The South Korean women’s table tennis team, featuring Joo Cheon-hui, sought to reach the final in the team-event semifinal against Japan.
However, in the match held on the 23rd at Sky Hall Toyota in Japan, they failed to win a single match.
This result should be viewed as the national team’s overall record against Japan—0–3—rather than the win or loss of one player.
3-Line Summary
1. Women’s table tennis featuring Joo Cheon-hui loses 0–3 to Japan
2. Shin Yu-bin, Joo Cheon-hui, and Kim Na-young all failed to score a game
3. Without a 3rd–4th-place match, South Korea secured the bronze medal
A Semifinal in Which Even Joo Cheon-hui Could Not Win a Game
The South Korean women’s table tennis team lost to Japan by a match score of 0–3 in the team-event semifinal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. According to a Yonhap News TV report, Shin Yu-bin, the first player to compete, lost to Hayata Hina by a game score of 0–3. Joo Cheon-hui and Kim Na-young, who competed afterward, also failed to win a game, leaving South Korea unable to reach the final.
Japan, led by Hayata Hina, Harimoto Miwa, and Nagasaki Miyu, won all three matches 3–0. Harimoto reportedly competed in the women’s team event after previously playing two mixed-doubles matches, earning 3 wins in a single day.
The reason Joo Cheon-hui’s name drew attention also lies within this sequence. A team event does not end with one individual’s match; instead, several players take turns continuing the competition. In this semifinal, South Korea could not create an opening for a counterattack from the first match, and Joo Cheon-hui and Kim Na-young, who followed, were also unable to take a game.
The Bronze Medal and Failure to Reach the Final Remain Together
Although the South Korean women’s team lost, it secured the bronze medal in a joint 3rd-place finish without playing a 3rd–4th-place match, in accordance with the tournament regulations. However, its attempt to reach the women’s team-event final for the first time in 36 years since the 1990 Beijing Games ended in this match.
The bronze medal represents the achievement of reaching the team-event semifinals. Conversely, the 0–3 loss to Japan shows that the national team challenging for the final was unable to create a game that could disrupt its opponent’s momentum. Therefore, when reading this result, it is necessary to consider the results of all three matches together, rather than looking only at the medal or narrowing responsibility to one particular player.
Japan Will Face China for the Gold Medal
After defeating South Korea and advancing to the final, Japan will face China on the 24th for the women’s team-event gold medal. Japan secured at least its second consecutive silver medal following the 2023 Hangzhou Games and will challenge for its first Asian Games women’s team-event gold medal in 60 years since the 1966 Bangkok Games.
For South Korea, the semifinal loss was a disappointing result, but the team featuring Joo Cheon-hui came away with a bronze medal in the team event. This match against Japan determined whether the team would reach the final, and the 0–3 result clearly showed the difference.
Reference
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