Korean athletes are aiming for more than 10 gold medals at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

“In 100 days, the efforts made by our Olympic athletes will bear fruit. The Korean Olympic Committee will spare no efforts in supporting our athletes to achieve a top 10 place in the Olympic Games,” said Kim Jeong-haeng, president of the KOC, at a news conference held at the Korea National Training Center in Seoul on Wednesday.

A total of 230 athletes in 27 fields are expected to participate in the Rio Olympics from Aug. 5-21. A total of 10,903 athletes from 206 countries are participating in the upcoming games. 

Korea’s goal of coming within the top 10 in Rio, however, is less ambitious than what the country achieved at the 2012 London Olympics -- where it was No. 5 with 13 gold medals -- and 2008 Beijing Olympics, where it was No. 7. 

“The biggest obstacle to achieving the previous record is that the Korean team will not have a training camp in Brazil. It was not easy to establish a local camp in Rio de Janeiro. On top of that, there is a 12-hour time difference, a long travel distance and lack of Korean restaurants in Rio de Janeiro. Those things have put us in a situation where it would be difficult to repeat the previous achievements,” said Choi Jong-sam, head of the National Training Center in Seoul.

The Zika virus and the political instability in Brazil also remain a great concern for athletes and coaches.

“The situation ahead of the Rio Olympics is worse compared to previous Olympics. Safety and the Zika virus remain great concerns. But we will do whatever it takes to ensure safety of our athletes and prevent the spread of the Zika virus so that our athletes can compete in their best condition,” said Jeong Mong-gyu, head of the Korean delegation to the Rio Olympics, at the news conference.

Also on Wednesday, the KOC revealed long-sleeved shirts and pants, which they said will help athletes from being bitten by mosquitos, designed by its official uniform partners North Face and Bean Pole. The long-sleeved uniform is in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Olympic Committee aimed at protecting athletes and visitors from Zika virus.

Korean athletes will be wearing navy blazers and white dress pants, designed to reflect the colors of the Korean flag, during the opening and closing ceremonies, and training suits in white, blue and red for medal ceremonies.

Despite concerns expressed by officials, athletes attending Wednesday’s news conference vowed to bring back good results.

Veteran sports shooter Jin Jong-oh will be vying for his third Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Jin previously won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men’s 50-meter pistol.

“If I win gold at the Rio Olympics, it will be my third consecutive gold at the Olympics. Personally it will be an honor for me to achieve that goal,” said Jin.

Expectations are high for Korean archers who bring home the largest number of gold medals at the Olympic Games.

“People have high expectations of archers. Our wish is to sweep all medals in archery. And we will do our best to achieve our goal. Our athletes have become stronger than ever -- we have more archers with high international rankings, two world champions and more veteran athletes,” said Moon Young-cheol, coaching director of the Korean Olympic archers.

Archer Ki Bo-bae, who clinched two gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012, is preparing for another win at the Rio Olympics. 

“There is a saying that it’s harder to stay at the top position than to reach it. But I will do my best in every competition, in both individual and team,” said Ki.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)