The 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games left an indelible stain on Korean badminton history. For the first time in four decades since the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, the team suffered the ignominy of a medal-less performance. Across all five events – men’s and women’s team competitions and individual events (singles, doubles, and mixed doubles) – not a single Korean athlete reached the podium.
Driven by this setback, Korean badminton staged a remarkable comeback at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. In a complete reversal of fortunes, the team clinched medals in all seven events, achieving an unprecedented haul of two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes. Now, they’re setting their sights even higher for the 2026 Nagoya-Aichi Games. Given the current prowess and momentum of the Korean squad, this ambitious goal seems well within reach.
South Korean badminton is currently riding a wave of success that can only be described as a golden era. The sport boasts a roster of world-class talent across all disciplines. An Se-young, the undisputed Queen of the Court, leads the charge. The men’s doubles pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, currently world No. 1, are dominating their field. Meanwhile, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na recently ended a 31-year drought by clinching the women’s doubles gold at the World Championships.
At the epicenter of this success story is An Se-young. After an astounding 2025 campaign where she claimed 11 international titles, tying the record for most wins in a single season, An has shown no signs of slowing down in 2026.
An kicked off the year in style, securing back-to-back victories at the Malaysia Open and India Open. She continued her winning ways at every subsequent tournament, including the Asian Championships, Singapore Open, and Indonesia Open. Her only setback came in the All England Open final, where she fell to Wang Zhi Yi.
Concerns arose when An skipped the Japan Open and China Open in July due to injury. However, she silenced doubters with a triumphant return at the World Championships in India. An’s victory was nothing short of dominant – she didn’t drop a single game throughout the tournament, including in her final showdown against Akane Yamaguchi. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, An claimed the women’s singles gold, a feat not achieved by a Korean since Bang Soo-hyun in 1994. Now, she’s gunning for a repeat performance.
While An Se-young has been grabbing headlines, the men’s doubles pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho have been equally impressive. They matched An’s 2025 trophy haul with 11 titles of their own. Though they’ve been somewhat overshadowed by An’s star power, their accomplishments are no less remarkable. However, 2026 has presented some challenges for the duo.
The year started promisingly with victories at the Malaysia Open in January, All England Open in March, and Asian Championships in April. But since then, they’ve struggled to add to their trophy cabinet, facing increasingly strategic opposition. Their bid for back-to-back World Championship titles was thwarted in the semifinals by Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik (world No. 4), leaving them with bronze. This setback has only intensified their focus on the upcoming Asian Games.
Seo Seung-jae acknowledged the increased scrutiny they face: It has noticed that opponents are coming into matches having done extensive analysis on the play. There were times when it became too conscious of this and it affected the performance. It has realized that it needs to concentrate on our strengths and refine what it does best, rather than getting caught up in countering the opponents’ strategies.
In women’s doubles, where China has long reigned supreme, hopes are pinned on the clutch performances of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na. Currently ranked world No. 3, the pair recently upset the top-ranked Chinese duo of Liu Shengsu and Tan Ning in the World Championships final. This victory was particularly sweet, as Liu and Tan had been undefeated against Korean pairs all year, winning five straight matchups.
After their back-to-back triumphs at the World Tour Finals last December – badminton’s season-ending championship – Lee and Baek had hit a dry spell. But their resurgence on the sport’s biggest stage has reignited their confidence.
Lee So-hee expressed optimism about their prospects: Defeating a team it couldn’t beat all year in the World Championships final gives them renewed hope for the Asian Games. Baek Ha-na echoed this sentiment: Winning gold at such a prestigious event has been a real eye-opener. She’s sure it’ll approach future major tournaments with even greater self-belief.
With An Se-young leading the charge and a supporting cast of world-class talent, expectations are sky-high for both the badminton team and the entire South Korean contingent at the Asian Games.
Head coach Park Joo-bong put the tournament in perspective: The Asian Games carry a unique weight, different from even the World Championships. The entire nation will be watching, which adds pressure. But its confident the athletes will rise to the occasion. It’s aiming to match or surpass the stellar performance from the Hangzhou Asian Games.