"Of all times, a Japanese flag during a Korea–Japan match"... JTBC issues official apology for women's curling broadcast error [2026 Milan–Cortina]

Financial News – The Korean women’s curling team clinched a thrilling win over Japan in their Korea–Japan showdown at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, but a serious broadcast blunder by exclusive rights holder Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC) has sparked public outrage. In the middle of the game, a baffling incident occurred when a large graphic of the Flag of Japan suddenly filled the screen.
The incident took place on the 15th (local time) during the fifth round-robin game between Korea and Japan in women’s curling at Cortina Curling Stadium in Italy. After a tightly contested fifth end, during a commercial break, a full-screen graphic of the Japanese flag that had nothing to do with the advertisement appeared and stayed on air for about 10 seconds.
Viewers were stunned that such an error occurred at a decisive moment in a highly anticipated Korea–Japan match. Online communities and social media were flooded with criticism such as, "I never imagined I’d be staring at a Japanese flag while cheering for a Korea–Japan game," "It was unpleasant because JTBC had exclusive rights, so I couldn’t even change the channel," and "It poured cold water on the joy of victory."
As the controversy grew, JTBC issued an immediate apology on its official website on the 16th.
JTBC stated, "At around 11:23 p.m. on the 15th, a graphic of the Japanese national flag was briefly shown during a commercial break in our live broadcast of the Korea–Japan curling match," and added, "We bow our heads in apology for causing discomfort to viewers due to a clear mistake by our production team."
The network further noted, "We will conduct thorough checks and strengthen management to ensure that such an incident does not happen again."
Separate from the broadcast mishap, the Korean women’s team delivered an outstanding performance. The Korean women’s curling squad defeated Japan 7–5, taking a major step toward reaching the semifinals. Riding this momentum, Korea is scheduled to play its sixth round-robin game against China in the early hours of the 17th.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter