South Korea's national team crushed Taiwan in the League of Legends event to win back-to-back Asian Games titles in esports, holding onto its place as Asia's strongest side with a perfect run in which it did not drop a single set across five matches from the group stage through the final.
The team beat Taiwan 3-0 in the final of the League of Legends esports event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on the 2nd at Aichi Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, to claim the gold medal.
Korea fielded a starting lineup of Choi Woo-je, known as "Zeus," Kim Geon-bu ("Canyon"), Kim Geon-woo ("Zeka"), Lee Min-hyeong ("Gumayusi") and Ryu Min-seok ("Keria"). Team captain Lee Sang-hyeok, the living legend of the game known as "Faker," did not play in the final, as was also the case in the semifinal.
Korea was pushed back by Taiwan's attacks early in the first set but turned the match around at around the 23-minute mark, when a teamfight in front of the dragon saw Choi and Kim Geon-bu combine to wipe out the opposing side. Korea immediately secured the Baron as well, then won decisively in the engagements that followed to take the opening set.
The second set was another comeback win. Playing from behind from the start, Korea seized the advantage at around the 33-minute mark when Kim Geon-bu stole the dragon in a fight in front of it, then eliminated the entire opposing team and destroyed the Nexus in Taiwan's base to take the set.
Korea took control early in the third set. After securing dragons in succession to widen the gap, it won a decisive mid-lane teamfight at around the 24-minute mark. Korea went on to claim the Ocean Soul of the wind dragon, the Baron and the Elder Dragon in succession before destroying the opposing Nexus to close out the day.
Korea, which took silver when League of Legends was a demonstration event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, has now won the title at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, where it was adopted as a medal event for the first time, and again at this edition, underscoring its standing as the sport's dominant nation. Choi, Lee Sang-hyeok and Ryu, who were part of the 2023 Hangzhou squad, each took a second gold medal. For Kim Geon-bu, Kim Geon-woo and Lee Min-hyeong, it was a first.
"I am glad that our country can keep being called the strongest nation," Ryu said after the match. "If I get the chance, I want to keep competing at the Asian Games and win every title undefeated until League of Legends dies out."
Korea took two golds, one silver and two bronze medals in esports at this edition of the Games.
