Najmul Hossain Shanto ruled out of Asian Games due to illness

The South Korean fencing team concluded their Asian Games campaign with four gold medals, marking their lowest tally in 16 years. Ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, this result presented both successes and hurdles for the nation. South Korea secured four golds, four silvers, and two bronzes in the fencing competition, which took place from Tuesday to Sunday at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, located south of Nagoya.

In the fencing medal standings, South Korea placed second behind host Japan, who emerged victorious with six golds, two silvers, and three bronzes. This was the first time since 2010, when South Korea topped the table with seven gold medals, that they had dropped to second place. Since then, South Korea had consistently topped the table, claiming eight golds in 2014, and matching that figure in 2018 and 2023.

Japan's dominance in fencing was anticipated, given their strong performance since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Their fencers had won five medals, including two golds, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and most of these Olympians also competed at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea's fencing team faced a challenging task in the wake of Japan's strong showing.