How did South Korea beat Japan to win the women’s handball gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

South Korea won 27-23 in the sixth and final round of the women’s handball competition. The result gave Korea the gold medal for the first time since 2018 and came after its 2023 loss to Japan in the Hangzhou final.

Why was the South Korea-Japan women’s handball match decisive for the gold medal?

The tournament did not have a knockout stage. All seven teams played one another once, and medals were awarded based on round-robin standings, so the final match between the two undefeated teams decided the title.

Who stood out for South Korea in the women’s handball gold medal match?

Goalkeeper Park Sae-young made 12 saves, while Ryu Eun-hee led the team with six goals. Captain Kwon Han-na said the team’s solidarity was evident in the match and that the victory helped heal their wounded hearts.

Asian Games S. Korea gets revenge on Japan, wins Asiad handball gold

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Summary

South Korea beat Japan 27-23 in the women’s handball gold medal match at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday to win the title for the first time since 2018. The victory avenged a 29-19 loss to Japan in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games final. The match decided the gold because the competition used round-robin standings instead of a knockout stage.

Key Facts

Park Sae-young made 12 saves in the match and said the win made the team extremely happy after the loss three years ago.
The women’s handball event had no knockout stage, and all seven teams played each other once with medals awarded by final standings.
Before the final round match, South Korea and Japan were the only undefeated teams, each with five wins.
Ryu Eun-hee led South Korea with six goals and said the team prepared thoroughly for the match.
Captain Kwon Han-na said the team had won seven gold medals in the eight previous Asian Games through 2018 and that the silver medal in 2023 had been a big disappointment.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 27, 2026 9:14 pm KST

Korea's Lee Yeon-kyung attempts a shot during the women's handball match between Korea and Japan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Entrio in Inazawa, Japan, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

After losing 29-19 to Japan in the women's handball final at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, Korean players had been waiting for a chance to avenge that defeat over the past three years.

Three years later, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the two countries met again in the gold medal match on Sunday.

Korea beat Japan 27-23 in the sixth and final round of the women's handball competition to win the gold medal for the first time since 2018.

"The loss made our hearts bleed three years ago, but this victory made us extremely happy," said goalkeeper Park Sae-young, who made 12 saves during the match.

"We will take on Japan in future competitions, such as the Olympics, and we will keep working to win again."

The women's handball competition at this year's Asiad did not feature a knockout stage. Instead, all seven teams played each other once, with medals awarded based on their final round-robin standings.

Before Sunday's match, Korea and Japan were the only undefeated teams, with five wins apiece, and the gold medal winner was decided in their sixth and final group round match.

Captain Kwon Han-na said the silver medal after losing to Japan three years ago had been a big disappointment for her and her teammates, as Korea had been a handball powerhouse and won seven gold medals in the eight previous Asian Games through 2018.

"Today's victory helped us heal our wounded hearts," she said. "I think we united well, and our solidarity was evident in the match."

Ryu Eun-hee, who led Korea with six goals, credited the victory to the young players, who endured hard training and did not get nervous ahead of the important match.

"This time, we were full of the desire for revenge, so we prepared for the match thoroughly," said Ryu, a 36-year-old veteran who also played in the 2023 final against Japan.

"Young players brought fresh energy to the team, and they blended well with the team. This harmony helped us win the gold medal."

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