South Korea’s Sports Chief Urges Asian Games Review After Medal Target Miss

South Korea’s top sports administrator has called for a broad review of the country’s Asian Games performance after the national team finished below its pre-competition gold medal target in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min said Sunday that the results should be treated as a measure of where South Korean sport stands with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics two years away. South Korea ended the Games in third place for the third consecutive edition, collecting 39 gold medals. China led with 169 golds, while host Japan won 83.

Before the competition, the committee had targeted roughly 40 to 50 gold medals and hoped to narrow the gap with Japan. Ryu said weaker-than-expected results in traditional strengths including archery and taekwondo hurt the overall tally. He also noted that athletes from Central and Southeast Asia are becoming increasingly competitive, adding to pressure on the region’s established sporting powers.

Ryu emphasized that the medal count did not tell the entire story. He pointed to encouraging performances in team sports such as basketball, baseball and football, as well as the emergence of champions in modern pentathlon, skateboarding and teqball, which made its Asian Games debut. The committee will listen to athletes and coaches as it develops its preparation plan for Los Angeles, he said.

The Games also exposed organizational problems that affected South Korean athletes. The men’s basketball team had to cancel a shootaround before the gold medal game against Japan after an assigned shuttle failed to arrive. Earlier in the tournament, the South Korean and Qatari men’s football teams were mistakenly taken to a baseball stadium instead of their match venue. Other incidents included the North Korean anthem being played before a South Korean women’s field hockey match and South Korea being introduced as the Republic of China at medal ceremonies.

Lee Sang-hyun, head of the South Korean delegation, said the committee responded as effectively as it could but should do more to prepare athletes for unexpected disruptions. He credited competitors, coaches and officials with maintaining their focus despite the difficulties.

Ryu said the experience also offered practical lessons for South Korea as it prepares to host the Summer World University Games in the Chungcheong region next year. He called for coordination among the sports committee, the government and other agencies to avoid repeating organizational failures seen at previous large-scale events.