“I’ll Use the Strength Built on Ginseng Juice to Lift Asia”

“I’ll properly use the strength I built from drinking ginseng juice.” That is how Song Young-hwan describes his goal as he prepares to represent South Korea in the men’s over-110-kilogram weightlifting division at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

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I’ll properly use the strength I built from drinking ginseng juice.

Song, 25, grew up drinking ginseng juice because his parents farm ginseng. He says he never particularly liked its bitter, astringent taste, but accepted it because his parents told him it was good for his health. Over time, he joked, the accumulated strength may have helped make him the lifter he is today.

“I’ve eaten enough to last a lifetime, so I don’t drink it these days,” Song said. “Now all that’s left is to use the strength I’ve built up.”

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I didn’t particularly like it because it was bitter and astringent. Still, when my parents gave it to me because they said it was good for my body, I couldn’t refuse.

Song’s combined total in the squat, deadlift and bench press reaches 800 kilograms. The article says athletes are generally considered to be at an elite level once that combined figure exceeds 500 kilograms. He first realized his unusual strength in his first year at Hongcheon Middle School, when he followed a friend to a weightlifting gym and lifted a 40-kilogram barbell over his head. A coach who saw the feat did not simply walk past.

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I’ve eaten enough to last a lifetime, so I don’t drink it these days. Now all that’s left is to use the strength I’ve built up.