Wrong anthems played three times at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games in one day
In short
Three anthem mistakes occurred on 19 October at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, including South Korea's anthem played before a China match. The organising committee's acting head, Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, apologised on 21 October and the committee blamed a music playback software setting error.
Read the full story 2 min read
Anthem mistakes occurred three times on 19 October at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, Kyodo News and other outlets reported on 21 October, according to Yonhap. Ichiro Hirosawa, the mayor of Nagoya and acting president of the organising committee, said this at a press conference on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Before the China-Iran women's sitting volleyball match on the afternoon of 19 October, South Korea's anthem was played at the point where China's should have been. Yonhap said the committee noticed the error and played China's anthem from the middle. Asia Economy said the Korean anthem played for about five seconds before the committee stopped it, and CBS NoCut News also gave a duration of about five seconds. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
A similar error occurred the same day at the taekwondo medal ceremonies. A Mongolian athlete won the women's event and a Taiwanese athlete the men's, but Iran's anthem was played in both cases. According to Yonhap, the committee stopped Iran's anthem midway at the women's ceremony and played Mongolia's. Asia Economy said the Mongolian delegation pointed out the error. For the men's event, Asia Economy said the anthem of the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee should have been played, and that the committee admitted the mistake and apologised after the Taiwanese delegation raised it. The men's ceremony was to be, or was, held again on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The committee explained that the cause was a setting error in the music playback software. Hirosawa apologised, saying, according to Asia Economy and CBS NoCut News, that the procedures had been reviewed after the problem at the Asian Games but the same thing happened again, that the recurrence was hard to accept, and that he sincerely apologised to the athletes and officials concerned. He said the circumstances and the effectiveness of the existing preventive measures would be checked again. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The Asian Games, which closed on 4 October, had a similar incident. Before the men's hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh, North Korea's anthem was played instead of South Korea's. Yonhap reported that the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee protested to the organisers and that the committee apologised officially. Asia Economy and CBS NoCut News said the committee had taken preventive steps, including checking music titles visually, and Asia Economy said it now plans further steps such as having several staff cross-check content before playback. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
CBS NoCut News also listed other Asian Games problems: no anthems were played for South Korea and Hong Kong before a women's handball match, and South Korea's flag was not properly raised at the men's football medal ceremony. Both Asia Economy and CBS NoCut News say the repeat of the errors has brought criticism of how the committee runs the events. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The mistakes repeat a similar anthem error at the Asian Games earlier this month, for which the committee had apologised and introduced preventive steps. Korean outlets report that the repeat has drawn criticism of the committee's management, and Hirosawa said the earlier preventive measures would be re-examined.
Key facts
- Three anthem-related mistakes occurred on 19 October at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, according to organising committee acting head Ichiro Hirosawa, the mayor of Nagoya. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Before the China-Iran women's sitting volleyball match, South Korea's anthem was played instead of China's; Asia Economy and CBS NoCut News say it lasted about five seconds. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- At the taekwondo medal ceremonies, Iran's anthem was played for a Mongolian women's winner and a Taiwanese men's winner. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The committee said the cause was a setting error in the music playback software. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The men's taekwondo ceremony was held again on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- At the Asian Games, North Korea's anthem was played instead of South Korea's before the men's hockey match against Bangladesh, and the committee apologised officially. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Three anthem mistakes occurred on 19 October at the Asian Para Games, and Hirosawa apologised on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- South Korea's anthem was played instead of China's before the China-Iran women's sitting volleyball match. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Iran's anthem was played at both the women's and men's taekwondo ceremonies, where the winners were from Mongolia and Taiwan respectively. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The committee blamed a music playback software setting error. [ 1 , 2 ]
- North Korea's anthem was played instead of South Korea's before a men's hockey match at the preceding Asian Games. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the men's taekwondo ceremony was held again, and when. Yonhap says it was held on 21 October, Asia Economy says the committee decided to hold it on 21 October, and CBS NoCut News says it was reportedly held again on the night of the 21st.
- What additional measures the committee will adopt. Asia Economy says the committee plans steps such as having several staff cross-check content before music is played; Hirosawa said the effectiveness of existing measures would be re-examined, and no final measures are described.