{
  "id": 11838699,
  "title": "Nat'l sports chief says S. Korea must learn from experience in Nagoya",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/natl-sports-chief-says-s-korea-must-learn-from-experience-in-nagoya",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T04:12:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20261004/natl-sports-chief-says-s-korea-must-learn-from-experience-in-nagoya"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NAGOYA, Japan — In the wake of South Korea's underwhelming performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the nation's sports chief emphasized the importance of learning from the experience. For the third consecutive Asian Games, South Korea secured the third position, claiming 39 gold medals. Meanwhile, China dominated the competition with 169 gold medals, while Japan recorded the highest tally of gold medals at 83, marking their best-ever performance in an Asian Games.\n\nPrior to the event, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) had set ambitious targets, aiming to bag between 40 to 50 gold medals and narrow the gap with Japan. However, their aspirations came to a halt in the previous two Asian Games, where they finished 75-49 behind in 2018 and 52-42 behind in 2023.\n\nThe struggles of traditional gold mines like archery and taekwondo played a significant role in South Korea's disappointing medal haul, according to KSOC President Ryu Seung-min. Speaking at a press conference in Nagoya alongside South Korean media, Ryu pointed out that it is no longer just China and Japan vying for the top spots; teams from Central and Southeast Asia are also making rapid strides.",
  "summary": "NAGOYA, Japan — With South Korea having fallen short of its gold medal target at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the national sports chief said Sunday the country should embrace lessons learned from the continental competition in various aspects. South Korea finished in third place for the third consecutive Asian Games with 39 gold medals, with China once again running roughshod over the…",
  "key_points": [
    "South Korea's sports chief stresses learning from Nagoya experience",
    "South Korea secured 3rd position, won 39 gold medals",
    "China led with 169 gold medals, Japan had 83 gold medals"
  ],
  "editors_take": "South Korea's consistent underperformance at the Asian Games signals a shift in the regional sports landscape, where emerging teams from Central and Southeast Asia are increasingly challenging traditional powerhouses.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Nat'l sports chief says S. Korea must learn from experience in Nagoya",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/natl-sports-chief-says-s-korea-must-learn-from-experience-in-nagoya-11842317",
        "published": "2026-10-04T04:32:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}