The South Korean national boxing team won two bronze medals at the semifinals of the Boxing World Cup, held in Guiyang, China, Saturday.
Shin Jae-yong and Kim Min-seong were both defeated in their semifinal matches, finishing the tournament with bronze medals in their respective weight classes.
Competing in the men's 55kg division, Shin defeated Japan's Yamaguchi Rui by a 5-0 unanimous decision in the quarterfinals, controlling the bout throughout to advance to the semifinals.
The result drew attention as Yamaguchi is considered a potential opponent at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September. However, Shin was defeated 0-5 by China's Zhang Jamao in the semifinals, ending his bid for a place in the final.
In the men's 80kg division, Kim faced England's Oladimeji Situ in the quarterfinals. After a closely contested match, Kim secured a decision victory after gaining the advantage in the final round.
Kim was unable to advance further, losing 0-5 to Brazil's Wanderley Ferreira in the semifinals.
Although he did not reach the final, Kim recorded his second consecutive medal at an international competition, following a bronze medal at the Asian Championships in March.
The tournament, featuring approximately 300 athletes from 40 countries, has been regarded as an important test event ahead of the Asian Games scheduled for September.
With both Korean boxers reaching the medal rounds, expectations for South Korea's boxing team at the upcoming Asian Games have improved.
Choi Chan-woong, president of the Korea Boxing Association, congratulated the athletes on their performances and said the result would serve as valuable preparation ahead of the Asian Games.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
khnews@heraldcorp.com
