South Korea's national baseball team defeated archrival Japan to win its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games.
The South Korean team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, beat Japan 3-1 in the baseball final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on the 27th at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The victory gave Korean baseball its fifth straight Asian Games title, following the 2010 Guangzhou Games, the 2014 Incheon Games, the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
Korea scored first in the top of the third inning. Holding a one-run lead behind a strong outing from starter Kwak Bin, Korea gave up a run-scoring hit to Japan in the bottom of the seventh to fall into a 1-1 tie. Kwak threw 111 pitches over 6⅓ innings, allowing one run, before handing the mound to Cho Byung-hyun. Cho closed out the seventh without further damage, keeping the game level.
The eighth inning decided the outcome. Leadoff batter Kim Ji-chan singled and advanced to second, and a sacrifice bunt by Cho Hyung-woo and a walk to Kim Ju-won set up the opportunity. Kim Do-young then drove a go-ahead hit past the third baseman, bringing home Kim Ju-won from third for a 2-1 lead. Moon Bo-gyeong followed with a run-scoring single to center field that sent Jeong Jun-jae home, widening the margin to 3-1.
Korea's bullpen then held off Japan's lineup to protect the two-run lead. Park Young-hyun, who took the mound in the eighth, escaped a jam with runners on first and third and one out without allowing a run, then finished the ninth to seal the win.
Korea had been shut out 5-0 by Japan in the first game of the super round just two days earlier, but avenged that loss in the final to claim the gold medal. Korea reached the final by beating China 9-2 in its last super round game, then won the rematch against Japan to complete its fifth straight title.
