After Hard-Earned Medals, Athletes Line Up With Requests to "Exchange Them"... More Asian Games Controversy

Some Metals Recycled From Used Small Appliances

Quality Control Concerns Undermine Eco-Friendly Intent

It has been revealed that Junyi Kang, who won South Korea's first-ever gold medal in skateboarding at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, requested an exchange after discovering scratches on his medal. Prior to this, surface damages were also confirmed on the gold medals received by Korean e-sports athletes, and similar incidents have been reported by the Chinese delegation, fueling a growing controversy regarding the quality of the competition medals.

On the 28th, at the Korea House during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, skateboarder Jun-Kang Kang, who won the gold medal in the men's street event, is holding up his medal at the medalists' press conference. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 28th, during a gold medalists press conference hosted by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee at Korea House in Nagoya, Japan, Junyi Kang stated, "There were scratches on the medal from the moment I first received it," revealing that he has requested an exchange. On September 27, Kang scored 180.85 points in the men's street skateboarding final held at Aichi Sky Expo, securing first place. This marks the first time a Korean athlete—regardless of gender—has won a gold medal in skateboarding at the Asian Games.

"Scratches from the Start": Gold Medal Quality Controversy in Nagoya

Despite the golden glory, complaints about the condition of the medals continue. Surface damage and scratches were also found on the gold medals of Baek Jaemin, Yeon Jaegil, and Lee Gwangno, who won in the e-sports fighting games event. Since the athletes had already returned to Korea, the Korea e-Sports Association requested exchanges from the competition’s organizing committee and is currently awaiting a response.

The gold medal in this competition weighs approximately 265g, with a diameter of 80mm and a thickness of 5mm. Contrary to its name, the actual gold content is at least 1g, accounting for only about 0.38% of the total weight, with most of the remainder being pure silver. Photo by Yonhap News, featuring Lee Haeran, who won the gold medal in women's basketball.

The Chinese delegation also reported discoloration and surface damage on their gold medals. According to Xinhua News Agency and other sources, the organizing committee provided a new medal to the Chinese athlete who requested an exchange. An official from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee expressed regret, saying, "It is unfortunate that there are problems with the athletes’ valuable gold medals," and added that athletes from other countries have also requested medal exchanges.

Scratched AG Gold Medals: Only About 0.38% Gold by Weight

The gold medal for this competition weighs approximately 265g, with a diameter of 80mm and a thickness of 5mm. Contrary to its name, the actual gold content is at least 1g, making up only about 0.38% of the total weight, with the majority being pure silver. Based on international commodity prices and the won-dollar exchange rate as of August 31, the value of the raw metals in a gold medal is estimated to be around 970,000 won. The value is about 780,000 won for a silver medal and approximately 4,300 won for a bronze medal. However, these figures account for only the value of the metals themselves and do not include actual production costs such as casting, processing, plating, or design.

The gold medal for this competition weighs approximately 265g, with a diameter of 80mm and a thickness of 5mm. Contrary to its name, the actual gold content is at least 1g, accounting for about 0.38% of the total weight, while the majority of the medal is made of pure silver. According to the Asian Games official website.

The medals also carry the symbolism of eco-friendliness. The Aichi-Nagoya Games organizing committee implemented a "Recycle Medal Project" that utilized some metals recovered from small electronic devices collected by local governments for medal production. The medal case was made from hinoki (Japanese cypress) produced in Aichi Prefecture, and the ribbon was designed with kakitsubata, the official flower of Aichi, to reflect the identity of the host city. Although the medals are special for embodying environmental and local cultural values, the occurrence of repeated scratches and discoloration on those given to athletes has put the organizing committee’s quality control under scrutiny.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.