NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea made a strong start to its Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games field hockey campaign, with both its men’s and women’s teams winning their opening matches on Friday.
The men’s team produced a 5–0 shutout against Bangladesh, while the women’s squad defeated Chinese Taipei 3–1, giving South Korea an opening-day sweep in the sport.
The results put both Korean teams on the board early as they pursue another appearance on the Asian Games podium.
Men’s Team Explodes After Scoreless First Quarter
South Korea’s men initially struggled to break through Bangladesh’s defense, with the opening quarter ending 0–0.
The breakthrough came in the second quarter.
Bae Seong-min opened the scoring before Oh Se-yong quickly doubled the advantage. Lee Gang-san added another before halftime, sending South Korea into the break with a 3–0 lead.
Captain Yang Ji-hun extended the lead early in the third quarter with a penalty-corner goal, while Shim Jae-won completed the 5–0 victory with a late field goal.
South Korea’s head coach Min Tae-seok said the team approached Bangladesh cautiously because they viewed the opponent as a potential dark horse. The Koreans then became more aggressive after adjusting to the playing conditions.
Women Defeat Chinese Taipei 3–1
The South Korean women followed with a 3–1 victory over Chinese Taipei in their Pool A opener at the same venue.
Park Seung-ae was the standout scorer, finding the net twice. Ahn Su-jin added the third goal late in the third quarter from a penalty corner.
South Korea led 1–0 after Park’s first goal before Chinese Taipei pulled one back. Park restored the Korean advantage, and Ahn then scored to give South Korea some breathing room.
Despite the victory, the Korean women identified one area for improvement: they converted only two of 17 penalty-corner opportunities.
Korea Chases Another Double Podium Finish
The opening victories come with considerable expectations following South Korea’s performance at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Both Korean hockey teams reached the podium at that tournament. The men won bronze, while the women captured silver after losing to China in the final.
South Korea is therefore seeking another strong showing from both teams in Aichi-Nagoya.
The tournament format gives each side five preliminary-round matches. Twelve teams in each competition are divided into two pools of six, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semifinals.
Men Face a Tough Pool A Road Ahead
The Korean men are in Pool A alongside India, Japan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
After the opening win, South Korea’s next match is against Indonesia on September 22.
The team will then face India, Sri Lanka and host nation Japan as it battles for one of the two semifinal places available from the group.
That makes the opening 5–0 result an important start, but the tournament remains wide open with several difficult pool matches still ahead.
Women Prepare for Kazakhstan
South Korea’s women are also competing in Pool A, alongside China, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh.
Their next match is against Kazakhstan on September 21.
The women’s side will look to build on Friday’s victory while improving its efficiency from penalty corners.
Asian Games Hockey Carries Olympic Stakes
The field hockey tournament carries additional significance because the Asian Games winners earn direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to tournament coverage.
That makes every group-stage match important as teams pursue not only Asian Games medals but also a route to the next Summer Olympics.
For South Korea, Friday’s results provided the ideal opening: a five-goal shutout for the men and a two-goal victory for the women.
But with India, Japan, China and other strong teams still ahead, the real test is only beginning.
