South Korean women's modern pentathlon powerhouse Seong Seung-min (Korea National Sport University) has secured a spot in the final after finishing second in her group during the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Seong scored a total of 1,365 points across fencing, obstacle racing, swimming, and laser run (running plus shooting) in the women's modern pentathlon semifinal held today (the 17th) at the Anjo Sports Park in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, placing second in Group A.

A total of 33 athletes competed in the women's modern pentathlon at this Asian Games.

The semifinals were held across two groups on this day, with the top nine athletes from each group advancing to the final on the 20th to compete for medals.

Seong, who became the first Asian female athlete to win a medal (bronze) in the modern pentathlon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is also drawing attention as a strong candidate for South Korea's first gold medal of this tournament.

The final is scheduled to begin on the morning of the 20th, the day after the opening ceremony.

Having recorded the second-overall result in yesterday's seeding round to determine the fencing tournament bracket, Seong maintained her strong momentum by placing first in fencing (250 points), third in obstacle racing (353 points), and seventh in swimming (274 points), holding the second-place position through the first three events.

In the laser run, where starting times are staggered based on the results of the previous three disciplines, Seong maintained her second-place standing, confirming her good condition ahead of the final.

Shin Sumin (LH), the youngest member of the national team born in 2006, advanced to the final by placing sixth in Group A (1,357 points).

Jang Ha-eun (LH) finished seventh and Kim Eun-joo (Gangwon State Council) finished eighth in Group B of the semifinals, successfully joining the final lineup.
 

(Photo: Yonhap News)