After a Nail-Biting Final… "Sang-wook Hyung," He Said in Korean

[Anchor]

Fencer Oh Sang-uk's dramatic comeback victory against Japan in the men's sabre team final is considered one of the standout moments of this tournament. Oh Sang-uk and Japan's ace, Mao Kokubo, who faced off in the final moments, are reportedly close friends who share their friendship in Korean.

Reporter Han Sung-hee has the story of the two athletes.

[Reporter]

Standing on the edge of a cliff, trailing Japan by 3 points, Oh Sang-uk led a miraculous comeback win with four consecutive points, a moment hailed as the best match of the tournament.

However, Oh Sang-uk and Japan's leading figure Mao Kokubo, who engaged in that nail-biting final showdown, had shared this conversation in Korean over dinner before the tournament.

[Mao Kokubo / Japanese Fencing National Team: The (Asian Games) are being held in Nagoya this time. I was born in Nagoya. My mom is from Nagoya.]

[Oh Sang-uk / Fencing National Team: Is this (some kind of strategy) to soften my heart a bit and kill my fighting spirit?]

[Mao Kokubo / Japanese Fencing National Team: See you in the final.]

[Oh Sang-uk / Fencing National Team: Yeah. Let's meet in the final.]


The reason Kokubo attained a surprising level of Korean proficiency stems from a Korean coach he met during his school days and his interest in Korean culture.

[Mao Kokubo / Japanese Fencing National Team: (With the Korean coach) even when we practiced fencing back then, we did it in Korean. (Director Kim) was extremely fun. (When I go to Korea) I think I go to Seongsu a lot.]

Through the Korean he learned that way, he also became friends with Oh Sang-uk, the world's best, whom he encounters at every international competition.

[Mao Kokubo / Japanese Fencing National Team: (Oh Sang-uk) said, 'I have a vacation after the match ends,' and 'I'm going to Japan,' so he came to Japan, we hung out together, and we became friends.]

On the piste, they stage an uncompromising battle, but once the match is over, they become as close as biological brothers.

[Mao Kokubo / Japanese Fencing National Team: Sang-wook hyung, since I am still 23 years old and young, seems to give me a lot of helpful advice.]

He also threw down a challenge toward Oh Sang-uk for the LA Olympics in Korean.

[Mao Kokubo / Japanese Fencing National Team: We lost by 1 point at this Nagoya Asian Games, but at the LA Olympics, we will win in the final!]

Oh Sang-uk, who has returned home after the Asian Games and is taking a rest, declined an interview, but when reporters relayed Kokubo's words, he responded, "Let's definitely face each other again there."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also spotlighted the two athletes' cross-border friendship through social media today (October 1).

(Video by Kim Se-kyung | Video Editing by Oh Young-taek | Design by Seo Seung-hyun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.