The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games South Korean Delegation Send-off Ceremony takes place at 3 p.m. on the 3rd at the Velodrome in Jincheon Athletes’ Village, Chungcheongbuk-do, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. A total delegation of 1,052 athletes will compete under the Taegeuk Mark across 43 sports at the upcoming Games in Japan.
Delegation Scale and Event Schedule
The 2026 Asian Games run from September 19 to October 4, 2026, across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City, Japan. The competition program features traditional team sports alongside newer additions such as esports, virtual taekwondo, lifestyle sports like squash and mountain biking, and breaking. The main delegation departs for Japan on September 17 and returns on October 5.
Ceremony Attendees and Leadership
Over 800 people are scheduled to attend the send-off ceremony at the Jincheon velodrome. Event organizers report that the guest list features coaches, various sports association officials, delegation head Lee Sang-hyun, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee president Ryu Seung-min, and Chae Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Fencing representative Oh Sang-uk and gymnastics representative Yeo Seo-jung participate as athlete representatives.
Safety, Logistics, and Medical Support Operations
To manage athlete safety across dispersed housing arrangements—including containers, cruise ships, and hotels—the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is operating a joint task force led by Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun. Personnel from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the Ministry of Unification, the Counterterrorism Center, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs make up this task force. Additionally, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has established five regional situation rooms and crisis-response manuals to handle emergencies and disputes.
On the performance front, the ‘2026 Aichi-Nagoya Team Korea CARE’ project, active since January, has provided customized training equipment and overseas training for 31 sports based on demand surveys. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Jincheon Athletes’ Village Medical Center has introduced a new ‘return-to-play protocol’ this year to deliver tailored medical care for high-injury areas such as hamstrings.
Official Perspectives
Speaking on the team’s readiness, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young stated, “Beyond the color of the medals, I hope the athletes will perform without regret and finish the Games healthy. If the public is inspired to think, ‘I want to try this too,’ after seeing the athletes challenge diverse sports, that would be another invaluable legacy of the Asian Games.”
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