South Korean judo stars Heo Mi-mi (Gyeongbuk Sports Council) and Lee Jun-hwan (Pohang City Hall) have both advanced to the semifinals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On October 1, at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Heo Mi-mi defeated China's Tao Yu-ying in the women's 57kg quarterfinals with a decisive win.
Heo finished both of her matches in under two minutes. In the earlier round of 16, she scored a half-point just 14 seconds into her match against Joemari Hart Raphael (Philippines) with a throw. She added another half-point with a hold just 27 seconds later, achieving a win in 28 seconds. In the quarterfinals, she turned the tables on Tao Yu-ying with a hold victory in 1 minute and 30 seconds.
This Asian Games holds special significance for Heo Mi-mi. Born in Japan in 2002 and raised as an elite judo athlete, she renounced her Japanese citizenship to represent South Korea, fulfilling her late grandmother's wishes. Her grandmother passed away in 2021, and Heo is also recognized as a descendant of independence activist Heo Seok, who was imprisoned for posting anti-Japanese slogans during the colonial period.
Heo, who won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will face Uzbekistan's Shukurjon Aminova in the semifinals.
Lee Jun-hwan also smoothly advanced to the semifinals in the men's 81kg category. On the same day, he defeated Sulisai Sayasan (Laos) in the round of 16 in just 44 seconds. In the quarterfinals, he first scored a point against Li Guo-ying (Hong Kong) and then added a half-point with a thigh throw to secure his victory.
Lee's semifinal opponent will be Japan's Fujiwara Sotaro.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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