*This content was translated by AI.
The Korean Sports Council expressed strong regret over the appearance of Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the welcome event for the athletes' village of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On the 15th, a port arrival ceremony was held in Nagoya, Japan, to commemorate the docking of the large cruise ship "Costa Serena," which will serve as the athletes' village for the games. On stage appeared individuals dressed as Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, both closely associated with Aichi Prefecture, along with a person portraying Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who launched the Imjin War. Strong criticism was raised over featuring the mastermind of an war at an international sports event dedicated to peace and unity in Asia.
In response, the Korean Sports Council sent an official protest letter on the 17th to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the organizing committee under the name of its president, expressing regret and demanding immediate prevention of recurrence. Lee Sang-hyun, head of the Asian Games delegation, also emphasized that he would clearly convey his stance against political interference in sports before departing for Japan. Currently, the Sports Council has not yet received an official response from the organizing committee.
This incident is further inflaming public outrage in Korea due to its connection with a 2020 Tokyo Olympics controversy, when a banner quoting General Yi Sun-sin's famous words was displayed by the Korean delegation but removed following backlash from Japanese right-wing groups and media.
Beyond historical controversies, concerns have also been raised about poor event management. The organizing committee cited cost-cutting as the reason for converting a 290.2-meter-long, 114,500-ton cruise ship (with over 1,500 rooms) and containers into accommodation capable of housing approximately 4,000 people. Currently, the Korean national team's delegations from 18 sports, including table tennis, are staying at this facility.
Moreover, operational confusion has persisted since the early stages, with incidents such as shuttle buses for athlete transport getting lost and arriving at incorrect locations, raising growing concerns about whether the games can be successfully concluded.
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*This content was translated by AI.
