It will the 11th time in ITU history that the World Cup circuit has visited Tongyeong, which has become one of the pivotal events on the calendar since debuting in 2003.

Athletes will compete in a one-lap 750 metres swim, three-lap 20 kilometres cycle and two-lap five kilometres run.

The women’s start list contains several athletes that have had breakthrough performances this year, including Japan’s Ai Ueda, who will be sporting the number one position.

Her strongest performance of 2016 came in her home country as she claimed a bronze medal at the World Triathlon Series (WTS) event in Yokohama, a result that helped ensure third place in the overall ITU rankings for the WTS.

In 2014, Ueda earned the silver medal in Tongyeong and will be looking to get back on the podium in her first World Cup race since competing in the Australian suburb of Mooloolaba back in March. 

Ueda’s compatriot Yuka Sato is another leading contender in Tongyeong, returning as the reigning champion after she registered her maiden World Cup victory at last year’s edition.

The successful defence of her title would give the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games champion her first World Cup medal of the year.

Another breakout star of the year that will be racing is the United States’ Summer Cook, who claimed the first World Cup win of her career in Chinese city Chengdu in April and then added a maiden WTS victory in Canadian city Edmonton in September.

She also finished second at last month's Salinas World Cup in Ecuador, a sprint distance race like that in Tongyeong. 

The South Korean crowds will be backing rising star Hye Rim Jeong, the bronze medallist at the Junior World Championships in Cozumel this year.

The men’s start list includes four Rio 2016 Olympians, including Azerbaijan’s Rostislav Pevtsov, whose World Cup medal haul this season is made up of a silver in Chengdu and bronze in New Plymouth in New Zealand.

Also due to be racing is Russia’s Igor Polyanskiy, runner-up to brother Dmitry in the Hungarian town of Tiszaújváros in July.

Looking to stop him is Portugal’s João Silva, competing in his first World Cup race since 2014 when he won the bronze medal in New Plymouth. 

Olympian Gregory Billington will be out to build on the improvements he has shown during this year’s WTS and secure the first World Cup podium of his career.

Fellow American Kevin McDowell has not featured on a World Cup podium this year but is also capable of performing well having medalled twice before - both times in Chengdu.