Wiped Away Humiliation and Raised the South Korean Flag on Enemy Soil! Lee Min-sung Defeats China and Japan, Exits with Honor After Making History with Four Straight Asian Games Titles

[Financial News] South Korean football has come back from the brink. Lee Min-sung's fighting spirit rescued the country's football from a downward spiral following a World Cup debacle and the resignation of its top officials. It was a thrilling revenge story that fully erased past humiliations, as well as a spectacular finale capped by the unprecedented feat of winning four consecutive Asian Games titles.
The South Korea national under-23 football team, led by Lee Min-sung, defeated archrivals Japan 1-0 in the men's football final at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 3rd, winning the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. The victory marked South Korea's fourth consecutive title, dating back to the 2014 Incheon Games—a milestone that will stand forever in the history of Asian football.
Most notably, this victory was significant because it represented a "perfect revenge story" that restored pride that had been thoroughly trampled. Lee Min-sung's team had faced fierce criticism before the tournament. In November last year, South Korea suffered the humiliation of a 0-2 loss to China at the Panda Cup. Earlier this year, it was defeated by Japan, which was made up largely of under-21 players, at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup and finished fourth.


But the main event was different. Lee assembled a full-strength squad by bringing in nine Europe-based players, including Bae Jun-ho and Eom Ji-sung, along with Lee Young-jun, who had completed his mandatory military service. He erased the nightmare of the Panda Cup by defeating China 2-1 in the semifinals, then secured a narrow but emphatic 1-0 win over Japan in the heart of its home territory in the final, delivering a decisive lesson.
The path was far from easy. Poor training conditions in Japan, travel problems and other setbacks piled up, but Lee never wavered. He established a balance between attack and defense with a 4-2-3-1 formation. His sharp tactical decisions also stood out, including moving Bae Jun-ho to the flank against China to help produce the comeback goal.
Lee Min-sung will now be remembered as a hero who struck a dagger into the heart of Japan both as a player and as a coach. He was the star of the thrilling long-range comeback goal during the 1997 Tokyo triumph. Now, as a manager, he has defeated Japan on hostile ground and gifted South Korean football its fourth consecutive Asian Games title.


Lee will step down as head coach of the national team after this tournament. He was originally expected to lead the team through the LA28 Olympics, but the KFA decided to separate the national team's coaching roles because of issues including the Olympic qualifying schedule. Preparations for the LA28 Olympics have already begun under Kim Eun-jung.
Amid the unprecedented crisis of an early group-stage exit from the World Cup and the simultaneous resignations of the association president and the senior national team coach, the Asian Games gold medal served as the last line of defense for South Korean football's pride. Lee Min-sung, who quietly prepared while taking criticism from every direction, is leaving the bench with the most convincing results possible and his honor restored.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter