Japanese Broadcaster Under Fire for 'Malicious' Photo of S. Korean Volleyball Captain

A Japanese terrestrial television broadcast has sparked local controversy for using a photo of South Korean women's volleyball team captain Kang So-hwi that looked drastically different from her usual appearance, prompting viewers to question if it was intentional.

The controversy arose yesterday, on September 21, during the broadcast of the women's volleyball semifinal match between South Korea and Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games held at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Following the match, Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports published an article titled "Voices of Confusion Pour In Over Introduction Photo of South Korean Captain During Game Broadcast."

The outlet reported, "The profile photo of South Korean captain Kang So-hwi, displayed in the lower right corner of the game broadcast screen by Japan's TBS, looked significantly different from her usual impression," adding that successive voices of confusion emerged, saying, "I was surprised" and "Isn't this a bit malicious?"

In fact, comments on the article continued, such as "I was surprised because it was a moment captured very maliciously" and "Don't they usually use an official headshot?"

On social media, one user shared a side-by-side comparison of what appeared to be a photo of the broadcast screen taken directly by the user alongside Kang's photos posted on the official tournament website and the Korea Volleyball Association.

Another social media user shared the Nikkan Sports article and pointed out the photo used in the broadcast, stating, "I will admit that this was malicious!"

On this day, the South Korean women's volleyball team, led by head coach Cha Sang-hyun, suffered a 0-3 shutout defeat to Japan in set scores, failing to advance to the finals.

Today, the national team will face Thailand for the bronze medal, aiming for their first Asian Games medal in 8 years.

A Japanese terrestrial television broadcast has sparked local controversy for using a photo of South Korean women's volleyball team captain Kang So-hwi that looked drastically different from her usual appearance, prompting viewers to question if it was intentional.

The controversy arose yesterday, on September 21, during the broadcast of the women's volleyball semifinal match between South Korea and Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games held at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Following the match, Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports published an article titled "Voices of Confusion Pour In Over Introduction Photo of South Korean Captain During Game Broadcast."

The outlet reported, "The profile photo of South Korean captain Kang So-hwi, displayed in the lower right corner of the game broadcast screen by Japan's TBS, looked significantly different from her usual impression," adding that successive voices of confusion emerged, saying, "I was surprised" and "Isn't this a bit malicious?"

In fact, comments on the article continued, such as "I was surprised because it was a moment captured very maliciously" and "Don't they usually use an official headshot?"

On social media, one user shared a side-by-side comparison of what appeared to be a photo of the broadcast screen taken directly by the user alongside Kang's photos posted on the official tournament website and the Korea Volleyball Association.

Another social media user shared the Nikkan Sports article and pointed out the photo used in the broadcast, stating, "I will admit that this was malicious!"

On this day, the South Korean women's volleyball team, led by head coach Cha Sang-hyun, suffered a 0-3 shutout defeat to Japan in set scores, failing to advance to the finals.

Today, the national team will face Thailand for the bronze medal, aiming for their first Asian Games medal in 8 years.

(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Kihyun | Graphics by Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News | Screen capture source: Nikkan Sports, Japan TBS, social media capture)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.