▲ South Korea's Jang Dong-hwan competes against Tajikistan's Akmal Ubaidov in the men's 60kg boxing semifinal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Nishio Gymnasium in Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on September 29.
After a period of sluggishness, South Korean men's boxing has achieved a remarkable feat by sending two athletes to the finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Promising South Korean male boxers Jang Dong-hwan and Kim Min-seong (both from Korea National Sport University) both advanced to the finals after securing 5-0 unanimous decision victories in their respective semifinal matches at the Nishio Gymnasium in Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on September 29.
As a result, South Korean men's boxing has secured at least two silver medals while positioning itself to challenge for simultaneous gold medals in both weight classes.
In previous Asian Games, South Korean men's boxing saw Shin Jong-hun in the 49kg division and Ham Sang-myung in the 56kg division win gold medals together at the 2014 Incheon Games, while failing to win any medals at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
At the 2022 Hangzhou Games, Jeong Jae-min won a bronze medal in the 92kg division.
Competing first, Jang Dong-hwan of the men's 60kg division secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Akmal Ubaidov of Tajikistan in the semifinals.
Overwhelming his opponent throughout the match with fast footwork and precise effective blows, Jang swept all five judges' scorecards following a lopsided advantage that included scoring a knockdown against his opponent in the third round.
▲ South Korea's Kim Min-seong competes against Jordan's Hussein Iashaish in the men's 80kg boxing semifinal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Nishio Gymnasium in Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on September 29. (Photo: Yonhap News)
In the men's 80kg semifinal that followed, Kim Min-seong defeated Jordan's Hussein Iashaish 5-0, carrying on the momentum to reach the finals.
Starting out on tight margins after receiving a trailing score from three judges in the first round, Kim completely turned the tide of the match by landing a decisive punch that knocked down his opponent in the second round.
Seizing the momentum, Kim completed his comeback by earning a score of 10 points from all five judges in the third round as well.
Jang Dong-hwan and Kim Min-seong will go on a joint hunt for gold medals in the finals scheduled for October 2.
Jang's opponent in the final will be Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan, while Kim's opponent will be Ankush of India.
In an official interview with the Asian Games Organizing Committee after the match, Jang said, "South Korean men's boxing has reached the Asian Games final for the first time in 12 years. I definitely want to win a gold medal for my country."
Regarding Khalokov, who was decided as his final opponent, he stated, "He is an opponent I am meeting for the first time, and the best athlete in this weight class. I will devise a plan to win."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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