Key facts
- North Korea won two gold medals in weightlifting at the Asian Games on Wednesday.
- Ri Song-gum set new world records in the women's 48kg event with a total of 215kg.
- Kang Hyon-gyong won the women's 53kg event, breaking Asian Games records with a total of 223kg.
- Ri Song-gum has won the lightest weight class at three consecutive Asian Games.
- North Korea ranks ninth in the medal standings with two golds, one silver, and two bronzes.
North Korea secured two gold medals in weightlifting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, marking its first golds of the competition and ending a medal drought on the fourth day of events. Ri Song-gum won the women's 48kg event with a total lift of 215 kilograms, achieving new world records in the snatch (94kg), clean and jerk (121kg), and total. Mirabai Chanu Saikhom of India took silver with 198kg, and Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana of Indonesia secured bronze. This victory marks Ri's third consecutive Asian Games gold in the lightest weight class, having also won the world championships in 2024 and 2025. Later, Kang Hyon-gyong of North Korea claimed gold in the women's 53kg final, lifting 99kg in the snatch and 124kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 223kg, breaking Asian Games records in all three categories. Zhao Jinlan of China and Surodchana Khambao of Thailand won silver and bronze, respectively. With these two golds, North Korea has accumulated five medals overall (two gold, one silver, two bronze) and ranks ninth in the medal standings.