South Korean Media Expresses Outrage Over Controversial Judging at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Mixed Judo Team Semifinal
South Korea suffered a 3-4 defeat against Kazakhstan in the mixed judo team semifinal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on October 3, knocking the nation out of gold medal contention following a series of disputed referee decisions. The six-person team event, featuring three men and three women with the first team to secure four wins taking the match, ended in controversy as broadcast analysts and national media outlets questioned the officiating standards applied on the mat.
Semifinal Defeat and Match Progression Against Kazakhstan
The semifinal began with South Korea taking an early advantage when women’s 57kg competitor Mimi Huh claimed an ippon victory. Kazakhstan responded in the second match as men’s 73kg fighter Lee Eun-gyeol lost by ippon-equivalent or waza-ari/shido margins recorded as a superiority loss, before women’s 70kg representative Kim Hye-mi restored the lead by securing a waza-ari victory during a golden score extra period. After the fourth match saw men’s 90kg competitor Kim Jung-hoon drop a decision on superiority, women’s 78kg fighter Kim Hayun picked up two waza-aris for an ippon win to put South Korea within reach of the final at 3-2. However, men’s 100kg+ competitor Kim Min-jong fell in extra time, locking the teams at three wins apiece and forcing a sudden-death playoff round.
Disputed Decisions and Broadcaster Outrage During the Fourth and Seventh Bouts
According to reports from the South Korean outlet OSEN, friction peaked during Kim Jung-hoon’s fourth match and the decisive seventh encounter. Commentating on the broadcast, 2012 London Olympics 90kg gold medalist Song Dae-nam voiced sharp criticism of the officiating staff from the analyst booth. OSEN reported that Song expressed immense frustration, stating that South Korea was fighting both Kazakhstan and the referees, and openly questioned whether officials were intentionally trying to suppress the South Korean squad. The outlet detailed that the final playoff bout—a time-unlimited contest between Kim Hayun and her Kazakh opponent determined by a digital roulette draw—ended at 6 minutes and 17 seconds when Kim Hayun received her third shido penalty, sealing the 3-4 team loss.
South Korea Faces Uzbekistan in Bronze Medal Playoff
Following the semifinal setback, South Korea moved on to face Uzbekistan in the bronze medal playoff match. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan advanced to the tournament final to face Japan for the Asian Games mixed team gold medal.
Worth a look
