South Korea’s teenage athletes shine at Asian Games

South Korea’s teenage athletes are making their mark at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, holding their own against more seasoned competitors despite their young age and youthful appearance.

Hwang Seo-hyun, 17, nicknamed “Thumbelina,” stole the spotlight in the women’s balance beam final with a technically demanding routine and an exuberant personality. In the Sept. 25 final, Hwang, who stands 135 centimeters tall, was the shortest of the eight finalists. She performed the most difficult routine in the field, valued at 6.6 points, without a single mistake and scored 14.700 to win the gold medal.

Hwang also provided one of the final’s most memorable moments after her routine. Once the last gymnast finished and her gold medal was confirmed, Hwang grabbed a South Korean flag and dashed onto the competition floor. Her coach, Min A-young, and trainer, Park Hyo-jin, quickly pulled her back. Under International Gymnastics Federation rules, a gymnast who returns to the competition area after completing a routine is penalized 0.3 points. Hwang beat China’s Qu Qi-yuan by just 0.134 points, with Qu scoring 14.566, meaning her ill-timed celebration could have cost her the gold.

In skateboarding, 18-year-old prodigy Kang Jun-yi turned early disappointment into a gold-medal finish in the men’s street final. He fell on both of his first two runs on Sept. 27, leaving him in tears. With his final chance, Kang landed a difficult trick, spinning his board in midair as he twisted his body 270 degrees before grinding down a rail. The clean landing secured the gold.

Kang broke down in tears after the victory and shouted, “Mom.” “I had never reached the podium at an international competition while representing South Korea,” he said. “I cried tears of joy because I felt I had finally done something for my parents. I just wanted to call out, ‘Mom,’ at least once.”

Kang Yeon-seo, 15, the first middle school student ever selected for South Korea’s national archery team, is also vying for gold in the women’s compound event. The youngest athlete on South Korea’s delegation, Kang shot a perfect 150 in both the round of 32 and round of 16, putting every arrow in the 10-ring. In the round of 16, she hit the exact center of the target six times with X10 shots, breaking the world record for athletes under 18, the Asian record for athletes under 21 and the Asian Games record. Kang will compete for three gold medals, in the women’s team event on Sept. 30, the mixed team event on Oct. 2 and the women’s individual event on Oct. 3.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com