TOKONAME, Japan — South Korea has secured its first esports medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after racer and gamer Kim Young-chan captured bronze in the Gran Turismo 7 competition on Wednesday.
Kim finished third in the eight-player final at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, as Malaysia’s Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira won gold and Saudi Arabia’s Naif Abdulhakim S. Alfaleh took silver.
The result gives South Korea its first esports medal at this year’s Asian Games, where esports features 11 events, including Gran Turismo 7 and League of Legends.
Kim battles back after difficult opening race
The Gran Turismo 7 final consisted of three races on different circuits using different cars, with the eight competitors accumulating points across the competition.
Kim started the first race from pole position after topping the semifinals. His opening run, however, did not go according to plan: he crashed into a wall on the third lap and finished sixth.
The South Korean racer responded in the second race.
Starting sixth, Kim climbed through the field and reached third by the sixth lap before eventually taking the checkered flag. In a particularly close finish, he crossed the line just 0.054 seconds ahead of Malaysia’s Taj Madira, according to Inven Global.
That recovery kept Kim in medal contention heading into the decisive third race.
Final race seals historic bronze
Kim began the third race in contention but quickly dropped to third and was unable to close the gap to Taj Madira, who ultimately secured the gold medal.
Saudi Arabia’s Naif Abdulhakim S. Alfaleh finished second, leaving Kim with bronze and South Korea’s first esports medal of the Games.
The Malaysian victory also marked Taj Madira’s first Asian Games esports gold, according to Malaysian media.
From real-world racing to esports
Kim is not solely a competitive gamer. He is a member of DCT Racing and has experience in both real-world motorsport and sim racing.
His place on South Korea’s Asian Games team came after he won the national Gran Turismo 7 selection tournament in May. The selection process began with 117 competitors in the first preliminary round, with the field eventually narrowed to 12 finalists. Kim won the final to secure his place on the national team.
His preparation also included overseas training in Osaka, Japan, as part of South Korea’s preparations for the Asian Games.
South Korea’s esports medal campaign continues
The bronze is only the beginning of South Korea’s esports campaign at Aichi-Nagoya.
The country entered the Games with athletes competing across multiple esports titles, including Gran Turismo 7, League of Legends, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, PUBG Mobile, Pokémon UNITE, Honor of Kings and other events.
South Korea’s League of Legends team is also among the country’s highly anticipated esports entries, with its competition scheduled later in the Games.
Meanwhile, the national esports squad had already experienced mixed results in the early competition, with South Korea’s eFootball representative eliminated before Kim delivered the country’s first esports podium finish.
A landmark moment for Asian Games esports
Kim’s bronze highlights how esports continues to expand within the Asian Games program.
Gran Turismo 7 combines competitive gaming with simulated motorsport, requiring drivers to manage racing lines, braking, overtaking and consistency across multiple races.
For Kim, the medal came after a dramatic turnaround: a sixth-place opening race was followed by a winning second race and ultimately a bronze-medal finish.
South Korea’s esports campaign now moves forward with its first medal already secured—and more events still to come at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
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