moment or whether officials issued a public apology, but it characterized the incident as an accidental mix-up on the part of the Games' organizing committee.

South Korea and North Korea remain technically at war, having fought to a stalemate in the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The two countries do not have diplomatic relations, and symbols such as flags and anthems tied to either nation are frequently sources of sensitivity at international sporting events.

Al Jazeera's report did not include additional comment from South Korean officials, athletes, or the Asian Games organizing committee regarding the mix-up.

Further details about the outcome of the hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh were not included in the available reporting.