Members of South Korea’s men’s field hockey team faced an unexpected moment of confusion on Friday when North Korea’s national anthem was mistakenly played before their match against Bangladesh at the Asian Games.

The athletes were caught off guard, standing in silence as the anthem played. Reactions varied: some players stood at attention, others ran their hands through their hair, and a few held their hands over their hearts.

Event organizers swiftly rectified the blunder, playing the correct anthem afterward. Despite the awkwardness, South Korea secured a convincing 5-0 victory ahead of the official opening ceremony scheduled for Saturday.

Yonhap News Agency described the situation as an "awkward mishap," noting that the players, positioned in front of the South Korean flag, visibly struggled to comprehend the mix-up.

The organizing committee attempted to correct the error by playing Bangladesh's national anthem first, followed by South Korea's. However, due to time constraints before the match, the referee instructed players to exchange greetings while the South Korean anthem was still playing, resulting in the players starting the match without the opportunity to sing their anthem.

The early fixtures at the Asian Games, featuring over 11,000 competitors, are being held prior to the opening ceremony to manage the packed schedule. This marks the 20th edition of the Asian Games, which began in 1951 in New Delhi, India. The current games are taking place in Hangzhou, China, where approximately 12,000 athletes are participating, a number that had to be adjusted due to pandemic delays.

While the Asian Games may not boast the same star power as the Olympics, they still feature notable athletes, including Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi, who at just 13 years old, is expected to make waves in the swimming events.