Oh Sang-uk, who won two gold medals in fencing, has been named MVP of South Korea’s team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The Korea Sports Council (대한체육회) said he was selected in a vote by South Korean journalists covering the Games in central Japan. Oh will receive 30 million won ($22,240) in prize money for the award.

Background and context

The Korea Sports Council began selecting and honoring the top athlete at multisport events at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. This selection, too, was made through a vote by South Korean journalists covering the Games, rather than automatically going to the athlete who won the most medals.

According to reports, Oh won gold in both the individual and team events at these Games, becoming a two-time, two-event gold medalist at consecutive Asian Games. Reports also said he won the individual event for the second consecutive time and the team event for the third consecutive time. His comeback to score points at pivotal moments and his role in leading the team are relevant context for understanding his selection as MVP.

Other awards were presented at these Games in addition to the MVP award. Lee Jun-seok of teqball received the Fighting Spirit Award, canoeists Cho Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin received the Most Improved Athlete Award, and Bae Gil-tae, coach of the men’s 3x3 basketball team, was named the winner of the Leadership Award. According to reports, the prize money for the Fighting Spirit Award and the Most Improved Athlete Award is 10 million won each. These are separate categories from Oh’s MVP award.

What this news means

For Oh, the selection means he has received an individual award representing the team in addition to his two gold medals. However, the available source material does not confirm how many votes he received or who the other candidates were.

It is important for readers to distinguish between the prize money and the selection criteria. The two gold medals are sporting achievements, while the MVP is a separate award selected by a vote of journalists. For example, readers compiling the Games’ results should check the medal record and the MVP selection separately to accurately convey what each represents.

What is confirmed and what remains unknown

Confirmed facts

  • Oh Sang-uk won two gold medals in men’s fencing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
  • Oh was named MVP of South Korea’s team, and the selection was made in a vote by South Korean journalists.
  • The Korea Sports Council began selecting and honoring the top athlete at multisport events at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
  • Oh will receive 30 million won in prize money.

What remains unknown

  • The specific names of the two events in which Oh won gold are not confirmed in the fact list or original article 1.
  • The available published source material does not confirm the vote totals or who the other candidates were.

What readers should check

  • To find out exactly which events the two gold medals were won in, readers should check Oh’s competition record in the official event-by-event results for the Games.
  • To learn more about the voting results, readers can check whether the Korea Sports Council’s relevant published announcement includes vote totals and information about the candidates.
  • When citing the prize money, it is best to distinguish the 30 million won MVP prize from the amounts reported for winners in other categories.

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