A South Korea-Japan showdown was set in the Puyo Puyo esports final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. After a head-to-head battle against Japan's 11-year-old "genius boy" Yuki Kurihara, player Kang Dong-shin claimed the silver medal.

From Puyo Puyo being adopted as an official event for the first time in this Asian Games, to Yuki Kurihara advancing to the top after defeating adult powerhouses across Asia, and the compelling narrative of Kang Dong-shin—who was working part-time at Coupang until recently before wearing the Taegeuk mark and clinching a silver medal. SBS reporter Kim Taewon closely covered the venue where the Puyo Puyo matches took place today. The ninth story of Nagoya Check-in begins now.

(Reported by Jung Jun-hyung, Kim Taewon | Video reporting: Choi Jun-shik, Yang Hyun-chul | Production: Jin Sang-myung | Video editing: Kim Bok-hyung | Produced by SBS Digital News)