South Korea's Esports Team Wins 5 Medals at 2026 Asian Games

South Korea's Medal Haul

South Korea's esports national team achieved an impressive performance at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, earning a total of five medals: two gold, one silver, and two bronze. The highlight of the event was the League of Legends team, which secured the final gold medal by defeating Taiwan in the finals.

Breakdown of Achievements

The esports team represented South Korea in nine out of 11 medal events at the Games. The medals were distributed as follows:

• Gold Medals:
• League of Legends
• Fighting Games
• Silver Medal:
• Puyo Puyo Champions
• Bronze Medals:
• Gran Turismo 7
• Pokémon Unite

Compared to the previous 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, South Korea improved its medal count by one bronze, having won four medals in total at that event.

Key Matches

• The first medal was a bronze in Gran Turismo 7, won by Kim Young-chan on September 23.
• On September 26, the silver was earned by Kang Dong-sin in Puyo Puyo Champions after a close final against Japan's Kuri-hara Yuki.
• The fighting game trio of Yeon Je-gil, Bae Jae-min, and Lee Kwang-noo clinched gold by defeating Japan with a score of 5-2.
• The League of Legends team, featuring players like 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyuk and 'Zeus' Choi Woo-jae, dominated the competition, winning every match without dropping a single set throughout the tournament.

Future of Esports at Asian Games

The Asian Games continue to expand the role of esports, now officially including events after debuting as a demonstration sport in 2018. The number of medal events increased from seven in Hangzhou to eleven in Aichi-Nagoya. However, future participation and organization of esports in the Asian Games could see changes, as the Olympic Council of Asia has indicated plans for a separate esports event in 2027 while also confirming esports will remain a medal discipline in upcoming Asian Games.