South Korean Baseball Still Has Plenty of Chances for Revenge... Beat China Today and Reach Tomorrow's Final [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News] South Korea suffered a humiliating loss to Japan that deeply wounded its pride, but the path to the gold medal remains open.
The South Korea national baseball team, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, fell 0-5 to Japan, whose roster consisted entirely of corporate-league players, in the first Super Round game of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture on the 25th.

With this loss, South Korea recorded its first defeat to Japan at the Asian Games in 20 years, since the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Since baseball became an official event at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games, this is the first time South Korea has been shut out in a Korea-Japan game without scoring a single run.
The game unraveled for South Korea on both offense and defense. Starter So Hyeong-jun of KT gave up three runs in the third inning after hits and errors, while relievers Jo Byeong-hyeon of SSG Landers and Park Young-hyun of KT, brought in during the sixth, surrendered two more runs and allowed Japan to take complete control. The bats also went cold, as Japan's left-handed starter Shin Higuchi held South Korea scoreless over seven innings. Kim Joo-won of the NC Dinos fought back with two hits, but South Korea was undone by the silence of its middle-of-the-order hitters and three double plays through the sixth inning.

However, it is not yet time to worry about elimination. South Korea entered the Super Round carrying a 5-0 group-stage win over Taiwan and, at 1-1, holds a clear answer without needing to calculate complicated scenarios.
If South Korea beats China in the second Super Round game on the 26th, it will secure a place in the final on its own, regardless of the other results.
If Japan beats Taiwan in the Taiwan-Japan game held the same day, South Korea, at 2-1, and Japan, with three wins, will both advance to the final. Even if Taiwan defeats Japan and all three teams finish tied at 2-1, South Korea will secure at least second place under the TQB rule, which compares runs scored and allowed per inning among tied teams. South Korea's 5-0 win over Taiwan and 0-5 loss to Japan leave it with a balanced run differential.
South Korea currently has five runs scored and five allowed over 17 innings, giving it a TQB of 0. Taiwan has no runs over nine innings and has allowed five runs over eight innings, while Japan has scored five runs over eight innings and allowed none over nine innings. Whether Taiwan beats Japan or Japan beats Taiwan, South Korea is guaranteed at least second place. Based on the scenarios so far, the odds strongly favor a Korea-Japan rematch in tomorrow's final. 


Of course, if South Korea loses to China, the permutations become complicated. But there is no need—and there should be no reason—to make those calculations.
A loss to China as well would be a genuine disaster. Discussing qualification for the final itself would be absurd. Ultimately, without considering the results at the other stadium or calculating run differentials, the only mission left for Ryu Ji-hyun's team is to beat China. South Korea will play its final Super Round game against China at the same venue at 6:30 p.m. on the 26th.

[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter