Asian Games bring two Koreas face to face

SEOUL – When athletes from South Korea and North Korea meet at any sports competition, it rarely feels like just another event.

The latest chapter in the inter-Korean sporting rivalry will unfold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on football fields and judo mats in Japan, with both sides eyeing podium places and competing for national pride.

The most anticipated game on the calendar is South Korea’s women’s football team’s match against North Korea in their final group-stage match on Sept 21, with the result likely to decide which side have the easier route throughout the knockout stage.

Led by head coach Shin Sang-woo, South Korea opened their campaign with a 5-0 win over Myanmar on Sept 14 and will next face Bangladesh on Sept 17.

North Korea, on the other hand, cruised to a 10-victory over Bangladesh in their opener. They scored seven goals in the first half and allowed Bangladesh no shots throughout. Kim Kyong-yong, the leading scorer at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, was one of three North Korean players to score twice.

The 2026 Asian Games offer South Korea a chance to return to the podium.

They won bronze at three straight editions – Guangzhou in 2010, Incheon in 2014 and Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 – before falling in the quarter-finals at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. The team are now chasing their first medal in eight years and still seeks their first Asian Games title.

North Korea, meanwhile, have won the tournament three times in 2002, 2006 and 2014, arriving in Japan with their sights set firmly on a fourth gold medal.

At a news conference in Osaka, Japan, on Sept 13, North Korea coach Pak Song-jin pointed out South Korea, China and Japan as the event’s “strongest contenders”.

Asked about the upcoming match against South Korea, he said veteran midfielder Ji So-yun was a big threat, along with the team’s forwards and central defenders.

Pak, however, downplayed the match’s political significance, saying North Korea viewed every group-stage game as important and would focus on playing their best.

The rivalry could continue on the judo mat, where South Korea will look to bounce back from a disappointing result in Hangzhou.

Korea has long been one of Asia’s leading judo nations, winning 42 gold, 33 silver and 50 bronze medals at the Asian Games. Its total of 125 medals trails only Japan’s 133.

One of the biggest threats to Huh Mimi’s first Asian Games gold medal in the women’s -57kg is North Korea’s Kim Hyon-a, who ranks 39th in the world and won the Asian title in China in April. Depending on the draw, Huh and Kim could meet with a place on the podium or even the final.

In the women’s under-63kg division, South Korea’s Kim Ji-su could face North Korea’s Kim Ji-hye, who won bronze at the Qingdao Grand Prix in 2025 and silver at the Asian Championships in 2026.

Another possible inter-Korean matchup could come in the women’s under-70kg division, where South Korea’s Kim Hye-mi may meet Mun Song-hui.

The North Korean judoka won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games before claiming gold at the Asian Championships. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK