Double Gold: Korea’s Basketball Wins and the History of the Asian Games

·September 25, 2026·3 min read·1

Quite recently in the 2026 Asian Games, South Korea’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both won gold in Nagoya, Japan. It was Korea’s first basketball gold in 12 years.

The men won first on September 20th when they beat host team Japan 67-57 in the final. South Korea’s Forward Lee Hyun Jung scored 27 points and 18 rebounds, 13 points in the deciding third quarter that changed the flow of the game. Korea was undefeated through the tournament and ended a 12 year gold medal drought in men’s basketball.

The women followed six days later, also beating the host team Japan 75-70 in the final. Lee Hae Ran scored 24 points and captain Kang Lee Seul scored 21. Korea led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but Japan kept in competitive, closing the gap up to just two points in the fourth quarter. In this neck and neck competition, Kang made two free throws to close it out, and this was Korea’s first women’s basketball gold medal since 2014.

The 3×3 basketball teams did well too, a smaller half court version of basketball with just three players per side. The men’s 3×3 team won Korea’s first Asian Games gold in that event, beating Qatar 19-10. The women’s 3×3 took bronze. In total, Korea won four basketball medals, three of them being gold.

Many of you know the Olympics, but what exactly are the Asian Games? They are Asia’s biggest sporting event, held every four years with a unique history of its own.

The Games began in 1951, years after World War II. Many Asian countries became free of colonial rule, and India’s first Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru suggested a sports event to rebuild ties across the Asian region. The first games were held in New Delhi, India’s capital. Only about 11 countries with about 500 athletes participated then. This year, more than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries competed.

The Games also played a role beyond sports throughout history. Japan hosted the Asian Games in Tokyo, 1958. 13 years after world war II, for a country that had fought much of Asia, including China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, and more, hosting of the Games carried a deeper significance and message. For Japan, it was their first step towards rebuilding its image in Asia, healing past wounds, and establishing ties with past enemies.

Korea’s own history with the Asian games is just as meaningful. In the Tokyo Asian games, the Korean team finished third with 27 medals, a significant result considering its history with colonization of Japan just years before. Korea later became a host itself; Seoul held its first Asian games in 1986. They would go on to use the same venues for the 1988 Summer Olympics, serving as a testing ground for future success. For a country that was still recovering from the Korean war, hosting was a way to show its growth and leave an impression on the global stage. Korea hosted more games after this at Busan in 2002 and Incheon in 2014. Korea has since then won approximately 2425 medals, 787 gold.

Asian Games are more than just sporting meetups but an international stage that carries meanings that transcend the very sports. It is one that is of historical significance and heritage. Japan used it to rebuild its image and Korea used it to show its growth on the international stage. This year, Korea’s basketball teams had great success, showing that the very idea that the games were built upon, the idea that neighbors meet to compete on equal terms, still works. Whatever comes next for Korean Basketball, this year’s wins are now part of the Asian Games’ long history.

By. Daniel Song