South Korea’s women’s handball team secured a dominant 37-17 victory over China at the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, claiming their fourth consecutive win of the pool round on September 25. Led by Coach Lee Gye-cheong and played at the Entrio in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the match saw South Korea jump to a 19-8 halftime lead before cruising to the 20-point margin win with a 76% shooting success rate.
### South Korea Dominates China in Pool Round
South Korea capitalized on 49 total shots to score 37 goals, anchored by standout offensive performances from Lee Yeon-kyung of Samcheok City Hall and Kwon Hwan-na of Busan Facilities Corporation, who netted five goals each.
The performance builds on a string of dominant pool-play outings at the tournament. South Korea previously defeated Hong Kong 48-16, Kazakhstan 42-18, and Uzbekistan 43-13. The squad currently sits in second place in the standings behind Japan, which has played one more game and secured five wins.
### Upcoming Clash With Japan and the Gold Medal Decider
South Korea faces Vietnam at 5:30 p.m. on September 26 before concluding their pool matches against Japan at 6 p.m. on September 27. A victory against Vietnam would level South Korea and Japan at five wins apiece ahead of the final group fixture, setting up a de facto gold medal decider.
The meeting serves as a revenge match for South Korea. Although traditionally strong in Asian Games handball, South Korea settled for the silver medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games after dropping a 29-19 decision to Japan in the final.
Scheduling presents an immediate hurdle for Coach Lee’s roster. South Korea faces a grueling stretch of three consecutive matches from September 25 through September 27. In contrast, Japan enjoys a rest day on September 26, entering the September 27 Korea-Japan showdown with an extra day of recovery.
### Men’s Team Advances to Quarterfinals
In the men’s tournament, South Korea secured a 44-22 victory over Kazakhstan in their final Group B match at the Kasai Sports Gymnasium on September 25. Kim Yeon-bin of Doosan paced the offense with seven goals.
South Korea finished the men’s group stage with two wins, one draw, and one loss, locking down second place behind Bahrain, which finished with four wins. The men’s squad advances to the quarterfinals to face Group A third-place finisher China at 2 p.m. on September 26 for a berth in the semifinals.
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