"Republic of Korea is here!"... Main delegation of 122 athletes arrives in Nagoya

The main delegation of the South Korean national team for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has arrived at the battleground.

Led by Chef de Mission Lee Sang-hyun, the main delegation entered Chubu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname, near Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, this afternoon (the 17th).

Spearheaded by departure flagbearers table tennis star Shin Yubin and badminton men's doubles ace Seo Seung-jae, the main delegation that arrived today consists of 122 members, including Korean Sport & Olympic Committee headquarters officials and athletes from various sports.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games, the 20th Summer Asian Games, will kick off with the opening ceremony held on the 19th at the Nagoya Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium and will run through October 4, centering around Nagoya and other parts of Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

With approximately 15,000 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) affiliated with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) participating, South Korea has dispatched a delegation of 1,051 athletes and officials across 41 out of the 43 total sports, excluding cricket and padel.

Archer Kim Woo-jin and shooter Lee Bo-na were chosen as the male and female team captains, while rower Kim Dong-yong and Shin Yubin will serve as flagbearers to lead the delegation march at the opening ceremony.

Held two years ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics, this tournament is also considered a preliminary test for athletes to check 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 the 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023, while also narrowing the gap with host nation Japan, which finished second in both of the previous two tournaments.

Matches in some sports such as basketball and football have been underway since the 10th, with the South Korean delegation already delivering glad tidings of victory from various places.

The athletes and officials who arrived today will enter their respective village accommodations and begin adapting to the local environment.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.