The South Korean men's hockey team lost to Pakistan 5-3 in the bronze medal match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on October 3 at Gakamigahara Green Stadium in Japan, finishing the tournament without a medal.
After securing a bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, Korea aimed for a second consecutive bronze but faltered in the final quarter. Korea initially fell behind in the first quarter but equalized with a field goal from Lee Gang-san (Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council).
In the second quarter, goals from Kim Yong-bok (Seongnam City Hall) and Yang Ji-hoon (Gimhae City Hall) put Korea ahead 3-1.
However, in a tense third quarter, Korea allowed Pakistan to equalize at 3-3 with a field goal midway through the fourth quarter, followed by conceding a penalty corner goal, losing control of the match and ultimately finishing 5-3 after Pakistan's final goal.
Under the leadership of head coach Min Tae-seok, Korea had previously lost to Malaysia 2-1 in the semifinals on October 1, ending their hopes of reaching the finals for the first time in 20 years. They advanced to the semifinals as the second-place team in Group A (3 wins, 1 loss) but could not overcome Malaysia, the top team in Group B (4 wins).
The last time the South Korean men's hockey team reached the finals at the Asian Games was during the 2006 Doha Games, where they won the gold medal. This time, they finished in fourth place.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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