The South Korean men’s and women’s teams, coached by Park Joo Bong, swept host China 3-0 in the finals Saturday in Qingdao, China. It was the first time since the tournament began in 2016 that South Korea’s women finished on top.
An anchored the run from the group stage through the final, playing first in singles and not dropping a single game. She also told the coach she wanted to keep playing to maintain momentum, helping drive the team’s “One Team Korea” unity.
South Korea fielded a full-strength lineup that included An, Kim Ga Eun and the doubles pair Lee So Hee-Baek Ha Na. The team beat Singapore and Taiwan in group play, then defeated Malaysia in the quarterfinals and Indonesia in the semifinals before lifting the trophy.
With the result, the women secured a spot in the finals of the BWF World Team Championships for women, the Uber Cup, to be held in Denmark in April. An said the achievement was special because it was earned together, and she pledged strong performances at future world events.
The men’s team finished tied for third despite losing ace Seo Seung Jae to a shoulder injury. Led by Kim Won Ho, singles prospects helped the team clinch a berth in the men’s world team finals, the Thomas Cup.
Park said he was pleased with the women’s historic first title and the men’s better-than-expected showing, and he praised the potential of the next generation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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