Culture minister to attend Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya

The culture ministry said Friday that Minister Choi Hwi-young will attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as a government representative. Choi is scheduled to visit Nagoya from September 18 to 19 to cheer on the South Korean national team and engage in sports diplomacy activities.

South Korea has dispatched a delegation of 1,052 athletes competing in 41 events, with the main contingent departing from Incheon International Airport on September 17. During his visit, the minister plans to meet with Junichi Kawai, commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, to discuss expanding bilateral sports exchanges.

Choi will also attend the September 18 opening of Korea House, a facility operated by the ministry and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee near the athletes' village at Lives Nagoya. Running until October 3, the venue features a Team Korea Zone with uniform exhibitions, photo booths, and experience programs for archery, basketball and golf.

The facility will host cultural promotions, including limited-edition merchandise from the National Museum of Korea Culture Foundation and street food tasting booths operated by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. The Korea Tourism Organization will hold a talk show featuring singer Kang Ji-young and promote tourism to historic Baekje regions.

Additional programs include taekwondo demonstration performances by the Hwaseong Science University team and promotional events for the 2027 Chungcheong Universiade. Visitors can access Korea House through advance reservations on its website or by applying on site.

"I will wholeheartedly cheer for our athletes so that their sweat and hard work during long training periods bear fruit in the competition arena," Choi said. He added that he hopes the facility will serve as a strong support base for the delegation while elevating the status of Korean sports globally.