Korea Sweeps Asian Games Sabre Team Golds With Rout of Japan

TOKONAME, Japan — Once again, the road to gold ran through host nation Japan. A day after the men's sabre team beat Japan to claim a fourth straight Asian Games team title, the women's team routed the same opponent to complete a men's and women's sweep of the team events.

The South Korean women's sabre team — Jeon Ha-young of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Kim Jung-mi, Seo Ji-yeon of Ansan City Hall and Choi Se-bin of Daejeon Metropolitan Government — defeated Japan 45-31 in the women's team sabre final at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, on the 27th to win gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The victory returned South Korea to the top of the Asian Games women's team sabre podium for the first time in eight years, since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. After winning back-to-back titles at the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, the team had settled for bronze at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. The gold followed a team title at the 2026 Asian Championships in India in June, confirming the squad's momentum.

Ranked third in the world in the team event this season and the highest-ranked entrant at these Games, South Korea faced no serious challenge on its way to the final. After a bye in the round of 16, the team brushed aside Hong Kong 45-28 in the quarterfinals and overpowered China 45-29 in the semifinals, winning by 16 touches.

The title gave South Korea gold in both the men's and women's team sabre events. The men's team of Oh Sang-uk and Park Sang-won, both of Daejeon Metropolitan Government, Do Gyeong-dong of Daegu Metropolitan Government and Hwang Hee-geun of the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps had beaten Japan in their final the previous day.

South Korean fencing also completed a sweep of medals in all six team events at these Games. Adding the women's sabre gold to earlier results — gold in men's sabre, bronze in men's foil, silver in men's epee, silver in women's epee and silver in women's foil — the country reached the podium in every team event, reinforcing its standing as a fencing powerhouse.