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Members of the South Korean women's national handball team celebrate after defeating Japan in the final match of the round-robin tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at Entrio in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 27th. / Yonhap

South Korea's women's handball team delivered the 19th gold medal for the national delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Led by head coach Lee Gye-chung, the national team defeated host nation Japan 27-23 in the final round-robin match held at Entrio in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 27th. Winning all six matches in the round-robin tournament, South Korea secured the gold medal.

After settling for silver behind Japan at the previous Hangzhou Games, South Korea avenged the defeat with this victory. The team returned to the top of the podium for the first time in eight years since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. This marks South Korea's eighth gold medal in women's handball at the Asian Games.

On this day, South Korea locked down Japan's offense early in the first half to take the lead. Tied at 7-7, Kim Bo-eun and Park Sae-young (both Samcheok City Hall) scored into an empty net to pull ahead 9-7, seizing momentum to close out the first half leading 16-12. Gwon Han-na and Ryu Eun-hee (both Busan Infrastructure Corporation) combined for nine goals in the opening half alone. In the second half, the team widened the margin further through plays including a penalty goal by Kim Min-seo (Samcheok City Hall). South Korea held a 23-18 lead with 10 minutes remaining, and although a brief lapse in concentration allowed Japan to close the gap to two points, the squad quickly regained composure. At 24-22, Gwon Han-na drove in to score a decisive goal, and South Korea maintained pressure through the final buzzer to wrap up the gold.

Goalkeeper Park Sae-young emerged as the prime architect of the victory, delivering a stellar performance with 12 saves—seven in the first half and five in the second. "Losing the gold medal three years ago was heartbreaking, so today feels incredibly satisfying," Park said. "With the Asian Championship and the Los Angeles Olympics ahead, I want to keep showing winning performances there as well."

Team captain Gwon Han-na said, "Women's handball had experienced a bit of a slump recently, so I feel very proud that we showed we are still very much alive. Team chemistry was stronger than ever, and I believe our desire to win was greater than Japan's." Ryu Eun-hee also added, "I feel fantastic, and I am so proud of our players who went through so much; it feels great to be rewarded with a medal."

                                                                                                           Lee Jang-won