2014 Asian Games opening ceremony

A countdown footage was shown with a Pop-up book featuring sceneries of the 45 participating nations of the Asian Games. Fireworks released all over the stadium, forming the words: "Welcome", marking the beginning of the ceremony. This was followed by a video of the mayor of Incheon, Yoo Jeong-bok introducing his city to the audiences.[12][13]

The ceremony started with a few introductory performances. The first one, featuring a little girl named Kim Min rolling a hoop across the main stadium to actor Jang Dong-Gun who in turn gave the hoop back to her,in a act that remembered the 1988 Summer Olympics opening and closing ceremonies,the “Hoop Boy and Girls” performances.[14] Kim is a young rhythmic gymnast attending Incheon Cheongil Primary School who hoped to represent Korea in the 2020 Summer Olympics. She was later joined by 44 other hoop-rolling children from various schools to represent the 45 participating nations of the games as well as the population of the Asian continent of 4.5 billion. In the second one, a few women dancers in traditional costume gathered at the center of the stage to form Cheongsachorong, a traditional Korean lantern to mark the arrival of notable guests including Park Geun-hye, then the President of South Korea. The third performance featured soprano Sumi Jo who sang "The Song of the Asiad," dedicated by poet Ko Un, along with Incheon Metropolitan Citizens Choir, a choir consisting of 919 residents of the host city symbolising the event's opening date. The performance was composed by Kim Youngdong, a representative composer for traditional music of Korea.[15] At the end of the performance, Sumi Jo sang the Korean traditional folk song Arirang with 10-vocalist choir.[16][17] Before the start of the main performance, a video of the 2014 Asian Games torch relay was played with British band Coldplay's single, Viva la Vida as background music.

The cultural performance covered four sections that tells the story about Asia, which were "Asia a long time ago", "Asia, connected through sea routes", "Asia becoming family and friends", and "One Asia the future we meet today". South Korean actors Jang Dong-gun and main cast of My Love from the Star, Kim Soo-hyun led the stories, with Jang narrating the first story and Kim appearing through a video during the second stage.[18][19] Section one "Asia a long time ago" tells about the beginning of Asia, which was built upon one continuous land and people live peacefully as a part of nature together with other living things such as trees, animals, plants and flowers. After sometime, the continent is being separated alongside its people and natural beings. Section two "Asia, connected through sea routes" started with a footage about Girl on a Ship, Sim Cheong a devoted daughter in a fairy tale who sacrificed herself by jumping into the sea to become a sacrifice to sea-god and rescue her blind father. This was follow by a second footage, featuring the hoop girl, Kim earlier aboard the ship with Kim Soo-hyun and travel to all parts of Asia to meet the different people around the continent and take them together to visit Incheon. Five musical artists Ock Joo-hyun, Michael K. Lee, Cha Ji-Yeon, Yang Joon-Mo and Jung Sung-hwa performing "We meet again" while the second footage was playing. In section three "Asia becoming family and friends", Prince Biryu, a founder of an ancient nation in the port city of Incheon thousands of years ago and Sim Cheong meet together in modern Incheon and witness the scenery and infrastructure of the city such as mail services, telephone services, rail transport system, airport, bridges, buildings, Incheon Asiad sports complex and seaport. During section four "One Asia the future we meet today", Ahn Sook-sun, Prince Biryu, Sim Cheong and the people of Incheon welcome home the ship that arrive to Incheon carrying Kim Min, Kim-Soo Hyun and the different people from all parts of Asia. The Sail of the ship was raised to represent hope for new future, united and modern Asia and Asia as one.

After the cultural performance, eight people brought the national flag into the stadium. They are Um Hong-Gil: renowned Korean mountaineer, and the first person in Asia to climb all of the 16 highest Himalayan peaks; Seok Haekyun, heroic captain of Aden Bay; Lee Bongju, the Boston men's marathon winner in 2001; actor Hyun-bin, an honorary ambassador of Incheon 2014; ballerina Kang Sujin; Korean lawmaker Jasmine Lee, the first non-ethnic Assembly member; professional golfer Park Seri, the youngest golfer being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on the LPGA Tour; and finally, Lim Chun-ae, the triple gold medal winning middle distance runner at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. The flag was raised by the military personnel to the South Korean national anthem.

The Parade of Nations was conducted in Korean alphabetical order, hence the order began with Nepal and ended with host South Korea. All 45 national delegations participated in the parade and each of them were led by an official wearing a dress decorated with their country's natural symbols. Then, Kim Young-soo, the games' organising committee chairman and Olympic Council of Asia chairman Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah gave their respective speeches and President of South Korea, Park Geun-hye declared the games open.[20]

Another eight people brought the Flag of the games' governing body Olympic Council of Asia into the stadium. They are Ha Hyungjoo, a golden medalist for Judo at the 1984 Summer Olympics; Yoon Kyungshin, a handball player, who participated in the Asian Games five times and won five golden medals; badminton star Park Joobong, who is listed in Guinness World Record with 72 victories in international Championships; Yeo Hongchulpp, a golden medalist for gymnastics in the 1998 Asian Games; Baek Okja, a golden medalist in the shot put at the 1970 Asian Games; Hyeon Jeonghwa, who garnered a Grand Slam of international table-tennis Championships; Shin Junghee, the first Korean female to become international judge, a chair for athletes in Korean Olympic Committee; and Jang Miran, the first golden medalist for South Korea in weightlifting. The flag was raised by the military personnel to the Olympic Council of Asia Hymn. Archer Oh Jinhyek and fencer Nam Hyunhee took the athletes' oath, while judges, representing the sports of hockey and rhythmic gymnastics Kim Honglae and Suh Heajung took the judges' oath.

South Korean K-Pop artist group JYJ consists of Kim Jae-joong, Yoochun and Junsu, performing a medley of few of their singles including "Only One", the games' official theme song, "Flame" and their hit "Empty" during the torch relay section.[21] The torch was relayed into the stadium by Lee Seungyeop, 'a Korean baseball hitter'; professional golfer, Park Inbee; speed skater Lee Kyouhyuk; basketball legend Park Chansook; and tennis pioneer, Lee Hyungtaik. South Korean actress, Lee Young Ae the main cast of Dae Jang Geum climb to the top of the stadium to light up the cauldron accompanied by young diving talent Kim Young-ho and young gymnast Kim Joo-won and aerial fireworks were released all over the stadium to mark the start of the games. The ceremony concludes with Psy performing a funky remake of "Champion," one of his early favourites singles, alongside Chinese pianist Lang Lang and global hit song at the time, "Gangnam Style". (Since 24 November 2012, Gangnam Style's music video was the most-viewed YouTube video until it was overtaken by Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" on 10 July 2017.)[22][23]

• Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea
• Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon
• Lee Myung-bak, Former South Korean President and his wife Kim Yoon-ok

• Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee
• Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, President of Olympic Council of Asia
• Yōichi Masuzoe, Governor of Tokyo