"The beauty squad is pretty and strong"... Japan thrilled by Korean curling despite defeat

At the 2026 Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, the Korean women’s national curling team kept their semifinal hopes alive with a win over Japan, drawing attention not only for their skills but also for their striking looks.
On the 15th (local time), the women’s curling team — skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun, and fifth player Seol Ye-ji — defeated Japan 7–5 in their fifth round-robin game at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. With the victory, they improved to 3 wins and 2 losses, moving into a tie for fourth place and staying in contention for a spot in the final four.
Japanese media outlets highlighted the Korean team that beat their rivals, describing them as players who combine top-level ability with exceptional beauty.
On the 15th, Japanese outlet The Digest reported, "The Korean women’s curling team that defeated Japan is creating a buzz as a team with outstanding beauty and visuals." It added that Japanese fans watching the live broadcast reacted with comments such as "beauty squad," "pretty and strong," "they look like a K-pop group," and "it’s unique that all five have their black hair tied back."
Daily Sports ran a story under the headline, "Social media reactions to Korea’s beautiful curling squad: ‘They’re all pretty,’ ‘What cosmetics do they use?’ ‘They’re all so good-looking.’"
Nikkan Sports also reported, "The idol of Korean curling, Kim Min-ji’s shots were the key to Korea’s victory."
Sports Nippon introduced her by writing, "Making her Olympic debut, Kim Min-ji boasts solid skills and a delicate appearance, and she is hugely popular in her home country as the idol of Korean curling."
This Korean women’s curling team is made up entirely of players from the Gyeonggi Provincial Government. Because all five players’ names and nicknames end with the syllable "ji," they are nicknamed "5G."
In curling, 10 teams play each other once in a round-robin preliminary stage, and the top four advance to the semifinals. Korea has reached the halfway point with a 3–2 record. They sit behind Sweden (5–0), the United States (4–1), and Switzerland (3–1), and are tied for fourth with Denmark. A final round-robin record of 6–3, or possibly 5–4, would likely be enough to reach the semifinals.
Korea will face China in their sixth game at 3:05 a.m. on the 17th. In their final seventh to ninth games, they will take on Switzerland (world No. 1), Sweden (No. 4), and Canada (No. 2) in succession.

moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter