Kim Dong-yong and Shin Yu-bin carry the South Korean national flag into the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 opening ceremony at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 19.YONHAP
South Korea entered the opening ceremony of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, led by table tennis star Shin Yu-bin and rower Kim Dong-yong as co-flag bearers.
Shin and Kim led the delegation into Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, during the ceremony Saturday. Only 50 members of the country's 1,051-member delegation, representing nine sports, took part in the ceremony, with participation determined by competition and official training schedules and whether athletes had entered the athletes’ village.
Shin, one of the world's top table tennis players, and veteran rower Kim, who has represented the country for 17 years, carried the flag together at the head of the delegation.
The delegation greeted spectators while waving flags as they passed through a heart-shaped central stage before taking their seats. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min also attended the ceremony and waved to the delegation.
“I found out that I had been selected as a flag bearer while I was training,” Shin told the organizing committee. “I felt very proud and accepted the role because I consider it a great honor. All the athletes will put on great performances after the opening ceremony, so I hope everyone will give them plenty of support.”
Shin, who is competing in four events, added, “My goal is to win a medal in every event I compete in.” The table tennis powerhouse will compete in the women’s singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and women’s team events.
The South Korean delegation, led by flag bearers Shin Yu-bin and Kim Dong-yong, enters the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 opening ceremony at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 19.YONHAP
Kim, who is likely competing in his final Asian Games, said he was caught off guard by his selection.
“When I first heard that I had been chosen as a flag bearer, I was bewildered and thought, ‘Is this right? Could there have been some mistake?’” Kim said.
South Korea entered 16th in the parade based on the alphabetical order of countries’ English names, following Kazakhstan. North Korea entered eighth, after China.
The sporting festival officially opened Saturday and will run through Oct. 4. The slogan for this year’s Games is “Imagine One Asia.”
Fireworks illuminate the sky over Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Sept. 19.YONHAP
Former hammer-throwing father-son duo Shigenobu Murofushi and Koji Murofushi served as the final torchbearers. The senior Murofushi won five consecutive Asian Games hammer throw gold medals from the 1970 Bangkok Games through the 1986 Seoul Games, and his son followed in his footsteps, winning back-to-back titles at the 1998 Bangkok and 2002 Busan Games.
South Korea sent a record 1,140-member delegation, including 872 athletes, to the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, finishing third overall with 42 gold, 59 silver and 89 bronze medals. The country is targeting 40 to 45 gold medals and another third-place finish overall at this year’s Games.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
