Major blunder: North Korea's national anthem played ahead of South Korea vs Bangladesh hockey match at Asian Games

Nagoya: Organisers of the Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games offered their "deepest apologies" on Saturday after playing North Korea's national anthem for the South Korean men's hockey team prior to a match.

The latest blunder to afflict the multi-sport event—which officially opened following a troubled run-up—left South Korean officials incensed.

Lined up on the field ahead of Friday's contest against Bangladesh, South Korea's players looked visibly bemused as the North Korean anthem began playing over the loudspeakers. Organisers subsequently played Bangladesh's anthem, followed eventually by the correct South Korean anthem, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. Despite the pre-match confusion, South Korea went on to secure a 5-0 victory.

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"During the men's hockey match between (South) Korea and Bangladesh on September 18, an incorrect national anthem was mistakenly played before the match," the Asian Games organising committee stated in a message to AFP on Saturday.

Committee representatives confirmed that, on Friday, "officials responsible for (National Olympic Committee) relations visited the delegation of the Republic of Korea and offered their sincere apologies for the incident."

"We will also work to prevent a recurrence and would like to express our deepest apologies to all those affected by this matter," the statement added.

Although a stadium announcer publicly apologised for the mix-up, South Korea coach Min Tae-seok expressed strong dissatisfaction over the oversight.

"This is a really serious problem. When we protested, they said, 'We're sorry. It wasn't that it wasn't prepared, there was a mistake on the part of those responsible for playing it'," he stated.

"But this is something that simply should never happen."

The logistical mishap adds to a series of issues troubling the Games' start, where visiting teams have already lodged complaints regarding inadequate accommodation and long delays—with some delegations left stranded at the airport for up to six hours upon arrival. (AFP)