Why were South Korean athletes complaining about housing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

The organizers did not build an apartment-style athletes’ village and instead relied on hotels, a cruise ship and prefabricated containers. After registrations grew from about 15,000 to about 17,000, rooms became scarce and athletes reported problems such as leaking bathrooms and cramped conditions.

How did transportation problems affect South Korea’s teams at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

South Korea’s men’s basketball team canceled a Sunday morning training session before its final against Japan because its scheduled vehicle never arrived. The U-23 football team also arrived late for a group-stage match against Qatar after a bus driver went to the wrong venue, delaying both teams by about 30 minutes.

Operational blunders at Asian Games disrupt Korean team

Q: What happened to South Korea at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games anthem ceremony?

North Korea’s anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea’s before the men’s field hockey match against Bangladesh in Kakamigahara. The South Korean delegation demanded an explanation and sent an official protest letter, and the organizing committee later sent officials to apologize.

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Summary

Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have drawn criticism over repeated operational blunders affecting the South Korean team. The wrong national anthem was played before a men’s field hockey match in Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, and the South Korean delegation filed a protest. Athletes also complained about poor housing and transport failures, including leaks, a missing team vehicle and a bus taking football teams to the wrong venue.

Key Facts

The anthem mistake happened before a men’s field hockey Pool A match between South Korea and Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said two organizing committee officials visited the South Korean delegation’s office to apologize for the anthem error.
The organizing committee expected about 15,000 athletes and officials but later registrations rose to about 17,000 after new events were added, leaving a shortage of rooms.
Men’s basketball player Byun Jun-hyung posted a video showing a bathroom floor soaked by a leak and wrote, Please save us.
South Korea’s men’s basketball team canceled a Sunday morning training session before its final against Japan because the scheduled transport vehicle never arrived.

By Park Ung

Published Sep 21, 2026 7:00 am KST

From anthem error to bus mishaps, Asiad organizers draw criticism for sloppy organizing

Players from South Korea, right, and Bangladesh line up before their Pool A men's field hockey match at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara, Gifu prefecture, Japan, Friday. Before the match, North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's. Yonhap

Japan's organization of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is drawing criticism over a string of missteps, from playing the wrong national anthem to poor housing conditions and repeated transportation failures.

Last Friday, North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's before a men's field hockey Pool A match between South Korea and Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara.

The South Korean delegation demanded an explanation and sent an official letter of protest to the organizing committee.

"The national anthem, a symbol of the country, should never be played incorrectly at an international multi-sport event, and we view this matter with utmost seriousness," Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min said.

"We will do our best to protect our athletes so they can focus on competition without being affected by issues outside the games. We will also continue to demand that the organizing committee investigate the cause and take steps to prevent a recurrence."

The KSOC said Saturday that two organizing committee officials visited the South Korean delegation's office the previous day to apologize for the error.

The controversy surfaced even before the opening ceremony. At Chubu Centrair International Airport, south of Nagoya City, the South Korean delegation was barred from bringing in a large national flag last Thursday.

A welcoming event at the athletes' village featured performers dressed as armed warriors portraying Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th-century Japanese ruler who invaded Korea between 1592 and 1598.

The organizing committee said the welcoming event was meant to introduce the local culture and tourism of Aichi and Nagoya, and was not intended to endorse any historical figure or convey a historical message.

Operational problems have also plagued the games, from athletes' housing to transportation.

The organizing committee chose not to build an apartment-style athletes' village for the roughly 15,000 athletes and officials it expected, citing rising construction costs and environmental concerns.

It turned instead to hotels, a cruise ship and prefabricated containers, but registrations later climbed to about 17,000 after new events were added, leaving a shortage of rooms.

Athletes complained about the conditions inside their assigned housing. Men's basketball player Byun Jun-hyung, 30, posted a video on social media earlier this month showing a bathroom floor soaked with water from a leak, writing, "Please save us."

The South Korean men's basketball team canceled a training session scheduled Sunday morning ahead of its final that day against Japan because a vehicle scheduled to transport the team never arrived.

South Korea's U-23 football team faced transportation problems as well last week. During its first group-stage match against Qatar, the bus driver did not know the stadium's location and drove to the wrong venue, causing both teams to arrive about 30 minutes late.

From anthem error to bus mishaps, Asiad organizers draw criticism for sloppy organizing

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