Asian Games Organizing Committee Issues Apology for Delayed Taegeukgi Hoisting and Transportation Issues

The organizing committee for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has officially apologized to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) for various operational disruptions experienced by the South Korean sports delegation during the tournament.

According to the KSOC today, the Asian Games Organizing Committee sent a letter under the name of President Hideaki Omura, apologizing for the delay that prevented the South Korean flag from being hoisted properly during the men's football medal ceremony held at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on October 3.

South Korea defeated Japan 1-0 in the men's football final at the time to win the gold medal, but during the subsequent medal ceremony, the Taegeukgi was not properly hoisted by the time the national anthem finished playing.

The organizing committee acknowledged operational negligence, explaining that on-site staff failed to properly check the attachment point of the hoisting rope in advance, causing the knot to get caught on the pulley at the top of the flagpole, and apologized to the South Korean delegation, officials, and citizens, according to the KSOC.

In addition, the organizing committee apologized via email for the disruptions and inconveniences regarding transportation and protocol that occurred throughout the tournament.

During this tournament, various operational issues persisted—such as the men's basketball national team having to cancel their morning training session on September 20, the day of the final against Japan, because the bus assigned for dispatch did not arrive—leading the KSOC to send multiple letters of protest to the organizing committee.

The KSOC stated, "We will comprehensively review major issues related to the organizing committee's operations and continue to cooperate with and make recommendations to international sports organizations to ensure that our delegation receives fair treatment and a smooth competitive environment in future international multi-sport events."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.