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South Korea's sheer dominance in badminton at the Olympics is responsible for their impressive medal tally at the Games. Tied for second with Indonesia, another Asian badminton powerhouse, shuttlers from South Korea have stacked up 19 medals - six gold, seven silver and six bronze.
Primarily popular and successful in the doubles category, South Korea has had a long lineage of extremely talented players who have brought laurels to the nation. Just as K-Pop enjoys a sincerely dedicated fan base, badminton thrives on unfettered adulation.
Ever since badminton's debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games, South Korea has reigned supreme with legends like Kim Moon-soo, Park Joo-bong, Kim Dong-moon, and Gil Young-ah, among others, being frequent Olympic medalists.
Aside from being excellent players, South Korean shuttlers also make for inspiring and instrumental coaches. Interestingly, Kim Ji-hyun came onboard as PV Sindhu's coach and under her expert tutelage, the Indian shuttle won her memorable World Championships gold in 2019. Behind Japan's growth and consistency as a badminton powerhouse lies the contribution of another South Korean Olympic legend, Park Joo-bong.
South Korea's success mantra in doubles
For a discipline that demands coordination, understanding and, most importantly, trust, playing doubles is no easy task. Yet shuttlers from South Korea seem to have stumbled upon a secret mantra to achieve confirmed success in doubles.
If statistics are anything to base an argument on, then the fact that of their 19 medals, South Korea won 16 from doubles matches alone is proof of their command. While Indonesia, Denmark and other such badminton-strong nations have multiple medals in the singles category, South Korea has firmly laid claim on the doubles.
The simple reason behind South Korea's success is the fact that unlike most other nations, even India, where the singles game is given priority, in South Korea, there is no such divided attention. The best of the best are picked and paired with each other to shape formidable teams, and in the process, doubles legends like Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong are produced. With a singular focus on skill and presence of mind, South Korea trains its doubles players with ruthless precision to ensure success on the global stage.
Who are the players from South Korea to watch out for at the Tokyo Olympics?
Come July 23, South Korea will be looking to continue its dominance in the doubles segment at the Tokyo Olympics and also try their luck at a fourth singles medal. Interestingly, neither former world No. 1 players Lee Hyun-il nor Son Wan-ho have been able to secure an Olympic medal for South Korea, despite their excellent record on the BWF tour.
While there isn't anyone on the horizon for the men's singles, South Korea has two women players safely headed to Tokyo: World No. 8 An Se-young and world No. 16 Kim Ga-eun. Additionally, Sung Ji-hyun is also in the fray and occupies the No. 14 spot in the Race to Tokyo rankings.
All eyes will be on 19-year-old An Se-young as she has created quite a few ripples on the BWF tour. The 2021 badminton season has also been kind to her, providing semi-final finishes in the back-to-back Asian leg of the Yonex Thailand Open, Toyota Thailand Open and finally, the World Tour Finals.
For world No. 8 men's doubles duo Choi Sol-gyu and Seo Seung-jae, it has been a good year as well. To their credit, they have two semi-final wraps and one Round of 16 finish in the three tournaments that they have taken part in this year.
The women's doubles pairings are deemed medal-worthy, with world No. 4 Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan, and world No. 5 Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong in the fray and in great shape. Seung Chan is a bronze medalist from Rio, having partnered with Jung Kyung-eun, and is on the quest for a second Olympic medal with her new partner, Lee So-hee. The other duo of Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong also look promising as they have been enjoying a good 2021 as well. Both pairs have already bagged titles this year and are set for Tokyo.
Finally, in the mixed doubles as well, South Korea has a trusted pair, the world No. 6 duo of Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung. Putting up consistently good performances, the duo have made it to two finals and one semi-final in the three tournaments that they have participated in so far this year. Heading to Tokyo, they also stand a good chance of extending South Korea's medal tally.
