The official departure schedule and delegation size for South Korea’s team ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have been confirmed. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee held a send-off ceremony on September 3 at the velodrome of the Jincheon National Training Center in Chungcheongbuk-do. South Korea will send a total delegation of 1,052 people across 41 sports. With the Games approaching, the team’s current preparation status and the key dates to watch are as follows.
Key Changes
The ceremony showed that South Korea’s team has officially entered the departure phase for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The event was attended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, the delegation chief, athletes, and officials. Attendance was reported to be approximately 800 people. The most specific change confirmed at the ceremony was the size of the delegation. South Korea will send 1,052 people across 41 sports, including athletes, competition officials, and headquarters officials.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee set a goal of winning 40 to 45 gold medals and retaining third place in the overall standings. This is a goal announced at the departure stage, not a result from the Games. Accordingly, what can currently be confirmed is the delegation size, travel schedule, and event calendar—not medal results.
The current reference point for South Korea’s team is not whether it will meet its goals, but that preparations for sending 1,052 people across 41 sports have been officially confirmed.
Current Status
The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be held for 16 days from September 19 through October 4 in Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan. The Games consist of 43 sports, 71 disciplines, and 469 events. Some competitions are scheduled to begin on September 10, before the opening ceremony.
South Korea’s participation scope has also been confirmed. According to the government announcement, the country will send national representatives in all but two of the 43 sports: cricket and padel. However, the delegation size confirmed at the send-off ceremony is based on participation in 41 sports. The total number of sports in the Games and the number of sports in which South Korea will participate use different criteria and should be distinguished.
| Category | Confirmed schedule or size |
|---|---|
| South Korean delegation | 41 sports · 1,052 people |
| Games period | September 19–October 4, 16 days |
| Some competitions begin | Scheduled from September 10 |
| Main South Korean team | Scheduled to depart September 17 |
| Delegation return | Scheduled for October 5 |
Impact
The announcement allows readers to see at a glance how broadly South Korea will participate and the key reference dates before and after the Games begin. The main team is scheduled to depart for Nagoya on September 17 and return on October 5, the day after the Games end. As a result, some competitions that may begin on September 10 and the full event schedule following the September 19 opening ceremony may not move on the same timetable.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee’s target of 40 to 45 gold medals and maintaining third place overall is a projected performance benchmark for South Korea’s team. A goal of narrowing the gap with host Japan was also mentioned, but the actual ranking and medal count can only be confirmed after the Games are held. At this stage, the targets should not be interpreted as confirmed results.
The overall structure of 43 sports, 71 disciplines, and 469 events is also a basic framework needed when checking schedules by sport. The sports in which South Korea will participate and the actual competition dates should be monitored as the official Games information is updated.
Next Checkpoints
The nearest major date is September 10, when some competitions are scheduled to begin. The main South Korean delegation is then scheduled to depart for Nagoya on September 17, followed by the official opening of the Games on September 19. The Games will continue through October 4, and the South Korean delegation is scheduled to return on October 5.
Schedules by sport should be checked again on the official website of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee and through relevant official competition guides. The research package also identified the official website as a route for checking Games and competition information, but detailed schedules were classified as information requiring another check before publication.
In summary, the confirmed facts currently fall into three areas. First, a send-off ceremony was held in Jincheon on September 3. Second, South Korea will send a 1,052-member delegation across 41 sports. Third, the Games will be held from September 19 through October 4, with the main team scheduled to depart on September 17. The key task from here is to check whether the competition start dates by sport and the delegation’s travel schedule match the actual announcements.