How did Kang Yeon-seo help South Korea win bronze in women’s compound archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

Kang joined Park Jung-yoon and Park Ye-rin in the bronze medal match and helped South Korea edge Chinese Taipei 229-228. The deciding moment came when Chinese Taipei’s final archer shot an 8 instead of the 9 or 10 needed to force a shoot-off or win outright.

What did Kang Yeon-seo say about her chances in the women’s individual compound event?

Kang said she would try to bring home another medal from the individual event. She added that people talk about her being the youngest, but she has been training hard regardless of her age.

Why was the bronze medal special for South Korea’s women’s compound archery team?

Park Ye-rin said it was disappointing not to reach the gold medal goal, but all three archers were getting their first Asian Games medals. Kang said that made the bronze especially meaningful.

Teen archer voices confidence in another medal after helping team to bronze

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Summary

Teen compound archer Kang Yeon-seo helped South Korea win bronze in the women’s team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Okazaki, Japan, on Wednesday. The 14-year-old said she wants another medal in the individual event. South Korea lost to India in the semifinals before beating Chinese Taipei 229-228 for bronze.

Key Facts

Kang Yeon-seo became South Korea’s youngest medalist at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, two months before turning 15.
South Korea’s women’s compound team beat Chinese Taipei 229-228 in the bronze medal match at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.
The Korean team lost the semifinal to defending champion India 234-233, and India later won its second straight gold medal.
Kang reached the quarterfinals in the women’s individual event, with medals to be decided Thursday.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 30, 2026 1:24 pm KST

From left, Park Ye-rin, Kang Yeon-seo and Park Jung-yoon of South Korea celebrates after winning bronze medals in the women's team event in compound archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, Wednesday. Yonhap

OKAZAKI, Japan — Still two months shy of her 15th birthday, compound archer Kang Yeon-seo became South Korea's youngest medalist of the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday.

Kang joined Park Jung-yoon, 29, and Park Ye-rin, 20, for the bronze medal in the women's team event at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, about 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya.

After helping her team to a 229-228 win over Chinese Taipei in the bronze medal contest, Kang said she was determined not to let her youth get in the way of accomplishing even more.

"Honestly, people talk a lot about me being the youngest in this and that, but I have been training really hard regardless of my age," Kang said following the medal ceremony. "I will try to bring home another medal from the individual event."

Kang has made it to the quarterfinals in the women's individual event, with medals scheduled to be determined Thursday.

Kang and her team nearly slashed a giant in the semifinals, where they lost to the defending champion India 234-233. India went on to win its second straight gold medal.

"I knew the Indian archers were good, and we came so close," Kang said. "But I am also pleased we got the score we wanted."

Park Ye-rin said she felt confident South Korea could take down India.

"We went in thinking we could win, and I thought the momentum would swing in our favor at some point," she said. "But they were pretty steady. We have to try harder the next time."

There was even more drama in the bronze medal match.

In the team competition, three archers per team each take two arrows per "end," with a maximum score of 60. The total points after four ends, or 24 arrows per team, determine the winner, with the maximum score being 240.

South Korea finished the fourth end first with 229 points. When Chinese Taipei's final archer, Huang I-Jou, stepped up, she needed a 10 to win the bronze medal outright for her team or a 9 to force a tie and a shoot-off.

Huang instead shot an 8, a rare score in compound archery, where targets are set 50 meters away, 20 meters closer than recurve, and archers use mechanical release aids and magnified sights.

"Yeon-seo and I were holding our hands together, praying for at least a shoot-off," Park said. "Obviously, it was a sad ending for them, but we were grateful for the way it ended."

The women's team event in compound was the very first medal event in archery at this Asiad. Park said while she was slightly disappointed not to accomplish the team's ultimate goal of the gold medal, she was also glad all three archers got to put a medal around their necks.

Kang added, "This is the first Asian Games for all three of us, and that is what makes this bronze medal so special."

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