[1] On 17 April 2007, Incheon was awarded the right to host the games, defeating Delhi, India and was the third city in South Korea after Seoul (1986) and Busan (2002).

[2] Though there were several controversies, the Games were deemed generally successful with their low hosting cost and with the rising standard of competition amongst the Asian nations.

[8][9] During the final presentation before voting, Incheon made a new offer, raising US$20 million in funds to support countries that had yet to win a medal in the Games.

[13] The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president revealed that India's Sports Minister's remarks against hosting the Games was the main reason for New Delhi's loss.

Of the total budget, some US$1.39 billion was used for construction of venues and infrastructure, while approximately US$11 million covered the building and maintenance of training grounds.

[18] The Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee (IAGOC) saved US$34 million after agreeing to reduce from 15,000 to 2,025 athletes to be provided free transportation and accommodation.

[20] The torch was revealed in October 2013, with a design motif based on the Crane, the official bird of Incheon Metropolitan City.

[26] The official emblem was also revealed on the lighting ceremony, representing a wing configuration of the letter "A", for "Asia", with a shining sun at its upper left, symbolizing the Asian people holding hands in the sky.

[27] On November 4, 2010, three Spotted seal siblings were unveiled as the official mascots of the Games in Songdo Island, Incheon.

The three seals, known as "Barame (바라메)", "Chumuro (추므로)" and "Vichuon (비추온)", meaning wind, dance and light in Korean, were chosen under the theme of the main venue.

It features a pentagon-shaped symbol representing the five ports of Incheon — Airport, Seaport, Teleport, Leisureport, and Businessport, with the emblem of the Games inside.

[30] The official slogan in Korean, "평화의 숨결, 아시아의 미래" (RR: Pyeonghwaui sumgyeol, asiaui mirae), literally means "Breath of Peace, Future of Asia".

[18] Due to the increasing popularity of Incheon International Airport during the Games, immigration procedures were improved for passenger convenience.

The performance was directed by film director Im Kwon-taek with playwright and actor Jang Jin, entertainer Kim Seong-ju and KBS host Yun Su-yeong as voiceovers of the ceremony.

In addition, eight non-Olympic sports were featured: baseball, ten-pin bowling, cricket, kabaddi, karate, sepak takraw, squash and wushu.

[51][52] Changes to the non-Olympic sports featured at the Asian Games were influenced by discussions with organizers, who suggested cricket's removal from the program, as they felt too few countries played it and that they lacked the infrastructure to host it.

In the following calendar for the 2014 Asian Games, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day.

Soprano Im Sun-hae then sang the national anthem , whereupon the athletes entered the stadium with volunteers and placard bearers.

The ceremony proceeded with a small scale segment from the next Asian Games host cities, Jakarta and Palembang.

[109][110] Before the Games, there were several controversies arose over finances, lack of public interest,[111] transportation shortages for journalists,[112] and several administrative decisions about the opening ceremony and gala show.

The Qatari women's basketball team withdrew from the Games when FIBA reaffirmed its ban on hijab, citing safety concerns.

The OCA disqualified United States-born players Quincy Davis, Andray Blatche, and Aaron Haynes from the Chinese Taipei, Filipino, and South Korean teams.

The majority of poor judging allegations occurred in boxing, highlighted by the controversial semifinal loss of Indian lightweight boxer Laishram Sarita Devi against eventual silver medalist Park Jina of South Korea.

[122] The high volume of controversial boxing decisions led to accusations of widespread incompetence and host favoritism against the judges.

Six athletes tested positive for banned substances and were expelled from the Games, including two gold medalists who were stripped of their medals.