"Spurring Toward Gold"... South Korea Delegation Departs for Aichi-Nagoya

South Korean athletes aiming for gold at the Asian Games, the premier sports festival for the people of Asia, have departed for Nagoya, Japan, the battleground for the event.

The main contingent of the South Korean delegation participating in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games set off for Japan via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 17th.

Marking the 20th Summer Asian Games, this year's competition will run for 16 days through October 4, beginning with the opening ceremony on the 19th at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.

Matches will be held across 19 cities and towns within Aichi Prefecture, centering around Nagoya, as well as in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shizuoka.

While some events like men's basketball, which kicked off its preliminary matches on the 10th, alongside football and volleyball, are already underway, the main contingent departing today consists of 122 people, including Chef de Mission Lee Sang-hyun, athletes and officials from badminton, cycling (road), handball (women), karate, table tennis, and volleyball (beach volleyball).

Table tennis player Shin Yu-bin and badminton player Seo Seung-jae led the way as flag bearers for the departing delegation.

Kim Woo-jin (archery recurve) and Lee Bo-na (shooting shotgun) have been selected as the co-captains of the national delegation for the tournament.

At the opening ceremony, Kim Dong-yong (rowing) and Shin Yu-bin will lead the South Korean delegation while carrying the Taegeukgi, the South Korean national flag.

Upon arrival locally, the delegation will enter their respective village accommodations to acclimatize before diving into the full tournament schedule.

Ahead of their departure, Chef de Mission Lee Sang-hyun stated in his remarks, "Our athletes have been showing truly impressive performances in the preliminary matches held prior to the opening ceremony. Building on this momentum, our delegation will further spur our powerful steps toward gold medals."

Lee added, "I believe the Asian Games are almost the only competition where less-popular and less-known sports can receive the enthusiastic support of our citizens. Since they will show their fighting spirit in these events as well, I hope our citizens will enjoy a variety of sports and cheer together with us."

Seo Seung-jae and Shin Yu-bin, who stepped up as athlete representatives for an interview, also pledged strong performances.

Seo remarked, "I am honored to serve as the representative of the main contingent for the South Korean delegation. As a departure flag bearer, I will carry a sense of responsibility and contribute strength with great matches."

Shin Yu-bin likewise expressed her determination, saying, "Thank you so much for giving me such an honorable position as a flag bearer. I will work hard with a sense of responsibility to achieve good results."

Paired with Samsung Life teammate Kim Won-ho in men's doubles, world number one Seo Seung-jae calmly revealed his mindset for the tournament, stating, "There are high expectations, and our personal goal is also a gold medal, but rather than feeling burdened by the results, I want to play without regrets with confidence based on what we have prepared so far."

Shin Yu-bin, who will compete in the gold-medal-targeting mixed doubles as well as women's singles, doubles, and team events, emphasized, "I want to win medals in all events. I want to join forces with all my teammates to achieve great results."

Regarding matchups against powerhouse China, she added, "Since not only Chinese players but athletes from other countries are all strong, we need to prepare steadily from the first match. If we face Chinese players, I want to play another fun match."

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yoo Seung-min, who will depart on the 18th to join the delegation, stated, "I hope our athletes can fully unleash the skills they have accumulated through this hot summer. I ask that citizens continue to cheer for our athletes until the end."

This tournament marks the third time the Asian Games are being held in Japan, following the 1958 Tokyo and 1994 Hiroshima Games, and the first time in 32 years.

Although the Asian Games are held once every four years, the previous 2022 Hangzhou Games were postponed by a year to 2023 due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing Asian sports stars back together after three years.

Held under the slogan "Imagine One Asia," this year's event features a total of 469 gold medals across 43 sports and 71 disciplines.

Around 15,000 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) are expected to participate and compete in their skills.

South Korea has formed a delegation of 1,052 people, including 792 athletes, across 41 sports, excluding cricket and padel.

Ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which will take place two years later, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee aims to secure 40 to 45 gold medals at this competition—serving as a prelude—to maintain third place in the overall standings for the third consecutive time following the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2023 Hangzhou Games, while also narrowing the gap with host nation Japan, which finished second in both previous events.

Since finishing second overall at the 2014 Incheon Games held at home (79 golds, 70 silvers, 79 bronzes), South Korea has finished third behind China and Japan in both the Jakarta-Palembang (49 golds, 58 silvers, 70 bronzes) and Hangzhou (42 golds, 59 silvers, 89 bronzes) Games.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.