Seo Chae-hyun, Jeon Ha-young and 15 Other Seoul Metropolitan Government Athletes Seek Asian Games Medals

[Financial News] Seo Chae-hyun, the world No. 1 in sport climbing, and Jeon Ha-young, a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, are among 17 Seoul Metropolitan Government athletes seeking to reach the top of Asia representing South Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 14th that 17 members of its delegation—16 athletes and one coach—will compete at the Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. They will compete in seven sports: sport climbing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, handball, athletics and football.
In sport climbing, Seo Chae-hyun, the world No. 1 in women’s lead, Lee Dohyun, a leading men’s bouldering competitor, and Jeong Ji-min in women’s speed will vie for gold medals.
In cycling, Min Gyeong-ho, the first Korean rider to win the Tour of Korea in 2017, will compete alongside Lee Jin-gu and Doyoung Park, who switched from speed skating to cycling.
In fencing, Jeon Ha-young, a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will seek a medal along with Park Ji-hee and Sim So-eun, who will make their Asian Games debuts. In gymnastics, Ryu Sung-hyun, who placed fourth in the men’s floor exercise at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will challenge for the top spot.
In handball, 2023–2024 Handball League top scorer Bitna Woo, Eunbin Jo and goalkeeper Jeong Jin-hui will pursue gold under Seoul Metropolitan Government coach Jeong Yeon-ho. Shin Min-gyu will compete in the men’s 400 meters, while Kim Min-ji and Kang Tae-kyung will represent the women’s football team.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government operates workplace sports teams comprising 189 people across 25 teams in 23 sports, focusing on less popular and vulnerable disciplines.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government delegation has also won medals at previous international multi-sport events. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, it won 10 medals, including two golds by fencer Yoon Ji-su and gymnast Kim Han-sol, six silver medals and two bronze medals. At last year’s Asian Winter Games in Harbin, it won five medals, including gold medals by short-track speed skaters Shim Suk-hee and Park Ji-won.
At Paris 2024, fencers Yoon Ji-su and Jeon Ha-young won silver medals, while taekwondo athlete Lee Da-bin won a bronze. At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, short-track speed skater Shim Suk-hee won a gold medal.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government supports athletes not only in improving their performance but also in preparing for careers after retirement. Since 2020, it has operated a sport-specific competitiveness enhancement program that provides support for university and graduate school tuition. Last year, 27 athletes took part in preparations for their post-retirement careers.
Jo Seong-ho, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, "I hope the Seoul Metropolitan Government athletes will freely demonstrate the skills they have honed and achieve strong results." He added, "We will continue supporting workplace sports teams so that athletes can train in a stable environment and pursue their dreams."

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