Japanese Asian Games Organizers Apologize to S. Korea

Seoul, Oct. 7 (Jiji Press)--South Korea's Korean Sports & Olympic Committee said Wednesday that it has received an apology letter from the Japanese organizing committee of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games over operational problems involving the South Korean delegation during the event, which concluded on Sunday.

Among these problems at the Asian Games, the South Korean flag failed to be raised during the medal ceremony after South Korea beat Japan in the men's soccer final on Saturday.

In the letter, Hideaki Omura, the governor of Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, who served as chairman of the organizing committee, apologized for the incident, calling it an "operational error" and explaining that the position of the knots on the ropes used to hoist flags had not been properly checked in advance.

Omura also apologized for other issues, including transportation problems.

The South Korean committee had sent a letter of protest to the Japanese organizing committee regarding multiple issues, including an incident in which South Korean players could not practice on the morning of the men's basketball final because they were unable to board the designated shuttle bus.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]