The South Korean men's foil team saw its bid for a third consecutive Asian Games title come to an end in the semifinals.
The team, consisting of Yoon Jeong-hyun, Lee Kwang-hyun, Lim Cheol-woo, and Kim Tae-hwan, lost to Hong Kong 45-41 in the semifinals of the men's foil team event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on September 25 at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan. In fencing team events, there is no separate match for third and fourth place, so both losing teams in the semifinals receive bronze medals.
South Korea had previously won gold in this event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games. This time, they aimed for a three-peat but fell short against Hong Kong, finishing with a bronze medal. In the Hangzhou Games, South Korea defeated Hong Kong 45-37 in the semifinals before going on to win gold against China in the final.
The start of the day was challenging for South Korea. In the quarterfinals, they faced Taiwan and fell behind early, trailing 10-15. However, they turned the tide midway through the match. After being down 17-20, Lee Kwang-hyun scored eight consecutive points, giving South Korea a 25-24 lead. Although they briefly lost the lead again, Lim Cheol-woo helped regain it, and Yoon Jeong-hyun and Lee Kwang-hyun extended the gap. Ultimately, South Korea defeated Taiwan 45-37 to secure a spot in the semifinals and guarantee a medal.
However, they could not overcome Hong Kong in the semifinals. Hong Kong had also defeated South Korea in the semifinals of this year's Asian Championships, where South Korea finished with a bronze medal behind Japan and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the women's epee team continued its strong performance.
Composed of Song Se-ra, Lim Tae-hee, Lee Hye-in, and Yang Seung-hye, the South Korean team decisively defeated Mongolia 45-20 in the round of 16 and then overcame host nation Japan 45-40 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals. The world’s top-ranked women's epee team is aiming for a second consecutive Asian Games title following their victory in Hangzhou in 2022.
In the quarterfinals against Japan, South Korea allowed a late rally but managed to maintain their lead. The final competitor, Song Se-ra, successfully defended against Japan's attacks, securing a five-point victory. As a result, the South Korean women's epee team has at least secured a bronze medal, with their semifinal opponent being Singapore.
Song Se-ra has already won a gold medal in the individual women's epee event at this tournament. If the team also claims gold, she will join the ranks of double medalists for the South Korean delegation at this event.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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