Why is Korea treating the Japan match at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as so important?

Coach Lee Kye-chung said Korea wants to reclaim its regional supremacy after losing heavily to Japan in the previous Asian Games and again in the 2024 Asian championships final. He said the team has a balance of youthful energy and veteran leadership and is focused on avoiding the same fate.

When will Korea play its women’s handball matches at the Asian Games, and who are the opponents?

Korea starts against Hong Kong on Sept. 19 and then plays Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Vietnam and Japan on Sept. 27. All matches will be held at Kasugai City Gymnasium in Kasugai and at Entrio in Inazawa.

How will the women’s handball medal race work at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

There will be no knockout stage. Instead, the seven teams will play round-robin matches, and the top three teams will receive medals, making every game important in the race for gold.

Women's handball seeks revenge vs. host Japan at Asian Games

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Summary

Korea will try to reclaim its Asian women’s handball supremacy at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with Japan again likely standing in its way. Korea has won seven of the nine gold medals since the sport debuted in the Asian Games in 1990, but Japan beat Korea in the 2023 Asian Games final and again in the 2024 Asian championships final. Coach Lee Kye-chung said the team is determined to avoid another heavy loss and believes its mix of youth and veteran leadership can challenge Japan.

Key Facts

Women’s handball debuted at the Asian Games in 1990, and Korea has won seven of the nine gold medals awarded so far.
Korea lost 29-19 to Japan in the 2023 Asian Games gold medal match.
Japan beat Korea again in the 2024 Asian championships final, winning 25-24.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 9, 2026 4:01 pm KST
Updated Sep 9, 2026 5:40 pm KST

Members of the Korean women's national handball team train for the Asian Games at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

Korea will try to reclaim its Asian women's handball supremacy at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the national team head coach said Wednesday, with the host country Japan likely standing in the way.

Women's handball made its Asian Games debut in 1990, and Korea has won seven of the nine gold medals awarded so far. However, at the previous Asian Games in 2023, Korea suffered a crushing, 29-19 defeat to Japan in the gold medal contest.

Then, as the Asian championships in 2024, Japan got the better of Korea once again, this time coming away with a 25-24 victory in the final. Korea had won the previous six Asian titles, five of them at the expense of Japan.

Lee Kye-chung, back as the bench boss after coaching Korea to gold at the 2018 Asian Games, said his team has what it takes to topple Japan this time.

"After we lost so big to Japan last time, we are determined not to suffer the same fate this time," Lee said at the national team press conference at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul. "We have a great balance of youthful energy and veteran leadership. They all have great mental fortitude."

At this year's Asian Games, the women's handball competition will not feature any knockout match. Instead, the top three teams among the seven nations after round-robin play will take home medals.

Korea will begin its medal pursuit against Hong Kong on Sept. 19, followed by Kazakhstan on Sept. 20, Uzbekistan on Sept. 23, China on Sept. 25, Vietnam on Sept. 26 and Japan on Sept. 27.

All matches will be played at Kasugai City Gymnasium in Kasugai, northeast of Nagoya, and at Entrio in Inazawa, just northwest of the main host city.

Barring big upsets along the way, the Korea-Japan showdown will likely determine the gold medal.

"Every match will be important, and we can't afford to take anyone lightly," Lee added. "I think we and Japan have similar styles. It will come down to who is more desperate."

Lee blamed those past losses to Japan on shaky defense and said the team has tried to address issues at its own end.

"We have been working hard on improving our defense, and we have even named defensive specialists for this team," the coach said. "The goal is to minimize mistakes and have good communication during matches."

Assistant coach Chong Yeon-ho said he has tried to encourage his players to savor the opportunity to play Japan again at the Asian Games.

"I think they should be thankful for this chance to get their revenge," Chong added. "We will play two straight days before playing Japan, and that stretch starts against China. So that is another big match for us."

Kang Il-koo, the goalkeeper coach, said the team has been trying to analyze tendencies of Europe-based Japanese attackers.

"I think we will have a chance to win if we keep Japan to below 25 goals," Kang said. "We are trying to guard against their fast breaks and shots from long distance."

Captain Gwon Han-na, who helped Korea win gold at the 2014 Asian Games, voiced confidence in her team's chemistry this time around.

"We all understand the importance of the Japan match," Gwon said. "I think we have a really tight group here. I can't wait to get going."

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