The South Korean women’s national soccer team defeated Myanmar decisively in its first Asian Games match.
The 5-0 victory, in which Kim Min-ji recorded a hat trick, showed that the goal set at the start of the tournament was more than just words.
However, the task remains: South Korea has never won an Asian Games women’s soccer gold medal.
3-Line Summary
1. South Korea’s women’s soccer team defeated Myanmar 5-0
2. Kim Min-ji recorded a hat trick
3. The challenge for a first gold medal has now begun
First 5-0 Victory Powered by Kim Min-ji’s Hat Trick
The South Korean women’s national soccer team defeated Myanmar 5-0 in its first Asian Games match on September 14. Hankyoreh reported South Korea’s lopsided victory along with Kim Min-ji’s hat trick. The result earned the team 3 points in the opening group-stage match.
Before the tournament, head coach Shin Sang-woo said that reaching the final and changing the color of the medal were major goals. Ji So-yun also said she wanted a higher medal ahead of her sixth Asian Games. This decisive victory over Myanmar can be viewed as the first result of the championship goal presented by the coach and players.
The national team prepared with 20 domestic-based players during its training camp, while 3 overseas-based players, including Choo Hyo-joo, Jung Min-young, and Jung Da-bin, were scheduled to join the team locally after the Myanmar match. Distinguishing the plan announced before the tournament from the actual result of the first match, the 5-0 victory is confirmed, but the subsequent player composition and match results cannot be determined from this victory alone.
Why South Korea Must Move Beyond Three Bronze Medals
The South Korean women’s soccer team’s best Asian Games result is a bronze medal. It won bronze medals in three consecutive tournaments—in Guangzhou in 2010, Incheon in 2014, and Jakarta–Palembang in 2018—but did not reach the final. At the previous Hangzhou Games, South Korea was eliminated after losing 1-4 to North Korea in the quarterfinals.
In this tournament, the women’s soccer competition is structured with 12 countries divided into 3 groups for the group stage, with the top 1 and 2 teams from each group and the 2 best-performing third-place teams advancing to the quarterfinals. South Korea’s schedule was announced as placing it in Group F alongside Myanmar, Bangladesh, and North Korea.
The wide margin in the opening match stabilized South Korea’s start in the group stage, but the standard for the change South Korea seeks is not a victory in one match, but reaching the final and winning gold. Japan was introduced as the defending champion, while China and North Korea are also teams that have each won the Asian Games women’s soccer gold medal three times. The 5-0 win over Myanmar is the first step toward advancing through that competition.
The Goal Is Not a ‘Medal Color’ but a First Title
Head coach Shin Sang-woo mentioned that a victory over North Korea would be important for the atmosphere in the group stage and for the goals that follow. South Korea must overcome strong teams, including North Korea, to reach the final for the first time. Since the national team has already experienced bronze medals three times, the significance of this tournament lies not simply in adding another medal, but in whether it can reach its first championship.
Kim Min-ji’s hat trick and the five-goal victory were an impressive start in attack. However, whether the Asian Games’ historical record changes will be decided in the knockout stage after the group stage. The clearest change left by the opening match is the fact that South Korea began its challenge for gold with a victory.
References
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