The Hangzhou Asian Games, which were postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will kick off with an opening ceremony on Saturday evening and run until October 8.

Leading the South Korean delegation at the opening ceremony will be men’s sabre fencer Gu Bon-gil and women’s swimmer Kim Seo-yeong serving as co-flag bearers.

With 481 gold medals in 40 events at stake, South Korea has sent a record-high one-thousand-140 athletes and officials to participate in 39 events, aiming to garner between 40 to 50 gold medals and finish in third place overall in the medal standings.

Team Korea is expected to win their first medals on Sunday during the women’s modern pentathlon and Taekwondo Poomsae events.

Much of the attention will also be on Hwang Sun-woo, who will compete for a gold in the 100 meter freestyle swimming on Sunday, while the women’s fencing team will also look to win a gold medal in the women’s epee individual event on the same day.