The fourth East Asian Games kicked off Saturday in Macao, with three South Korean athletes advancing to the finals in the Chinese martial art of "wushu" on the first day.

Woo Seung-soo won a bronze in the same event, securing South Korea's first medal.

Earlier in the opening ceremony, South and North Korean athletes marched under a unified banner, marking the sixth time for the two Koreas to march together at an international sporting event since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Team leaders of the two Koreas tightly held hands during the march, drawing loud applause from the 16,000-strong audience.

A total of 235 gold medals are up for grabs in 17 sports during the nine-day regional competition. This year will see the widest participation yet in the quadrennial event's history, with some 3,800 athletes from nine nations.