South Korea's League of Legends (LoL) national team is set to begin its quest for a second consecutive Asian Games gold medal. Their first opponent is Chinese Taipei, the team they faced in the finals at the Hangzhou Games. With all three matches played in a best-of-one format and the entire group stage concluding in a single day, a grueling schedule lies ahead.
Led by Head Coach Kang Dong-hoon, South Korea will play its first Group B match against Chinese Taipei at 9:00 AM on the 30th at Aichi Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Following that, they will face India at 11:30 AM and Hong Kong at 2:00 PM.
Eight nations are participating in the LoL event at this tournament. Divided into two groups of four, teams will compete in a single round-robin of best-of-one matches, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. It is a format where a single loss can directly impact standings and subsequent matchups.
The South Korean national team consists of Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo, Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong, and Ryu "Keria" Min-seok. "Zeus," "Faker," and "Keria" are aiming for back-to-back titles following their gold medal at the Hangzhou Games, while for "Canyon," "Zeka," and "Gumayusi," this marks their first Asian Games.
The results of their final live-match preparation were positive. South Korea swept their exhibition match against the United States 3-0 on the 19th, showing a clear power gap by closing out every set in around 20 minutes. On the 20th against Vietnam, despite dropping the first set, they won three consecutive sets to pull off a 3-1 comeback victory, proving their ability to turn games around even when behind.
The biggest key match of the group stage is the opening game. Chinese Taipei earned the silver medal at the Hangzhou Games and secured a direct spot in the main event alongside champion South Korea. While South Korea prevailed in the finals back then, Chinese Taipei remains the biggest threat in Group B. South Korea must quickly sharpen their match readiness starting from the 9:00 AM opener.
India and Hong Kong advanced to the main tournament through the qualifiers. While South Korea is objectively favored in terms of strength, a single mistake in a best-of-one match can alter the outcome. In particular, the team must prepare for the next opponent immediately regardless of the first match's result. Losing focus after passing the Chinese Taipei match—or failing to regain composure after a loss—could introduce unexpected variables.
The starting mid laner is another intriguing point to watch. "Zeka" started in the exhibition match against the United States, while "Faker" played against Vietnam. How Head Coach Kang Dong-hoon utilizes these two players, each with distinct strengths, across three best-of-one matches will be his first key tactical decision. Watching not only who starts against Chinese Taipei, but also how subsequent substitutions are made based on the opponent and match momentum, will be a major highlight of tomorrow's games.
