Nagoya:South Korea had aimed to win 40 to 45 gold medals and reduce its gap with Japan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which concluded with a closing ceremony on Sunday night. However, neither objective was achieved.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea finished with 39 gold medals, marking its third consecutive third-place finish behind China and Japan. This was the country's lowest gold medal tally since winning 28 in 1982. The gap between South Korea and Japan was notably wider than the gap between South Korea and fourth-place India, which won 21 gold medals.
The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) had anticipated challenges in catching up to Japan, which it expected to benefit from home field advantage. South Korea ended 10 gold medals behind Japan, with a 52-42 deficit in the 2023 Asiad, compared to a 75-49 deficit in 2018. Despite expectations to narrow this gap, Japan secured an early lead.
In the first week, South Korea secured only one gold medal in swimming, compared to six in 2023. Later, the country earned three gold medals in archery, the lowest since the introduction of the compound discipline in 2014. Notably, South Korea did not win any women's archery gold for the first time since the sport's inclusion in the Asian Games in 1978.
Expectations in shooting were also unmet, with South Korea winning three out of a hoped five gold medals. In taekwondo, South Korea claimed three golds, with only one in the sparring discipline. The absence of gold medals in table tennis and wrestling further impacted the medal race.
Despite Japan sending top judo athletes to world championships instead of the Asian Games, South Korea managed only one gold in judo, won by Huh Mimi, as other contenders lost to competitors from China, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
Ryu Seung-min, president of the KSOC, acknowledged the growing competitiveness in Asia. "It is no longer just China and Japan; teams from Central and Southeast Asia are improving rapidly," Ryu stated at a press conference in Nagoya. He emphasized the importance of analyzing the results to prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, pledging to enhance training systems and sports science.
South Korea did find success in basketball, securing both the men's and women's gold medals for the first time in 12 years and winning the men's 3x3 title. Other team sports, such as baseball, men's football, and women's handball, also contributed gold medals. The fencing team performed well, achieving four golds and 10 medals overall, although this was a decrease from the six golds won in each of the past two Asian Games.
Ryu highlighted that this Asiad was a crucial step toward the 2028 Olympics, promising to listen to athletes and coaches to strengthen Team Korea's future performance.