[Anchor]

The global K-pop craze is being felt once again at this competition. Sam Huiyau, a wushu athlete and flag bearer for the Hong Kong delegation, is a passionate fan of the K-pop group EXO. She is making headlines after truly fulfilling a promise she made to an EXO member before the competition to win a gold medal.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin met her on-site.

[Reporter]

Sam Huiyau, who started wushu at the age of six, fell deeply in love with EXO 13 years ago when she was a middle school student.

Whenever times were tough, she overcame slumps by listening to EXO's music and even learned Korean.

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: They all have different charms. I love Baekhyun's vocals, he's so good. Kai is a dance god, a true dance machine. Chanyeol's rap is great too, and he's just funny.]

Having grown into a world-class wushu powerhouse, Sam Huiyau attended EXO's concert in Singapore last July ahead of her third Asian Games, where something amazing happened.

She ended up showing off her EXO dance moves to the members at the venue, and even received encouragement from member KAI at a fan signing event.

[KAI (EXO Member): Can you win a gold medal if I cheer for you?]

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: I'll do my best!!]

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: (At the previous fan signing) I showed him my wushu photos. Kai oppa suddenly asked, "Can you win a gold medal?" so I just said yes. I was so, so surprised.]

Sam Huiyau, who also served as the flag bearer for the Hong Kong delegation at the opening ceremony, proudly sewed the EXO logo onto her martial arts uniform. Soaring powerfully in the arena, she clinched her first Asian Games gold medal—and Hong Kong's first gold of the competition.

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: It is such an honor to win a gold medal right as the first event opens. I really did it. It still doesn't feel real.]

Having received massive congratulations not only from Hong Kong but also from EXO fans all over the world,

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: I couldn't count all the congratulatory comments. But I got so many of them. So, thank you very much.]

She beamed like a young girl upon hearing from the press that EXO had also learned about her gold medal win.

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: I can't believe it. But did they really see (my gold medal)?]

She then expressed her gratitude to EXO, who has been her pillar of support in life.

[Sam Huiyau / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: Whenever I was hurt or having a really hard time, watching videos of you guys gave me so much strength. That's how I hung in there. Thank you, thank you so much. And I love you.]

Hong Kong's cheered-for first gold medal was a masterpiece created together by fandom for a K-pop idol and the idol's encouragement.

(Video by Kim Se-kyung | Video Editing by Kim Jun-hee | Graphics by Lee Ga-jin)