Song Se-ra, 33, of Busan Metropolitan City Hall has long been the face of South Korea's women's epee fencing team. She won two world championship titles, in 2022 and 2026, showing unmatched skill. Yet major international multi-sport events such as the Olympics and the Asian Games had always eluded her. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 she took silver in the team event but failed to reach the podium in the individual competition, and at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games she had to settle for silver. At the 2024 Paris Olympics she was knocked out in the round of 16.
After repeated setbacks and a determined rebuild, Song finally ended that painful run in individual events at major international competitions at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. With bold decisions and sharp attacks, she ended the day smiling from the top of the podium.
Song beat Tikana Kiria of Singapore 15-8 in the women's epee final on the 22nd at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was the sixth gold medal for the South Korean delegation at these Games and the country's first gold in fencing.
South Korea has now won the women's individual epee title at three consecutive Asian Games, following Kang Young-mi at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and Choi In-jeong at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Song's run to gold played out like a drama. She edged Tang Junyao of China 15-14 in the quarterfinals, then trailed Tamaki Terayama of Japan 13-14 in the semifinals before rallying for a 15-14 win. In both the quarterfinals and the semifinals, a single touch decided the outcome.
Two straight bouts decided by one point raised concerns about her stamina, but Song hunted the gold with composed match management. Drawing her opponent in and watching for the right moment, she countered from 2-2 in the first period to take a 3-2 lead. Once she had the momentum, she pressed her opponent hard. She stretched the gap to 7-5 in the second period and dominated the third to claim the gold.
"I am happy to be able to put on the individual gold medal that I lost three years ago," Song said after the bout. "I feel proud that I was able to help as a member of the South Korean delegation." At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Song had to settle for silver after losing the individual final to her senior teammate Choi In-jeong, who retired from the national team after those Games. "Three years ago I competed on the strength of my drive in my twenties, but now that I am in my thirties I think I have matured a little more," Song said. "I wanted to taste the joy of winning an individual title, so I prepared relentlessly."
Song will go for another gold in the women's team epee event, which begins on the 25th.
Meanwhile, Yoon Jung-hyun, 25, of Hwaseong City Hall took a hard-earned bronze in the men's individual foil. Yoon lost 13-15 to Ryan Choi of Hong Kong in the men's foil semifinals held the same day.
Yoon first made his name in March 2025 when he reached the podium at an FIE World Cup individual event in Cairo, Egypt, taking bronze. He followed that with another bronze in the individual event at the Asian Championships later that year, and has now won a medal at his first Asian Games. Yoon will chase a second medal of these Games in the team event on the 25th.
