One Asia... Full-Scale Gold Medal Hunt Begins Today

[Anchor]

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games kicked off its 16-day run with an opening ceremony yesterday evening. Team Korea begins its full-scale hunt for gold medals starting today.

Reporter Han Sung-hee has the story.

[Reporter]

With the countdown, the hearts of sports fans began to beat faster.

As the opening ceremony's theme, "Harmonious Heartbeat," was expressed through colorful lights and movements on a heart-shaped stage, Team Korea entered 16th among the 45 participating countries, led by flagbearers Shin Yu-bin, the table tennis star with a bright smile, and veteran rower Kim Dong-yong, making his 5th Asian Games appearance.

North Korea appeared 8th, and the Refugee Team, consisting of two taekwondo athletes, took a historic first step.

[Naruhito, Emperor of Japan: I declare the opening of the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.]

Following a spectacular cultural performance connecting Nagoya's past and future, the torch, ignited in Tokyo and Hiroshima—cities that previously hosted the Asian Games in Japan—was passed through the hands of the "track legend" Murofushi father-and-son duo to brightly light the cauldron, foreshadowing intense competition over the next 16 days.

Korea will embark on its gold medal hunt starting right today.

Modern pentathlete Seong Seung-min and women's 10m air rifle shooter Ban Hyo-jin will aim for Team Korea's first gold. Meanwhile, the men's basketball team, led by ace Lee Hyun-jung, and Lee Jun-seok, captain of teqball—which has become an official event for the first time—are heading into their "ultimate showdown" having already secured silver medals.

Hwang Sun-woo will rev up his engines for multiple gold medals in his first event, the 100m freestyle.

Here in Nagoya, where the torch burns brightly, the 16-day sprint of the South Korean national team begins.

(Video by Kim Se-kyung | Video Editing by Kim Jong-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.