Breaking legend Hong Ten, Asian Games silver medal... “If only I were 5 years younger.”

(Nagoya = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myeong-eon = "I think it would have been worth it if I had been just 5 years younger than I had hoped for 10 years...."

Hong Ten (Kim Hong-yeol, 41), a ‘living legend’ of Korean breaking, who faced an opponent 17 years younger than him on the final stage, had a hunch.

Your body is already exhausted beyond its limits, but the other person is still full of strength.

It was a harsh time, but we did not use that as an excuse. He went on stage with the mindset of completely enjoying breaking, regardless of whether he was going to win or not, and decorated the show with a splendid silver finale.

Hongten lost 0-3 to Japan's famous Shigekix (Shigeyuki Nakarai) in the breaking b-boy finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Aichi Sky Expo Hall in Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 3rd and won a silver medal.

Hongten, whom I met in the common coverage area (mixed zone) after the game, had a deep look of regret on his face.

He confessed, “I wanted to do better and get good results, but it didn’t go as well as I wanted. From the moment I got to the final stage, I felt like, ‘Ah, my strength is running out now,’ and that was the most disappointing thing.”

He then confessed, "I wanted to have a close match where I didn't know who would win. But my body didn't respond as well as I had prepared, and I kept losing strength and my back hurt, so it wasn't going as I wanted and it was difficult."

Born on December 27, 1984, Hong Ten is a 41-year-old veteran.

Breaking, which requires constant twisting and turning of the entire body, is extremely physically draining, so players of similar age groups have already left the stage a long time ago.

Shigekix, who I met in the finals that day, is also 24 years old and is close to my nephew’s age.

Shigekix defeated Hongtian in the finals of the 2022 Hangzhou Tournament to win the championship, but on this day, the gap was wider than before.

Even though he felt the limits of the painful years, the word 'resignation' did not come to mind until the end.

Hong Ten said, “It was a closer battle in Hangzhou, but this time, the gap seems to have widened a bit,” and promised the next match, “I will have to think about how to make up for this gap.”

He left a significant mark on world-breaking beyond Korea and rose to the top three times (2006, 2013, and 2023) at the 'Red Bull BC One Final', the world's most prestigious competition.

The reason why we continue to challenge ourselves even after we have already reached the peak is surprisingly simple.

When asked what drives him to continue dancing and remaining in the scene, Hongten replied, "There are so many young people, and I'm learning their way of dancing."

He smiled and said, “Generations are changing and trends are changing with young players, but I didn’t want to stick to my own methods. It’s fun to continue to accept and learn from the current trends. I think that’s why I’m holding on until now.”

Although he already made history just by standing on stage, he had only one goal: a gold medal.

Hongten smiled shyly and said, “I dyed my hair to get a golden glow,” and added that he still achieved the first goal he wanted the most.

He smiled brightly, saying, “Before the competition, I said, ‘I want to enjoy it to the fullest,’ and I think I laughed the most during this competition more than anyone else.” He added, “I fully achieved my first goal of forgetting everything and having fun.”

Even after a big competition, there is no time to rest.

The legend who does not know commas took a powerful step forward again, saying, “When I return to Korea, the National Sports Festival will be held in two weeks, so I think I will have to start preparing.”