Asian Games organisers issued an apology after the North Korean national anthem was played at a South Korean men's hockey group stage match against Bangladesh in Japan.

South Korea's players had lined up on the field to face Bangladesh when the anthem echoed around the stadium. Players shook their heads and looked around to officials.

"We are really sorry, terribly sorry," the stadium announcer said. "National anthem for the South Korea, we played a different song. I'm really sorry."

The Bangladesh national anthem followed the North Korean anthem, which is banned in South Korea. Organisers then corrected the error.

The Korean Sports and Olympic Committee lodged an official complaint once the match ended. South Korea won 5-0.

The KSOC asked organisers to apologise and to assure the national team that future matches would not see the same incident. Two officials from the Asian Games committee visited the team office and offered an official apology, the team confirmed.

KSOC president Ryu Seung-min said the team will work to ensure South Korean athletes can stay focused on their competition without being distracted by the noise created by the mistake of organisers. "It is absolutely unacceptable for the national anthem, a symbol of our nation, to be performed incorrectly at an international multisport event, and we view this matter with the utmost seriousness," Ryu said. "We will continue to demand that the organising committee thoroughly investigate the cause of this incident and implement measures to prevent its recurrence."

South Korea has encountered other problems at the tournament. Basketball players were unhappy with their room size, and transport issues disrupted the men's football team, the defending champions.

South Korea's next men's hockey game is scheduled for September 22 against Indonesia.

Source: CNN Lite