▲ The South Korean national esports delegation enters the fighting game finals.
The South Korean national team competing in the esports fighting games category at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games defeated Japan in the final to claim the country's first-ever gold medal in this discipline.
South Korean athletes Yeon Je-gil, Bae Jae-min, and Lee Kwang-no secured a 5-2 set score victory against Japan in the Asian Games esports fighting game final held today at the Aichi Sky Expo in Japan.
The esports fighting game discipline was conducted in a format that combined three games—Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and The King of Fighters XV—switching games with each set.
Representing South Korea were Yeon Je-gil (Street Fighter 6), Bae Jae-min (Tekken 8), and Lee Kwang-no (The King of Fighters XV).
South Korea engaged in a tight contest in the first set, played in Street Fighter 6, but ultimately gave the win to Japan.
However, in the second set played in The King of Fighters XV, Lee Kwang-no subdued his opponent with a stable performance to level the score.
South Korea and Japan continued their fierce battle in the subsequent matches.
The third set featured Tekken 8, where Bae Jae-min faced his rival Daichi Nakayama, whom he had encountered multiple times in international competitions.
Nakayama defeated Bae after a close match, putting Japan ahead with a set score of 2-1.
The fourth set was The King of Fighters XV, an event where South Korea was evaluated to have a relative advantage.
Lee Kwang-no maintained sharp focus to counter Akihito Sawada's aggressive play, bringing the set score to a 2-2 tie.
In the fifth set using Tekken 8, Bae Jae-min seized the initiative by successfully landing consecutive combo attacks on his opponent to win the first game.
His formidable rival Nakayama did not back down and successfully counterattacked in game two, but Bae's concentration shone in game three, allowing South Korea to turn the tide and lead with a set score of 3-2.
The sixth set was played in Street Fighter 6.
Yeon Je-gil, playing as Viper, won the first game by defeating Kojiro Higuchi's Guile—known for strong zoning tools—with a perfect KO in round two without taking a single hit.
Yeon calmly defended against all of Higuchi's offensive pressures from a disadvantageous position in game two as well, landing a precise special move to secure the win and widen the set score to 4-2.
The seventh set returned to Tekken 8.
Bae Jae-min sealed the victory by defeating Nakayama in an ultra-tight contest during the first game.
He then steadily subdued his opponent in the second game as well, bringing their Asian Games journey this year to a golden finish.
As of today, South Korea has accumulated one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in esports events.
Kim Young-chan, competing in Gran Turismo 7, won a bronze medal by finishing in third place on the 23rd, while Kang Dong-shin claimed a silver medal earlier today in Puyo Puyo Champions.
Previously, South Korea's Kim Kwan-woo won a gold medal in the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which was held as a single event in Street Fighter V.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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