Why is Huh Mimi aiming for Asian Games gold in Japan next month?

Huh said she wants to win gold while leaning on support from the people around her. She described feeling both nerves and pressure because the Asian Games will be held in Aichi, Japan, but said she will try her best.

What happened to Huh Mimi after her shoulder surgery last year?

Huh said the rehab was very difficult and that she wondered whether she would ever reach a podium again. She later returned to an international podium by winning the women’s -57 kilograms at an International Judo Federation Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi last November.

What did Kim Min-jong say about his gold medal goal?

Kim said he does not want to feel satisfied with silver or bronze, because that would not push him hard enough. He said his mindset is that anything less than a gold medal will be a disappointment, and that this has helped him stay focused.

Korean judoka sets sights on Asian Games gold in native Japan

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Summary

Tokyo-born Korean judoka Huh Mimi said Thursday she will chase Asian Games gold in Japan next month, drawing strength from her supporters. Born to a Korean father and Japanese mother, she switched to representing Korea in 2021 and is a descendant of a Korean independence fighter. After shoulder surgery in March last year and a difficult rehab, she said she feels better physically and hopes to win gold in Aichi.

Key Facts

Huh Mimi won Olympic silver and the 2024 world title, which made her an instant star in Korean sports.
She returned to an international podium in November last year by winning gold in the women’s -57 kilograms at an International Judo Federation Grand Slam event in Abu Dhabi.
Huh said the Asian Games in the Japanese prefecture of Aichi brings both nerves and pressure because of the location.
Kim Min-jong, Huh’s teammate, won a world title and an Olympic silver in 2024 and said anything less than gold would be a disappointment.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 20, 2026 5:55 pm KST

Korean judoka Huh Mimi, left, trains for the Asian Games during an open training session at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, Thursday. Yonhap

JINCHEON — Tokyo-born Korean judoka Huh Mimi said Thursday she will lean on support from her loved ones in her pursuit of an Asian Games gold medal in her native Japan next month.

Born to a Korean father and a Japanese mother, Huh used to compete for Japan earlier in her career. She began representing Korea in 2021 to honor a dying wish of her grandmother. Huh, 23, is also a descendant of a Korean independence fighter from the Japanese colonial period.

That personal history, plus her rise as a force in international judo with the Olympic silver and the world title in 2024, made Huh an instant star in Korean sports.

But Huh underwent shoulder surgery in March last year and struggled to regain her form for much of 2025.

"The rehab from the surgery was really difficult," Huh said during a joint press conference for the South Korean Asian Games delegation at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, some 85 kilometers south of Seoul. "I even wondered if I would ever reach a podium again."

Huh did return to an international podium in November last year by winning gold in the women's -57 kilograms at the International Judo Federation Grand Slam event in Abu Dhabi. It was her first international victory since the Olympics.

"My results have been better, and I feel pretty good physically, too," Huh said.

With the Asian Games taking place in the Japanese prefecture of Aichi, Huh said she is feeling a mixed bag of nerves and pressure at the same time.

"But I have so many people who support me and root for me," Huh said with a smile. "I will try my best to win the gold medal."

Her teammate Kim Min-jong, who also won a world title and an Olympic silver in 2024, is eyeing his first Asian Games gold. He settled for bronze in the men's +100kg at the 2023 Asian Games.

"I don't want to feel happy winning silver and bronze medals, because then I would not push myself hard enough to win gold medals," Kim said. "My mindset now is that anything less than a gold medal will be a disappointment. That has helped me stay focused."

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