"You said you had memorized it all—so why couldn't you sing?" Descendant of an independence fighter, Heo Mimi, breaks down in tears as the Taegeukgi rises [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News]  She had practiced the national anthem intensely, looking up the meaning of every word because she wanted to sing it from the top of the podium. But when the Taegeukgi rose high into the sky in the heart of Japan, where she was born and raised, the champion who had conquered Asia could no longer hold back her welling tears.
Heo Mimi, a fifth-generation descendant of independence fighter Heo Seok, rejected the temptation to become a Japanese citizen and chose to represent the Republic of Korea. Even after winning an Asian Games gold medal on Japanese soil, she shared the touching story of why she could not properly sing the national anthem.
On the 1st, Heo Mimi won the women's 57-kilogram judo final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, defeating Mongolia's Tervishi Ariunjaya by yuko.
Heo Mimi, a Korean resident of Japan born to a South Korean father and a Japanese mother, is the fifth-generation descendant of independence activist Heo Seok, who was imprisoned for posting anti-Japanese proclamations during Japan's colonial rule. Following the dying wish of her grandmother, who passed away in 2021, she gave up her Japanese citizenship without hesitation in 2023 and began representing the Republic of Korea.

After winning a disappointing silver medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Heo Mimi was determined ahead of these Games, saying, "I want to stand at the top of the podium and sing along to the national anthem." Before the final, she also expressed her strong desire to sing it, saying, "I memorized the entire first verse. There were words with difficult meanings, but I checked each one carefully and learned it perfectly."
But after reaching the top and placing the gold medal around her neck, Heo Mimi managed to sing along to only a few lines when the national anthem began playing at the medal ceremony. She soon pressed her lips shut and struggled to hold back her hot tears.
In the mixed zone after the ceremony, Heo Mimi gave an awkward smile and said, "Seeing the Taegeukgi suddenly overwhelmed me, so I sang the national anthem almost entirely in my head. When I actually saw the Taegeukgi being raised, I remembered all the difficult times I had been through." She continued, "At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, I vowed that next time I would raise the Taegeukgi in the highest place. When it actually happened, I thought, 'Ah, my efforts have finally paid off,' and I was so happy," adding an emotional reflection.
Heo Mimi's stage is not yet over after dominating the individual event with a spectacular gold-winning throw. She will compete in the mixed team event on the 3rd, seeking a second gold medal at the Games. The entire nation is watching to see whether her perfect rendition of the national anthem—swallowed in her heart because of her tears—will ring out loudly over Nagoya once again.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter