The 2026 Aichi and Nagoya Asian Games will see South Korea's top medal contenders in action right after the opening ceremony. Starting with the women's soccer match against North Korea and a baseball game against Taiwan on September 21, events will continue through September 27, featuring swimmers Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Woo-min, fencers Song Se-ra and Oh Sang-wook, table tennis players Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hun, and high jumper Woo Sang-hyuk. South Korea aims to secure 40 to 45 gold medals and finish third overall, making the first week crucial for assessing performances in strong sports like swimming and fencing.
Women's Soccer and Baseball Matches on September 21; Swimming Aims for Back-to-Back Titles
On September 21 at 4 p.m., the women's soccer team will face North Korea in their final group stage match, with rankings and quarterfinal matchups at stake.
In swimming, the men's 800m relay team will seek to defend their title. Led by Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Woo-min, South Korea won gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games with an Asian record time of 7:01.73.
In the men's 50m freestyle, Hangzhou gold medalist Ji Yoo-chan will compete alongside Kim Young-beom. Ji will swim in the preliminaries at 10:14 a.m. and, if he qualifies, will return for the finals at 5:12 p.m.
The baseball team will play Taiwan in their first B group match at 6:30 p.m. South Korea has won four consecutive titles from the 2010 Guangzhou Games to the Hangzhou Games. Taiwan will be the first opponent in their quest for a fifth straight title, with matches against Hong Kong on September 22 and Thailand on September 23. A top-two finish in the group will advance them to the Super Round.
Song Se-ra on September 22; Hwang Sun-woo and Oh Sang-wook on September 23
On September 22, fencer Song Se-ra will compete in the women's epee individual event. She returned to the top of the podium at the World Championships in July after a four-year hiatus and won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. She will aim for her first gold medal in an international multi-sport event.
On September 23, Hwang Sun-woo and Oh Sang-wook will defend their titles. Hwang will compete in the men's 200m freestyle, an event he won at Hangzhou with a championship record time of 1:44.40, alongside Kim Woo-min.
Oh Sang-wook will aim for a second consecutive title in the men's sabre individual event. He was a two-time champion in both individual and team events at Hangzhou and also won both events at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He will compete in the men's sabre team event on September 26, seeking a fourth consecutive title.
Kim Woo-min in 800m and 400m; Shin Yu-bin and Woo Sang-hyuk Compete Over the Weekend
Three-time Hangzhou champion Kim Woo-min will compete in the 800m freestyle on September 24 and the 400m freestyle on September 25, both events in which he won gold at Hangzhou. The men's 400m relay will also take place on September 24. On September 25, Lee Joo-ho, a silver medalist at Hangzhou, will aim for his first Asian Games gold in the men's 200m backstroke.
The table tennis team finals for both men and women will be held on September 24. On September 25, Song Se-ra and others will compete in the women's epee team event, where South Korea returned to the top after 21 years at Hangzhou.
On September 26, the men's sabre team event and the mixed doubles final in table tennis are scheduled. The mixed doubles team of Lim Jong-hun and Shin Yu-bin, who won a bronze medal at Hangzhou, will aim for South Korea's first Asian Games gold in mixed doubles.
On September 27, the men's doubles and women's singles finals in table tennis will take place. The women's handball team will play their final group match against Japan, who defeated South Korea 29-19 in the Hangzhou final.
Medals in baseball will also be decided on this day, with the bronze medal match at noon and the final at 6:30 p.m. If South Korea finishes in the top two of the Super Round, they will aim for a fifth consecutive Asian Games title.
Woo Sang-hyuk will compete in the men's high jump final. He finished 10th at the 2014 Incheon Games as a high school student and won silver medals at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and Hangzhou Games. This will be his fourth Asian Games, and if he clears the qualifying round on September 24, he will aim for his first Asian Games gold medal.
Archery events will take place during this period, with preliminary and early round matches scheduled. South Korea's major medal events are concentrated on October 2 and 3.
From the women's soccer match against North Korea and the baseball game against Taiwan on September 21 to Woo Sang-hyuk's competition on September 27, South Korea's key matches will unfold throughout the week. The number of gold medals secured in swimming and fencing is expected to significantly impact South Korea's overall ranking in the early stages of the competition.
Match times and tournament schedules may change based on results and operational circumstances.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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