Culture ministry launches joint task force for Asian Games in Japan

The culture ministry said Thursday it has launched a joint task force to ensure the safety and convenience of South Korean athletes and spectators at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The inter-agency unit held its first meeting on July 30 to review readiness and cooperation plans.

The task force includes representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Unification, the Counter Terrorism Center, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and national sports councils. They aim to address challenges posed by games spread across five clusters, including Aichi, Tokyo and Shizuoka, rather than a single host city.

Unlike previous editions, the event will not operate a single athletes' village, instead utilizing dispersed accommodations such as containers, cruise ships and hotels. The ministry plans to establish administrative and medical support hubs in each zone.

Preparations also extend to the Asian Para Games scheduled for October 18 to 24. The government is building a crisis management system to handle potential emergencies for spectators traveling abroad.

To leverage the event for tourism, the ministry plans to operate a Korea House near Live Nagoya at the port. Additionally, an event titled "Korea Night" will be held on October 20 during the Para Games to foster exchange with international Paralympic committees.

"We plan to proactively review potential issues that may arise beforehand and provide systematic support in cooperation with related agencies so that the national team can fully demonstrate their capabilities and our citizens can watch the games safely," said Kang Dae-geum, the ministry's director for sports cooperation.