The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in central Japan have entered their final week of medal competition, with South Korea holding 21 gold medals — about halfway to its target of approximately 45.
South Korea’s basketball teams made a strong early contribution, winning three golds: in the men’s and women’s 5-on-5 tournaments and men’s 3-on-3. The country also claimed a fifth consecutive Asian Games baseball title, while the women’s handball team won its first gold since 2018.
Fencers added four gold medals. Oh Sang-uk won the men’s individual sabre event and helped South Korea take the team title. The country also produced unexpected champions in artistic gymnastics and canoe sprint.
Results were more difficult in swimming and table tennis. South Korea won only one swimming gold, compared with six titles at the previous Games three years earlier. Its table tennis team collected three bronze medals, the country’s worst Asian Games performance in the sport.
South Korea is looking to archery, taekwondo and judo for medals in the final stretch. It has reached the semifinals in all six archery team events, covering men’s, women’s and mixed competitions in both compound and recurve. South Korean athletes are also considered medal contenders in every individual event in those two bow divisions.
The judo team includes 2024 Olympic medalists Kim Min-jong, Lee Joon-hwan and Huh Mimi. In football, the men will seek a fourth straight gold, while the women will pursue the country’s first title. The women’s final is scheduled for Friday and the men’s for Saturday. The Games close Sunday.