OK Financial Group has donated 100 million won to support South Korean athletes and coaches preparing for the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, according to reports from Sports Chosun and Sportal Korea. The funding aims to boost morale and cover local training and competition expenses across the 41 sports represented in the national delegation.
Donation Ceremony and Official Attendance
The financial contribution was officially announced on August 27 during a donation ceremony held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, according to Sportal Korea. Additional coverage from Sports Chosun noted that a delivery event also took place at the OK Financial Group headquarters in Seoul. Approximately ten key officials attended the gathering, including OK Financial Group Chairman Choi Yoon and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min (also referred to in reports as Yoo Seung Min). Other attendees included Sports Director Kwon Cheol-geun and Training Director Kim Yoon-man, as reported by Sportal Korea.
The financial support is designated to assist national team members competing at the Asian Games, scheduled to run from September 19 to October 4, 2026, according to Sports Chosun. Sportal Korea noted that the funds will be allocated entirely toward local training, competition needs, and morale-boosting efforts for athletes and coaches.
Chairman Choi Yoon’s Personal Connection to Nagoya
The donation stems largely from Chairman Choi Yoon’s personal background as a Korean-Japanese entrepreneur who was born and raised in Nagoya, Japan, according to reports from Sportal Korea and Sports Chosun. In statements reported by Sportal Korea, Choi expressed deep emotion regarding the Games taking place in his second hometown, stating that although he cannot personally attend every venue, he wanted to offer this financial backing as a token of support.
Choi emphasized the unifying power of sports across borders and generations. According to Sportal Korea, he remarked that the collective support of athletes, coaches, and Korean residents in Japan who have preserved their national identity contributes to the completion of “Oneteam Korea.” He also noted the historical pillar that Korean residents in Japan have provided for South Korean sports, spanning from the 1948 London Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
Leadership Responses and Previous Delegation Roles
Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min expressed gratitude for the financial contribution. According to Sports Chosun, Ryu stated that the encouragement funds will provide significant strength to the athletes and pledged that the committee will work tirelessly until the end of the competition to ensure peak performance.
Chairman Choi maintains a long-standing history of supporting South Korean athletics beyond corporate management. According to Sportal Korea, he previously served as deputy head of South Korea’s national team delegation at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and as team principal for the delegation at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. His broader sports involvement includes serving as the 24th president of the Korea Rugby Union, owning the corporate rugby team OK Uthman Rugby Team, operating a professional volleyball team named OK Savings Bank Utmone, and hosting the KLPGA first-division tour event, the OK Financial Utmone Open, for 16 years.
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