▲ South Korean shooting team members Yang Ji-in, Bong Seo-rin, and Oh Ye-jin (from left) pose with their silver medals during the medal ceremony for the women's 25m pistol team event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games held at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range in Japan on September 28. (Photo: Yonhap News)
Bong Seo-rin (Gwangju Sports Council), a first-time Asian Games competitor known as "Ayoon's mother," led South Korea to a silver medal in the women's 25m pistol team event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
Stepping onto the firing line alongside 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalists Yang Ji-in (Woori Bank) and Oh Ye-jin (IBK Industrial Bank), the eldest member of the team anchored her squad with steady shooting even after a younger teammate made a mistake.
Bong scored 581 points in today's (September 28) individual preliminaries, which also doubled as the team event, held at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range in Japan.
South Korea combined for a total of 1,735 points—with Oh adding 579 points and Yang contributing 575 points—securing second place behind China (1,743 points).
They finished just one point ahead of third-place Taiwan (1,734 points).
Speaking to reporters after the match, Bong said, "Honestly, I competed without knowing what scores Ye-in or Ji-in were getting. Once I stepped onto the firing line, I just thought, 'Let's do my job and give my absolute best to what I can control.'"
The veteran shooter's performance truly shone during today's rapid-fire stage.
After Yang received a zero for failing to fire her 21st rapid-fire shot within the time limit, Bong shot 292 points to play a pivotal role in securing the team silver medal.
Bong shared, "I was angry in the beginning because things weren't going the way I prepared. But once I got fired up and decided I needed to show what I'm capable of, good results followed in the latter half."
Bong, Yang, and Oh created unforgettable memories by teaming up to win silver in their first Asian Games together.
Their mutual trust was also evident in the text messages they exchanged the night before the competition.
▲ South Korea's Bong Seo-rin aims during the final of the women's 25m pistol event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range in Japan on the 28th.
Bong said, "I sent a KakaoTalk message to the younger members saying, 'I'm so glad to be with you guys. Unni trusts Ji-in and Ye-in, so I hope you guys trust Unni just once and do your best.' Everyone replied with 'Fighting,' and we fell asleep cheering for each other."
All three athletes ended up shedding tears after the match concluded.
Oh vowed, "Although we didn't show as good of a performance as expected, I feel like this has given me a path to move forward. I will return as the Oh Ye-jin everyone knows," while Yang similarly remarked, "Using this disappointment as a stepping stone, I will show a smiling face instead of a crying one next time."
Bong, who began shooting in 2007, joined a corporate team in 2017 and earned her first national team selection in 2021.
Returning to the national team after a four-year hiatus following marriage and childbirth, she achieved her first-ever Asian Games appearance and medal 19 years after taking up the sport.
Bong expressed gratitude to her family for easing her childcare burdens so she could focus entirely on training.
"I think my skills improved even further as I thought about wanting to become a proud mother to my daughter Ayoon after becoming a mother," she said.
She then delivered a heartfelt message to her daughter born in 2023, whom she missed most at this moment: "Ayoon, Mommy worked really, really hard after having you. That's probably why I won an Asian Games silver medal.
I hope you will think of me as a proud mother when you grow up later. Ayoon, I love you so much."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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