"They Broke Through the Great Wall!" South Korea Volleyball Reaches Semifinals for the First Time in Seven Years—Can It Pull Off a Major Upset at the Nagoya Asian Games?

[Financial News] With the opening of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya just around the corner, South Korea’s men’s national volleyball team sent a strong warning ahead of the Games by toppling the Great Wall of China at the Asian championship and signaling its pursuit of gold in Nagoya.
South Korea’s men’s national volleyball team, ranked 25th in the world and led by head coach Issanayê Ramires, defeated China, ranked 32nd, 3–1 (17–25, 25–21, 25–22, 29–27) in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship at Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, on the 10th.
South Korea thereby reached the semifinals for the first time in seven years, since finishing fourth at the 2019 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship. After suffering a blow to its pride by finishing eighth in 2021—the worst result in its history—and fifth in 2023, South Korean volleyball completely erased memories of its past struggles with this victory.
Above all, reaching the semifinals is the best possible result ahead of the upcoming 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya. Against powerful rival China, South Korea demonstrated excellent crisis management and resilience in a competitive match, raising expectations for a medal comeback at the Asian Games to their highest level. The team also kept alive its hopes of earning the direct berth in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles awarded to the tournament winner, as well as a place in the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup awarded to the teams finishing first through third.
The start was uneasy. After a closely fought first set, South Korea trailed 16–18 when Jae-Young Lim of Korean Air committed an attacking error and China’s three consecutive blocks stopped its offense. South Korea then surrendered the set 17–25 without much resistance.

The turnaround began in the second set. South Korea changed the momentum behind opposite hitter Dong-Hyeok Lim of Korean Air. At the pivotal 19–19 juncture, Cha Young-seok of KB Insurance scored on a quick attack, Lim Sung-jin of the Armed Forces Athletic Corps served an ace, and Dong-Hyeok Lim delivered the clinching point to level the match at 25–21. South Korea carried that momentum into the third set, taking control with three straight points after leading 14–13 and adding Lim Sung-jin’s contributions on offense and defense to win 25–22.
The fourth set was the match’s decisive and nerve-racking turning point. After a seesaw battle left South Korea tied at 21–21, a sharp video challenge that identified a Chinese antenna touch overturned the call and shifted the momentum. South Korea then faced a 26–27 match point during a tense deuce battle, but Lim Sung-jin scored a crucial point and Dong-Hyeok Lim produced an exhilarating block to turn the match around at 28–27. China’s Yuan Zihua then committed an attacking error, bringing the dramatic contest to an end at 29–27.
The leading contributors to the victory were the two-pronged attack of Heo Su-bong and Dong-Hyeok Lim, who exploded for 21 points apiece. As soon as the victory was secured, the entire national team, including coach Issanayê Ramires, rushed onto the court and celebrated its first semifinal appearance in seven years.
After completing the perfect warm-up for the Nagoya Asian Games, South Korea will face the winner of the Japan–India match on the 12th for a coveted place in the final. If Japan advances, a major Korea-Japan match serving as a preview of the Asian Games is expected to take place.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter