South Korean swimming sensation Hwang Sun-woo has advanced to the finals in the men's 100-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first South Korean ever to do so.

The 18-year-old finished Wednesday's semifinals held at Tokyo Aquatics Center with 47-seconds-56, ranking third in Heat One and fourth among 16 swimmers. Hwang was the only Asian in the lineup for the Heat. 

With that score, Hwang not only set a new South Korean record but also a new Asian record which was previously held by Ning Zetao of China who finished 47-seconds-65 at the Chinese National Championships in October 2014. It is also a new world junior record. 

The men's 100-meter freestyle finals will take place on Thursday.