President Lee cheers on South Korean athletes at Asian Games opening

Message marks opening of 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

'The passionate cheers of 52 million South Koreans will be with you'

President urges athletes to return home healthy and injury-free

President Lee Jae Myung delivers closing remarks at a Youth Day ceremony held at Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung sent a message of encouragement Saturday to South Korean athletes competing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which opened the same day.

Lee urged the athletes to finish the games without injury and return home in good health, saying "the passionate cheers and shouts of 52 million South Koreans will be with you."

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a link to a news article about the games' opening, Lee said: "Athletes, it starts now. Trust in the sweat and effort you have poured into earning the right to wear the Taeguk mark on your chest, and show the world everything you've got."

He added that he and the public would be cheering on all 1,052 members of the South Korean delegation. "Above all, I hope you finish the games without injury and come home healthy. Team Korea, fighting!"

th5@heraldcorp.com