‘Disappointing’ South Korea flag mishap sees Asian Games 2026 end on sour note

South Korea won its fourth consecutive men’s football gold medal against Japan. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

South Korea’s Asian Games football captain called it “disappointing” after the country’s flag appeared to get stuck during the victory ceremony following their win over host Japan.

Eom Ji-sung scored the only goal as South Korea won a fourth straight title with a 1-0 victory over Japan in the final at Toyota Stadium near Nagoya on Saturday evening.

However, footage of the victory ceremony afterwards showed ceremonial officials struggling to raise South Korea’s flag on the flagpole, sparking boos from Korean fans.

“I believe an awards ceremony should be an occasion for celebration,” said captain Lee Gi-hyuk, according to Yonhap News Agency.

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“We worked so hard to get here, so it was disappointing that they couldn’t even properly unfurl the flag.

“I imagine the players, as well as the fans who came all this way to support us, must have been unhappy about it too.”

According to South Korean media, the flag was eventually raised properly, but only after the national anthem ended.

The Games in Aichi-Nagoya, which close later Sunday, have been dogged by organisational issues over accommodation and transport.

South Korea was also victim of a mix-up when the national anthem for North Korea was played for the South’s hockey team.

South Korean Olympic officials have been outspoken in their criticism of how the Games have been run.

Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, said during the first week: “If I were to give them a grade, it would be an F.”