Gangwon-based athletes spearheaded South Korea’s medal campaigns at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, which concluded on October 24, contributing heavily to the national delegation’s final standing. South Korea finished fifth overall in the medal table with 89 total medals, comprising 27 gold, 30 silver, and 32 bronze medals.
Wheelchair Basketball Team Secures Bronze After Late Surge
The South Korean wheelchair basketball team, anchored by players from the Chuncheon City Para Sports Association, claimed the bronze medal following a dramatic come-from-behind victory against Thailand in the third-place match. The result marks the national team’s second podium finish at the Asian Para Games, following their silver medal performance at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
The match hinged on a decisive second-half shift. After trading intense blows through the first and second quarters, South Korea lifted its offensive tempo in the third quarter. Led by Chuncheon City Para Sports Association captain Lee Yoon-ju, the squad tightened its defensive pressure to overturn the deficit. By the midway point of the fourth quarter, South Korea had stretched its advantage into a double-digit margin, maintaining the lead until the final buzzer sealed the win.
Park Jin-ho Collects Three Silver Medals in Shooting Events
Shooter Park Jin-ho of the Gangneung City Hall team added three silver medals to Gangwon’s tally over the course of the competition. On October 23, Park fired a score of 350.6 in the R7 men’s 50-meter rifle 3-positions SH1 event to finish second. Having set a world record of 354.7 points at the Changwon World Championships the previous month, Park entered his premier discipline with high expectations for gold but ultimately finished three points behind the eventual champion.
Earlier in the schedule on October 19, Park also captured a silver medal in the men’s 10-meter air rifle standing SH1 event at the Aichi Prefecture Comprehensive Shooting Range.
Gangwon Delegation Medal Breakdown
Across the duration of the Aichi-Nagoya Games, athletes representing Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province secured six total medals across three sports: shooting, taekwondo, and wheelchair basketball. The haul included four silver medals and two bronze medals.
Bang Jung-ki, secretary-general of the Gangwon Provincial Para Sports Association, said that the province will build upon the competitive benchmarks set at the international competition by expanding targeted training programs and ongoing institutional support for elite disabled athletes.
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