"An Se-young has arrived. Silver is no longer enough"... Record-strong women’s badminton team heads out to conquer Asia for the first time

[The Financial News] "This time it’s not a second-string mix. The ‘empress’ herself is taking the court."
South Korea’s women’s badminton team has boarded a plane to finally break through to the long-closed door of the Asian summit. Their trump card is clear: An Se-young of Samsung Life Insurance, the "shuttlecock queen" who has already conquered the world, will lead from the front.
On the afternoon of the 1st, the national badminton squad departed for Qingdao, China, via Incheon International Airport, heading to the land of their decisive battles.
They are traveling to compete at the 2026 Badminton Asia Women’s Team Championships, which will be held from the 3rd to the 8th. The expressions on the players’ faces as they entered the airport showed less tension and more confidence that they can get the job done.
This tournament also serves as the qualifier for the Uber Cup, the world women’s team championships, to be held in Denmark in April. A place in the semifinals is enough to secure a ticket to the main event, but South Korea’s sights are set much higher. Their goal is nothing less than a first-ever title.


South Korea’s women’s team has had particularly rough luck on the Asian stage. The event is held every two years, and they reached the final in both 2020 and 2022, only to fall at the last hurdle and leave bitterly disappointed. At the time, they also held back some strength by sending mostly second-tier players, citing scheduling and other issues.
This year, however, is different. The association has sharpened its edge. It has assembled a complete lineup of 10 elite players, including world No. 1 An Se-young.
It is a clear statement of intent: "This time, we will bring the championship trophy home no matter what."
On paper, this squad is arguably the strongest ever. In singles, An Se-young anchors the team. In a team tie played in a best-of-five format, having one near-certain point is a terrifying prospect for any opponent.
Once An Se-young seizes the early momentum, the world-class doubles pairs are expected to finish the job.


The world No. 3 women’s doubles pair of Lee So-hee (Incheon International Airport) and Baek Ha-na (Korea Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives) and the world No. 5 pair of Kim Hye-jeong (Samsung Life Insurance) and Kong Hee-yong (JEONBUK Bank) will provide the backbone. In particular, the Lee So-hee–Baek Ha-na pair is in peak form, having won the season-ending finals last year and finishing runner-up at the Malaysia Open this year.
With this combination of singles and doubles strength, many observers say the team is close to perfectly balanced.
South Korea has been drawn into Group Z alongside Taiwan and Singapore. After the group stage, the title will be decided through a knockout bracket, but experts virtually take South Korea’s place in the final for granted. Most expect the decisive showdown to be against China.
The phrase "We just trust An Se-young" is no longer wishful thinking. It has become a proven formula for victory.
On An Se-young’s shoulders, as she heads to Qingdao, rests the chance to make history by leading South Korean badminton to its first-ever Asian team crown.


jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter