Asian Games glory: Korea reaches 800 golds, nears 2,500 medals overall

NAGOYA — Korea has reached a historic milestone of winning 800 gold medals at the Asian Games, an accomplishment that spans 72 years of sporting success, dating back to the nation's inaugural participation at the competition's second edition in Manila in 1954. On Friday, Korea's men's 3x3 basketball team secured a hard-fought 19-10 victory over Qatar in the tournament's final, claiming Korea's first-ever gold in men's 3x3 basketball and its 800th gold medal overall in the Games.

Korea had earned 787 gold medals by the time of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, held in 2023. The nation added 13 more by Friday, the sixth day of competition, reaching the 800-medal milestone. Seong Seung-min of Korea National Sport University marked the country's gold medal tally with a win in modern pentathlon on the opening day, followed by a series of gold medals across various sports.

Friday witnessed veteran Cho Gwang-hee and rising star Kim Hyo-bin of the canoe sprint team becoming the first Korean athletes to claim two gold medals each at the Games.