South Korean national badminton team head coach Park Joo-bong has vowed to carry the momentum from their stellar performance at the World Championships into the upcoming Asian Games after returning home.
The national team arrived back at Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 25th after capturing two gold medals and one bronze medal to finish at the top of the overall standings at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships in New Delhi, India.
Women’s singles world No. 1 An Se-young defeated world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) in the final. She reclaimed the world championship crown for the first time in three years since 2023 without dropping a single game throughout the tournament.
In the women’s doubles, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na triumphed over world No. 1 Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) in the final. Having lost all five of their previous encounters this season, they defeated their arch-rivals on the biggest stage to secure South Korea’s first women’s doubles world championship gold medal in 31 years.
In the men’s doubles, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho added a bronze medal. The pair, aiming for back-to-back world titles, failed to reach the final after losing 0-2 to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinals.
Upon returning, Coach Park stated, “I am glad we achieved great results at a major tournament ahead of the Asian Games. We performed even better than at last year’s World Championships.”
Regarding An Se-young’s victory, he evaluated it as a result that exceeded expectations. An Se-young had entered the World Championships skipping the Japan Open and China Open due to lingering injuries.
Park said, “Skipping the Japan Open and China Open made me quite concerned about the lingering effects of her injury. An Se-young was also very worried about maintaining her match sharpness.”
He explained, “Contrary to our expectations, she ran smoothly from the very first match. Rather, skipping those two tournaments seems to have helped her stamina significantly.”
Above all, he gave high marks to the fact that her performance remained steady throughout the tournament. Park revealed, “An Se-young sometimes used to play rigidly due to nervousness in the first or second rounds. This time, however, she maintained her performance consistently from the opening match to the final.”
He picked the final as An Se-young’s best performance of the tournament. Park evaluated, “She played her most perfect match of the tournament in the final against Yamaguchi. She executed the game plan she wanted, and An Se-young herself seemed even more satisfied with it.”
Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na’s victory was built on thorough opponent analysis and solid defense. Although the pair had suffered a 0-5 record against Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning this season, they did not allow a single game in the final.
Park explained, “Our opponents are currently the strongest women’s doubles pair. Because they excel at fast drive play, we heavily researched patterns to avoid getting dragged into their tempo.”
He analyzed, “Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na’s defense was exceptional. As their defense came alive, it caused the Chinese players to self-destruct, which led to the victory.”
For bronze medalists Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, Park expressed regret while pointing out clear areas for improvement. The pair cruised smoothly up to the quarterfinals but struggled against the fast attacks of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinals.
Park reflected, “Our opponents played their best match of the tournament with zero pressure. It took our players time to adapt to the opponent’s fast-paced play, and our response was insufficient.”
He emphasized, “After the match, we talked extensively with the players about these issues. We will prepare well again and do our best to achieve great results at the Asian Games.”
Addressing the goals for the Asian Games, Park acknowledged the pressure that comes with topping the World Championships while hiding no ambition for the gold medal.
Park said, “The Asian Games is a different stage from the World Championships. Since it’s not just a badminton tournament but an event watched by the entire nation, we must overcome various pressures well.”
He added, “Our goal is to replicate the results of this World Championships and the Hangzhou Asian Games. We will do our utmost during the remaining period to prepare.”
