[Anchor]

The global K-pop craze is being felt once again at this competition. Shum Ho Yuen, a wushu athlete and flag bearer for the Hong Kong delegation, is a devoted fan of the K-pop group EXO. She drew attention by fulfilling a promise made to an EXO member before the competition to win a gold medal.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin met with her on-site.

[Reporter]

Shum Ho Yuen, 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 listened to EXO songs to overcome slumps and even learned Korean.

[Shum Ho Yuen / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: They each have different charms. I love Baekhyun's singing, he is so good. Kai's dancing, he is a true dance god. Chanyeol's rap is great too, and he's just funny.]

Having grown into a world-class wushu powerhouse, Shum Ho Yuen 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): If you get support, can you win a gold medal?]

[Shum Ho Yuen / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: I will do my best!!]

[Shum Ho Yuen / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: (At the past fan signing) I showed him a photo of my wushu practice. Kai oppa suddenly asked, "Can you win a gold medal?" so I answered that way. I was so, so surprised.]

Shum Ho Yuen, who also served as the flag bearer for the Hong Kong delegation at the opening ceremony, embroidered the EXO logo directly onto her uniform at the arena and soared powerfully to secure her first-ever Asian Games gold medal, as well as Hong Kong's first gold medal of the competition.

[Shum Ho Yuen / 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 an overwhelming wave of congratulations not only from Hong Kong but also from EXO fans around the world,

[Shum Ho Yuen / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: I couldn't count all the (congratulatory comments). But I received so many of those comments. So I am very grateful.]

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

[Shum Ho Yuen / 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 served as her pillar of support in life.

[Shum Ho Yuen / Wushu Changquan Gold Medalist: When I was sick or having a really hard time, watching the oppas' videos gave me so much strength. That's how I hung in there. Thank you so, so much. And I love you.]

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

Reported by Kim Se-kyung | Video by Kim Jun-hee | Graphics by Lee Ga-jin