South Korea's Medal Count Declines at Asian Games, Eyes 2028 LA Olympics

At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, South Korea's sports teams faced a significant challenge as they secured the fewest gold medals in 44 years, just two years ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The nation, known for its strong performances in international competitions, struggled on the Asian stage, particularly in its traditionally strong sports. However, there are also signs of hope, particularly from fencing, basketball, and the rising talents of the MZ generation, including badminton star An Se-young.

The Asian Games concluded on October 4, wrapping up 16 days of competition. The South Korean team, consisting of 790 athletes across 41 sports, won 39 gold medals, 43 silver medals, and 68 bronze medals, totaling 150 medals. This placed them third overall, behind China (169 golds, 341 total) and Japan (83 golds, 269 total).

The 39 gold medals represent the lowest total since the 1982 New Delhi Games, where South Korea won 28 golds. Since the 1986 Seoul Games, the country had consistently surpassed 50 golds for eight consecutive events, but this trend has declined since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where they won 49 golds. Following the 42 golds at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, this year's count fell into the 30s, failing to meet the Korea Sports Council's pre-event target of 40 to 45 golds.

Additionally, South Korea did not narrow the gap with Japan, which won a record 83 gold medals as the host nation. The difference in gold medals between the two countries increased to 44, up from 10 at the Hangzhou Games. Japan is also projected to secure 20 golds at the 2024 Paris Olympics, maintaining its lead over South Korea, which won 13 golds.

Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korea Sports Council, stated at a press conference on October 4, "We did not achieve the expected results due to external factors such as the rapid growth of sports in China, Japan, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, as well as changes in the structure of sports events."

The primary reason for not meeting goals was the underperformance of traditionally strong sports. Archery, which swept all five events at the Paris Olympics, managed only three golds (along with three silvers and three bronzes) this time, losing the top spot to India, which won five golds, two silvers, and two bronzes. Notably, the women's recurve team ended the competition without a gold medal for the first time in Asian Games history, breaking an eight-year winning streak in the team event. This raises concerns about South Korea's dominance in archery, especially as they face challenges on the Olympic stage.

In taekwondo, the home of the sport, South Korea won three golds (and four bronzes), with two golds coming from non-Olympic events. Only one gold was secured in the Olympic event (women's over 67 kg by Song Da-bin). After a disappointing performance at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where they won no golds, the outlook for the LA Olympics appears uncertain.

Judo and table tennis also struggled. Judo's only gold came from Heo Mi-mi (Gyeongbuk Sports Council) in the women's 57 kg category, with three silvers and four bronzes. Since the 2012 London Olympics, South Korea has not won a gold in judo, putting additional pressure on Heo, a silver medalist from the Paris Olympics. Table tennis, which won eight medals (one gold, two silvers, and five bronzes) at the Hangzhou Games, finished this time without any finalists, securing only three bronzes.

Yoo acknowledged, "It is true that some strong sports have faltered. Maintaining the top position in the world is more challenging than competing for it. I am confident that this result will serve as a catalyst for further motivation."

Basic sports like swimming and athletics also faced difficulties. Swimming, which won six golds at the Hangzhou Games, managed only one gold (along with six silvers and 13 bronzes). Kim Woo-min (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province) was unable to perform at his best due to a shoulder injury, and Hwang Sun-woo (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province) did not reach the top in individual events.

Athletics failed to secure gold for the second consecutive event, with medals limited to three bronzes from high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok (Yongin City Hall), race walker Choi Byeong-kwang (Samsung Electronics), and the men's 4x100m relay. The last gold in athletics was won by Jeong Hye-rim in the women's 100m hurdles at the Jakarta-Palembang Games, and South Korea has not won an Olympic medal in athletics since Lee Bong-ju's silver in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Among the traditionally strong sports, fencing performed well, winning four golds (along with four silvers and two bronzes). Two-time Paris Olympic champion Oh Sang-wook (Daejeon City Hall) became the MVP of the South Korean team, winning both the individual and team events in sabre for the second consecutive Asian Games. Song Se-ra (Busan City Hall) topped the women's epee individual event, and the women's sabre team defeated Japan to reclaim the gold medal after eight years. The men's sabre team, led by Oh, aims for a fourth consecutive Olympic team title in LA.

In basketball, both the men's and women's teams defeated Japan in the finals, achieving a dual victory for the first time in 12 years. The basketball teams secured three golds (and one bronze) in total, including men's 3x3. Both teams now look to the Olympic stage, with the men having not qualified since the 1996 Atlanta Games and the women missing the Paris Games. To qualify, the men must navigate the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 final qualifiers, while the women must succeed in the 2027 FIBA Women's Asia Cup and the 2028 final qualifiers. However, with their recent success in Asia, hopes for Olympic qualification are rising.

The MZ generation showcased their potential for the LA podium. The standout athlete is badminton's world No. 1 An Se-young, who, despite a knee injury at the Hangzhou Games, triumphed in the semifinals against world No. 4 Chen Yufei (China) and won the final against world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) to secure gold.

Born in 2002, An became the first player to win back-to-back golds in women's singles since badminton was included in the Asian Games in 1962. Her performance was flawless, winning all ten games across five matches while conceding an average of only 8.9 points per game. Following her victory at the World Championships in August, she is now eyeing a potential back-to-back Olympic title in Paris and LA.

New faces also made their mark. The youngest member of the gymnastics team, 2009-born Hwang Seo-hyun (Incheon Physical Education High School), won gold on the balance beam, marking the first time a South Korean woman has won this event since Seo Sun-aeng at the 1986 Seoul Games. The only Olympic medal for South Korean women in gymnastics was a bronze by Yeo Seo-jeong in the Tokyo Games. Hwang has set her sights on an Olympic medal in LA.

Another rising star, 2008-born Kang Jun-yi (Yeongdeungpo High School), known as a skateboarding prodigy, won gold in the men's street final with a comeback performance in his final trick. This marks South Korea's first gold medal in skateboarding at the Asian Games. Kang is determined to showcase his new tricks at the LA Olympics.

2006-born Kim Young-beom (Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province) set a new competition record (21.66 seconds) to win gold in the men's 50m freestyle. He added a silver in the 100m freestyle, finishing just 0.04 seconds behind world record holder Pan Zhanle (China). Given his strong performance against the Olympic champion, expectations are high for South Korea's first short-distance Olympic medal in swimming at LA.

Yoo emphasized, "We have confirmed our competitiveness ahead of the LA Olympics. While the number of medals is important, diversifying our sports is essential for success."

The LA Olympics are set to take place from July 14 to 30, 2028.

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