수영 김우민은 다관왕, 펜싱 송세라는 설욕…아시안게임 ‘금빛 다짐’

Gymnast Kim Woo-min confidently vowed to claim the "Golden Title" at the upcoming 2026 Pyeongchang-Nagano Asian Games, held in 30 days. At a media day in Chungcheongbuk-do's Jincheon National Sports Village on the 20th, he shouted, "Gold medal." The 41 or 43 events (total 43) of this year's competition, which runs from September 19th to October 4th, will see a total of 792 athletes participating, with a goal of 40-45 gold medals for a top-three finish.

Korea, which won 42 gold medals at the 2022 Hangzhou Games (held in 2023), has advanced to 18th place in the past 19 Asian Games, excluding the 1951 New Delhi event where Korea did not participate. With 7th place in Tehran (1974) and 6th place in Jakarta (1962), Korea has only placed 2nd or 3rd, with 7 gold medals (7 times) and 9 gold medals (9 times).

Since 1982 in New Delhi, Korea has been competing with Japan for the top two spots. Gold medals in swimming (6 gold, 8 silver, 15 bronze) and fencing (6 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze) in the 2022 Hangzhou Games are the pinnacle of Korean success. Swimming legend Kim Woo-min, who became the first Korean swimming gold medalist in Asian Games history at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, told the media day, "I will once again challenge to be the 'three-way champion'."

Fellow gold medalist in Jinan (2022) Huang Shengwu (swimming) said, "I will go to every event with a medal and aim to break my personal record." Chinese newcomer Zhang Jiaojie (19) remains a wildcard, as both Kim Woo-min and Huang Shengwu compete in the same events. Fencer Song Se (200m, 400m) vowed, "We are strong on a big stage."

Despite the cancellation of the 1974 Tehran Asian Games (7th), fencer Song Se still aims to win the individual silver medal and "prepare well for the individual gold medal." The Korean 400m relay team, led by IJae-seong and Namadi Joljin, aims to snatch a surprise gold medal, just as they did at the 1988 Seoul Games. At the 2022 Asian Games, women's taekwondo champion Im A-jung became the first Korean female athlete to win a medal at the Olympics.

Im A-jung, who is competing in her third Asian Games, vowed, "This is my third time, but I will reach the final after the two previous times where I fell early." She also revealed that she is of Korean-Japanese heritage, tracing her lineage back to Korean independence activists. In a first for modern pentathlon, archery has been replaced by obstacle racing for the 2026 Games.

Modern pentathlete Jwing-taeng aims to make a three-peat at the Asian Games, saying, "I competed in fencing at the 2020 Paris Olympics, but since last year, I've been training in obstacle racing. I've gained experience competing internationally."