South Korea baseball team targets fifth consecutive Asian Games gold

South Korea’s national baseball team is preparing for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, where they aim to secure a fifth consecutive gold medal. The roster, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, features a young squad with 21 players aged 25 or younger, including rising KBO star Park Jun-soon of the Doosan Bears.

For many of these young athletes, the tournament carries significant personal stakes, as winning a gold medal provides an exemption from South Korea’s mandatory military service. The team’s campaign begins with a match against Chinese Taipei.

The upcoming games also highlight the historical evolution of the Asian Games. While South Korea once lacked the resources to host the event in 1970 due to financial and security concerns, the nation successfully hosted the Games in 1986, marking its emergence as a major international sporting participant.