The South Korean League of Legends (LoL) team has advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finishing the group stage with a perfect record of three wins. They are now just two victories away from securing back-to-back gold medals.
Under the guidance of coach Kang Dong-hoon, South Korea defeated Hong Kong 22-2 in kills in the final match of Group B, held on September 30 at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.
After previously defeating Taiwan and India, South Korea secured first place in Group B with a flawless record. They will face Saudi Arabia, the second-place team from Group A, in the semifinals.
For the match against Hong Kong, South Korea fielded 'Zeus' Choi Woo-je, 'Canyon' Kim Gun-bu, 'Zeka' Kim Gun-woo, 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok, 'Gumayusi' Lee Min-hyung, and 'Keria' Ryu Min-seok. Kim Gun-woo returned to the lineup after playing mid-lane in the match against Taiwan, replacing Lee Sang-hyeok, who participated in the match against India.
The match was delayed by about an hour due to position changes made by the Hong Kong team just before the game. Issues also arose during the ban-pick phase, further postponing the start.
Hong Kong adjusted their lineup to include a top lane Tristana and a bottom lane K'Sante, forming a composition of Tristana, Trundle, Syndra, K'Sante, and Alistar. South Korea opted for a combination of Amumu, Lee Sin, Ryze, Jhin, and Bard.
South Korea took control of the match early, winning a crucial skirmish over the Voidlings just eight minutes in. They continued to extend their lead by securing additional kills in the top lane, effectively quelling any hopes of a comeback from Hong Kong.
As the game progressed, the gap widened. By the 20-minute mark, South Korea had taken down the Baron and pushed into Hong Kong's base. They ultimately destroyed Hong Kong's Nexus in just 22 minutes, finishing the match with a kill score of 21-2.
From the outset of the day, South Korea demonstrated superior gameplay, defeating Taiwan in about 26 minutes and then winning against India in approximately 19 minutes with Lee Sang-hyeok in the lineup. With their victory over Hong Kong, South Korea completed the group stage without a single loss.
South Korea previously won the gold medal in League of Legends at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Choi Woo-je, Lee Sang-hyeok, and Ryu Min-seok were part of that gold medal-winning team.
South Korea will face Saudi Arabia in the semifinals on October 1. The semifinal match will be played in a best-of-three format. A victory there would set them up for a chance to defend their gold medal in the final on October 2.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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