▲ South Korean athletes, including table tennis star Shin Yu-bin and badminton player Seo Seung-jae competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, pose for a group photo after completing their departure event at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, on the 17th.
The main contingent of the South Korean delegation for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has arrived at the battleground.
Led by Chef de Mission Lee Sang-hyun, the main group arrived this afternoon (the 17th) at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname, near Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Heading the arrival were table tennis star Shin Yu-bin, selected as the flag bearer for the contingent's entry and exit, and Seo Seung-jae, a pillar of men's doubles badminton. The arriving group totals 122 people, including headquarters officials from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and athletes from various sports.
Shin Yu-bin and Seo Seung-jae, who had held up the Taegeukgi attached to a flagstaff during their departure from Incheon International Airport earlier that morning, had planned to enter the arrival hall carrying the national flag as well. However, due to airport security regulations and other circumstances, they entered the arrival hall without the flags.
Chung Mi-ae, Consul-General of South Korea in Nagoya, and officials from the Aichi Prefecture chapter of the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) turned out with South Korean flags to welcome the delegation.
Consul-General Chung and Lee Poong-kwang, head of Mindan's Aichi Prefecture chapter, presented bouquets to Chef de Mission Lee, Shin Yu-bin, and Seo Seung-jae, while Lee reciprocated by gifting them official delegation sportswear.
"I am grateful to Mindan and our compatriots for warmly welcoming the delegation. I also deeply thank the sports council, the Consulate-General in Nagoya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others who have worked hard behind the scenes," Chef de Mission Lee said. "The athletes will compete with a determination to win so that the Taegeukgi can flutter even more widely in Nagoya."
Smiling as he said, "It seems the bright weather today is warmly greeting our athletes," Lee emphasized, "Our athletes have fought really well in preliminary matches, but I believe the real challenge starts now. We will gather our resolve and make sure we move forward as 'One Team Korea'."
Regarding the appearance of an armed troop impersonating Toyotomi Hideyoshi—the figure who triggered the Japanese invasions of Korea—during the village welcome ceremony on the 15th, Lee responded, "While local Japanese culture is important, I do feel a bit of regret that there wasn't more consideration shown for our delegation. However, rather than being conscious of such things, our job is to focus on our sports and show our best performance."
The athletes entered the host city with generally bright expressions.
Shin Yu-bin shared her thoughts, saying, "It feels great to receive flowers as soon as I arrived, almost like getting a gift right at the start. I am honored and happy to be at the Asian Games, and I will do my best."
Ryu Eun-hee, a veteran of the women's handball team, expressed her determination: "I prepared hard because I wanted to show a good performance. In particular, I came here with the mindset of getting revenge against Japan, whom we faced in the final at the Hangzhou tournament three years ago."
The Aichi-Nagoya Games, marking the 20th Summer Asian Games, will kick off with the opening ceremony on the 19th at the Nagoya Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium and run through October 4th across Aichi Prefecture, centering around Nagoya.
With approximately 15,000 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) participating, South Korea has dispatched a total delegation of 1,051 athletes and officials across 41 of the 43 total sports, excluding cricket and padel.
Archer Kim Woo-jin and shooter Lee Bo-na were selected as the male and female team captains, respectively, while rower Kim Dong-yong and Shin Yu-bin will serve as flag bearers to lead the delegation during the opening ceremony march.
Coming two years ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics, this tournament is also viewed as a crucial preview for athletes to test their skills.
The South Korean delegation aims to win 40 to 45 gold medals to secure third place overall for the third consecutive time following the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games (held in 2023), while also narrowing the gap with host nation Japan, which finished second in both previous tournaments.
Events for certain sports, such as basketball and football, have been underway since the 10th, with the South Korean delegation already delivering news of victories from various fields.
The athletes and officials who arrived today will check into their respective athletes' villages and begin adapting to the local environment.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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