The South Korean women's table tennis team was unable to overcome the host nation Japan, finishing with a bronze medal in the team event at the Asian Games. Earlier, the men's team also lost to Japan, resulting in both South Korean teams failing to reach the finals.
Coached by Seok Eun-mi, the South Korean women's team lost 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals of the women's team event held on September 23 at the Sky Hall Toyota in Aichi Prefecture. Shin Yubin, Joo Cheon-hee, and Kim Na-young each competed but were unable to win a single game.
In the first match, Shin Yubin faced Japan's Hina Hayata, hoping to turn the tide. However, she lost the first game 6-11 and the second game 7-11. The third game saw her fall behind early, ending with a score of 4-11, resulting in a match score of 0-3. Shin Yubin had previously faced Hayata in the bronze medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she also lost.
In the second singles match, Joo Cheon-hee took on world No. 3 Miu Hirano. Joo fought hard, staying competitive until the end of each game but ultimately lost. She dropped the first game 7-11, followed by losses in the second and third games with scores of 8-11 and 9-11, respectively.
Kim Na-young, the third player, also struggled to change the momentum. She initially led against Miu Nagasaki but allowed a comeback, losing the first game 8-11. The second game was closely contested, but she lost 9-11, and the third game ended 7-11. Consequently, South Korea lost all three matches 0-3, conceding the final berth to Japan.
This marks the third consecutive bronze medal for the South Korean women's table tennis team in the Asian Games, following similar finishes in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou events. Since winning gold at the 1986 Seoul Games, they have not secured another gold medal and will have to wait another 36 years since the 1990 Beijing Games to attempt a final appearance.
In the earlier men's team event, South Korea also lost to Japan with a match score of 0-3. The men's team saw their streak of 10 consecutive final appearances in the Asian Games team event, which began in the 1986 Seoul Games, come to an end. They had reached the finals in the previous Hangzhou Games, where they earned a silver medal after losing to China, but this time they were eliminated in the semifinals by the host nation Japan.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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