Fencer Oh Sang-uk named South Korea's MVP at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games
In short
Oh Sang-uk, 30, of Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall, was named MVP of the South Korean team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee announced on Oct. 4 at Korea House in Nagoya. Oh won the men's sabre individual title on Sept. 23, beating Shen Chenpeng of China 15-13, and the team sabre title on Sept. 26, beating Japan 45-44 after coming back from 41-44 in the final round. He receives a 30 million won prize.
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Oh Sang-uk, 30, of Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall, was named MVP of the South Korean team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Yonhap and other outlets reported. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee announced the award on Oct. 4 at Korea House in Nagoya, according to Dong-A Ilbo and Asia Economy. He receives a 30 million won prize. Yonhap said the choice came from a vote by the local press corps, and Dong-A Ilbo described it as a reporters' vote announced by the committee. [ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 ]
Oh won the men's sabre individual title on Sept. 23, beating Shen Chenpeng of China 15-13 in the final for a second consecutive Asian Games title in the event, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. On Sept. 26 he joined Park Sang-won, Do Kyung-dong and Hwang Hee-geun in the team sabre final, where Korea beat Japan 45-44. [ 3 , 9 ]
Yonhap and Asia Economy reported that Oh trailed 41-44 in the ninth and final round of the team final before scoring four consecutive points to complete the comeback. Kim Taek-soo, head of the national training center, said at a press conference at Korea House that Oh “won the individual and team events and, in particular, led a dramatic comeback win in the team final,” according to Yonhap. [ 3 , 9 ]
Yonhap reported that Oh competed despite chronic back pain caused by a herniated disc. He has now taken two golds at two consecutive Asian Games, and his fifth Asian Games gold overall leaves him one behind Koo Bon-gil, who holds the record for most golds by a South Korean sabre fencer. Korea's men's sabre squad took a fifth consecutive Asian Games individual title and a fourth consecutive team title, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. Dong-A Ilbo reported that Oh first appeared at the Asian Games as the youngest member of the team at Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, and that he became the first Asian fencer to win two golds at a single Olympics, at Paris 2024. [ 3 , 8 , 9 ]
The committee also announced separate awards, each worth 10 million won: the fighting spirit award to teqball gold medalist Lee Jun-seok, the improvement award to canoe double gold medalists Cho Kwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin, and the coach leadership award to Bae Gil-tae, coach of the men's 3x3 basketball team, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. Special awards went to badminton head coach Park Joo-bong, marathoner Park Min-ho, skateboard men's street winner Kang Jun-i, yacht gold medalist Ha Ji-min and archery compound men's individual gold medalist Kim Jong-ho. [ 3 , 9 ]
Sports Chosun reported that the awards were announced at a closing press conference on the final day of the Games, attended by Korean Sport and Olympic Committee president Yoo Seung-min, team chief Lee Sang-hyun and Kim Taek-soo. [ 11 ]
Why it matters
The MVP award is the Korean team's closing-day recognition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, decided by a vote of the local press corps and announced by the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee. It caps a second consecutive Asian Games double gold for Oh and keeps Korea's men's sabre squad on a run of five straight individual titles and four straight team titles, as reported by Yonhap. The documents give no indication of consequences beyond the team's own awards and the prize money.
Key facts
- Oh Sang-uk, 30, of Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall, was named MVP of the South Korean team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee announced the award on Oct. 4 at Korea House in Nagoya; the choice came from a vote by the local press corps. [ 3 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- Oh receives a 30 million won prize from the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee. [ 3 , 8 , 9 , 11 ]
- He won the men's sabre individual title on Sept. 23, beating Shen Chenpeng of China 15-13, and the team sabre title on Sept. 26, beating Japan 45-44. [ 3 , 9 ]
- In the team final, Oh trailed 41-44 in the ninth and final round and scored four consecutive points to complete the comeback. [ 3 , 9 , 10 ]
- Kim Taek-soo, head of the national training center, said Oh won the individual and team events and led a dramatic comeback in the team final. [ 3 , 9 ]
- Yonhap reported Oh competed despite chronic back pain caused by a herniated disc. [ 3 , 9 ]
- Korea's men's sabre squad took a fifth consecutive Asian Games individual title and a fourth consecutive team title, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. [ 3 , 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Oh Sang-uk was named MVP of the South Korean team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- He won two golds at the Games: the men's sabre individual and team titles. [ 3 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- He receives a 30 million won prize for the MVP award. [ 3 , 8 , 9 , 11 ]
- Korea beat Japan 45-44 in the men's sabre team final. [ 3 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- Korea beat China in the men's sabre individual final, with Oh winning 15-13 on Sept. 23. [ 3 , 9 ]
- The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee announced the award at Korea House in Nagoya on Oct. 4. [ 3 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- Kim Taek-soo, head of the national training center, credited Oh with leading a dramatic comeback in the team final. [ 3 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Dong-A Ilbo reported that Oh first appeared at the Asian Games as the youngest member of the team at Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 and that he became the first Asian fencer to win two golds at a single Olympics, at Paris 2024. These career details appear in only one document and are not repeated by any other outlet.
- The closing-day press conference was attended by Korean Sport and Olympic Committee president Yoo Seung-min, team chief Lee Sang-hyun and Kim Taek-soo. Only one document names these attendees; the other documents describe the announcement without listing participants.
- The exact time of the MVP announcement on Oct. 4. Documents say only that it was announced in the morning of Oct. 4, and give no specific time.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports the MVP result, saying it came from a vote by the local press corps and quoting Kim Taek-soo at a press conference at Korea House in Nagoya. [ 3 ]
- Newsis publishes photos of Oh's individual gold medal ceremony on Sept. 23 and his team final celebration on Sept. 26, both in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture. [ 4 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo and Asia Economy report the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee announced Oh as MVP at Korea House in Nagoya, with a 30 million won prize. [ 8 , 9 ]
- Sports Chosun reports Oh came from 41-44 down to win the team final 45-44 in Japan, and was named MVP for a second consecutive Asian Games double gold. [ 10 ]
- Sports Chosun reports the awards were announced at a closing press conference on the final day of the Games, attended by Yoo Seung-min, Lee Sang-hyun and Kim Taek-soo. [ 11 ]