South Korea blanked Myanmar 5-0 to kick off their women's football competition at the Asian Games in Japan on Monday.
Midfielder Kim Min-ji scored a hat trick, while defender Jang Selgi and Choe Yu-ri contributed a goal apiece in the Group F match at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, some 140 kilometers west of the main host city of Nagoya.
Coached by Shin Sang-woo, Korea will next play Bangladesh at 4 p.m. Thursday in Osaka, and then North Korea at 4 p.m. next Monday in Shizuoka, some 135 kilometers east of Nagoya.
Earlier Monday, North Korea pummeled Bangladesh 10-0.
South Korean women have never won an Asian Games gold, with three bronze medals to their credit so far.
Shin got the better of his predecessor, Colin Bell, who coaches Myanmar after running South Korea from 2019 to 2024.
Kim scored her first goal just before the half-hour mark with a left-footed strike from just outside the box that found the bottom left corner.
She doubled South Korea's lead in the 33rd minute with a header set up by Jang.
Jang then joined the party with a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner for a 3-0 Korean lead.
Kim completed her hat trick in the 59th minute, and Choe Yuri rounded out the scoring in the 76th minute.
Korea missed two penalties in the second half. (Yonhap)
