"Paid Back the Hangzhou Debt with Interest": South Korea Women's Handball Team Beats Japan to Rule Asia for the First Time in 8 Years [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] South Korea perfectly avenged its painful defeat in the Hangzhou final four years ago, doing so in the heart of its rival's home territory. The South Korea women's national handball team defeated archrival Japan and returned to the top of the Asian Games podium for the first time in eight years.
The South Korea women's national handball team, led by head coach Lee Gye-cheong, defeated Japan 27-23 in the sixth and final round-robin match of the women's handball tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on the 27th at ENTRIO Gymnasium in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
The tournament featured seven nations playing a round-robin schedule, with the team posting the best record crowned champion. South Korea finished with a perfect 6-0 record and 12 points, earning the gold medal. Japan took silver with five wins, one loss and 10 points, while China won bronze with a 4-2 record and eight points.
South Korea thus avenged its defeat to Japan in the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Games and reclaimed the gold medal eight years after the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. It also strengthened its position as Asia's top power by winning eight of the 10 Asian Games held since women's handball became an official event at the 1990 Beijing Games.
The decisive match was fiercely contested from the opening minutes. Japan's Natsuki Aizawa scored on a penalty throw in the second minute, putting South Korea behind, but Ryu Eun-hee and Gwon Han-na quickly scored consecutive goals to take the lead. In the ninth minute, Jeon Ji-yeon dove to steal the ball, and Gim Bo-eun converted it into a fast-break goal to give South Korea a 6-3 advantage.

Japan gambled on a power play by pulling its goalkeeper and sending an extra field player onto the court, but South Korea remained unfazed. After shutting down Japan's attack with tight defense, goalkeeper Park Se-yeon scored directly into the empty net to maintain a 9-7 lead. Substitute goalkeeper Jeong Jin-hui then stopped Japan's 7-meter throw, and South Korea took a 16-12 lead into halftime.
Japan's pursuit intensified in the second half. South Korea was briefly pushed to the brink, with Japan cutting the deficit to 24-22 by using aggressive defense and numerical advantages in attack. To make matters worse, Han Mi-seul had to leave the court after accumulating three two-minute suspensions.
But South Korea's focus shone brightest at the decisive moment. As Japan concentrated its defense on ace Ryu Eun-hee, South Korea found openings by attacking through Jeon Ji-yeon and Kang Eun-hye. Park Se-yeon then stopped Japan's crucial fast breaks twice in succession to weather the crisis, and Ryu Eun-hee scored the clinching goal to complete a thrilling 27-23 victory.
Ryu Eun-hee, who had conserved her energy and scored just five goals across the previous five matches, erupted for six goals on the day and proved the class of an ace when it mattered most.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter