The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the first summer edition held in Japan in 32 years, is set to begin in 10 days. South Korea, which narrowly missed out on second place by just one gold medal at the 1994 Hiroshima Games, is aiming for 40 to 45 gold medals and to maintain its goal of finishing third overall at this year's event.
Since its debut at the 1954 Manila Games, South Korea has participated in 18 Asian Games. While it has never finished first overall, it has placed in the top three in 16 of those events, achieving second place nine times and third place seven times.
The first second-place finish came at the 1966 Bangkok Games, where South Korea secured 12 gold medals. It repeated this feat four years later in the same city, finishing with 18 golds. This trend continued with additional second-place finishes in 1986 Seoul, 1990 Beijing, 1998 Bangkok, 2002 Busan, 2006 Doha, 2010 Guangzhou, and 2014 Incheon, totaling nine second-place finishes.
Third-place finishes occurred in the inaugural 1954 Manila Games, 1958 Tokyo, 1978 Bangkok, 1982 New Delhi, and 1994 Hiroshima, as well as in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
South Korea has only finished outside the top three twice: in 1974 Tehran, where it placed fourth with 16 golds, and in 1962 Jakarta, where it recorded its lowest performance with just four golds.
The closest South Korea has come to finishing first overall was at the 1986 Seoul Games, where it won 93 golds, just one behind China, which secured 94. South Korea did, however, lead in total medals with 224, compared to China's 222.
◆ Five Consecutive Second-Place FinishesThe 1986 Seoul Games were notable for South Korea's achievements across various sports. The boxing team swept all 12 weight classes, and Im Chun-ae won gold in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m, becoming a three-time champion. However, this success did not carry over to the 1994 Hiroshima Games, where South Korea won 63 golds but fell to third place, just one gold behind Japan.
In the 1998 Bangkok Games, South Korea reclaimed second place with 65 golds, surpassing Japan's 52. Following the 1997 financial crisis, which led to the dissolution of several professional teams, South Korea achieved a historic milestone at the 2002 Busan Games, winning a total of 260 medals (96 gold, 80 silver, 84 bronze), the highest in history, a record that still stands. At that time, South Korea had a 52-gold lead over Japan, which won 44 golds.
In the 2006 Doha Games, South Korea maintained second place with 58 golds (192 total medals). Park Tae-hwan, then a high school student, dominated the freestyle events, winning gold in the 200m, 400m, and 1500m, and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Since the MVP award was established in 1998, Park is the only South Korean athlete to have received it.
At the 2010 Guangzhou Games, South Korea set a new record for the most gold medals won at an away event, with 76 golds out of a total of 232 medals. Park Tae-hwan again made history by winning three golds in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle, becoming the first male athlete to achieve back-to-back three-gold performances in Asian Games swimming.
In the 2014 Incheon Games, South Korea finished second for the fifth consecutive time, winning 79 golds, 71 silvers, and 84 bronzes for a total of 234 medals, outpacing Japan by 32 golds. Team sports saw significant success, with the men's soccer team winning gold for the first time in 28 years since the 1986 Seoul Games, and both men's and women's basketball teams claiming gold, a first and only occurrence for South Korean basketball in Asian Games history.
◆ Losing Second Place to Japan: Two Consecutive Third-Place FinishesThis marked the first time since the 1982 New Delhi Games that South Korea failed to win at least 50 golds (28 golds). It was also the first time in 24 years that South Korea lost second place to Japan since the 1994 Hiroshima Games. The competition was particularly fierce in foundational sports, with South Korea winning just one gold out of 48 available in athletics and one out of 41 in swimming, while Japan secured six golds in athletics and 19 in swimming. Japan achieved its best performance since the 1974 Tehran Games, finishing with 75 golds.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Hangzhou Games were postponed by a year, but South Korea's ranking remained unchanged. South Korea won 42 golds, 59 silvers, and 89 bronzes, totaling 190 medals, finishing third behind China (201 golds) and Japan (52 golds). While the total medal count increased by 13 from the previous Games, the number of golds decreased by seven.
Despite the setbacks, South Korea's swimming team excelled, winning a record 22 medals (6 golds, 6 silvers, and 10 bronzes) in Asian Games swimming, surpassing Japan's 5 golds for the first time. A total of 14 new national records were set during the competition, with all six relay events featuring new South Korean records.
Kim Woo-min became a three-time champion, following in the footsteps of Park Tae-hwan from the 2010 Guangzhou Games, while badminton player Ahn Se-young claimed two golds in women's singles and team events, marking the first golds in these categories since the 1994 Hiroshima Games.
◆ Aiming for 40-45 Golds and Third Place at Aichi-NagoyaThe 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4, spanning 16 days across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City, with some events held in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shizuoka. South Korea will send 1,052 athletes and officials to compete in 41 of the 43 events, excluding cricket and padel, marking the largest number of events South Korea has ever participated in at the Asian Games.
The Korea Sports Council has set a target of 40 to 45 gold medals and a third-place finish overall. Yoo Seung-min, the council president, stated at a media day on August 20 at the Jincheon National Training Center, "While the goal is set for third place, I believe we should always aim high. Given that the Asian Games are being held in Japan, our athletes and the council are particularly determined to perform well."
Team leader Lee Sang-hyun expressed optimism, saying, "At Hangzhou, we had more total medals than Japan. I expect Japan to be stronger than ever, but our athletes have the resilience to perform well under pressure. I believe we can achieve results beyond our expectations."
In terms of specific sports, archery aims for five golds, targeting victories in all events, including men's and women's individual and mixed team events. Swimming, which made history in Hangzhou, is aiming for four golds. Badminton, led by Ahn Se-young, is targeting a record three golds.
Baseball and soccer are also looking to set records. The baseball team, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, aims for its first five consecutive golds and a total of seven golds. The U-23 men's soccer team, coached by Lee Min-seong, is seeking its first four consecutive golds.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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