Korea beats Japan to keep football streak alive with another Asian Games gold [REWIND 2023]

Korea celebrates winning the men's football gold medal match against Japan at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Oct. 7. [XINHUA]

Korea beat age-old rivals Japan 2-1 in the final of the men’s football tournament at the Hangzhou Asian Games, becoming the first-ever country to win three consecutive Asiad gold medals in the event.

The U-24 national team’s victory added to an Asiad medal haul that saw Korea secure 42 gold, 59 silver and 89 bronze medals across 39 sports.

Men’s football was one of the few team sports in which Korea won a gold medal, the notable other being men’s baseball. In that event, Korea beat Chinese Taipei in the final after seeing off Japan in the semis. The Korean handball, hockey and volleyball teams all failed to do so.

Korea also saw great success in the individual events at the Asiad, with Korea’s archers, swimmers and fencers all proving especially dominant.

Male gold medal-winning athletes at the Asiad also earn a military exemption, with Europe-based football players like Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Jeong Woo-yeong of VfB Stuttgart among the winners now able to continue their careers uninterrupted.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]