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. 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.
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 hosts Japan.
“I believe an awards ceremony should be an occasion for celebration,” said captain Lee Gi-hyuk, according to Yonhap News Agency. The flag was eventually raised properly, but only after the national anthem ended, according to South Korean media.
South Korea were also victims of a mix-up when the national anthem for North Korea was played for the South’s hockey team.
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.”
