MUJU -- Host South Korea secured two more bronze medals at the ongoing taekwondo world championships on Wednesday.
The reigning world champion Oh Hye-ri reached the semifinals in the women's under-73kg at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.
Oh, world No. 12, defeated Chen Yann Yeu of Chinese Taipei 13-10 in the round of 32, and then Seavmey Sorn of Cambodia 18-9 in the next stage. In the quarters, the South Korean got past Maristella Smiraglia of Italy 18-13.
In Thursday's semifinals, Oh, who won last year's Olympic gold in the 67kg, will face Maria Espinoza of Mexico, the world No. 1 and the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the over-67kg.
South Korean taekwondo fighter Oh Hye-ri (Yonhap)
There are no bronze medal contests here, and two losers from the semifinals will each get a bronze.
South Korea leads all nations so far with three gold and one bronze medal.
In Kyo-don, world No. 9, also reached the semis in the men's under-87kg. He began his preliminary action with a 16-8 win over Lo Chih Chun of Chinese Taipei, and then defeated Jeroen Wanrooij of the Netherlands 16-1 in the round of 16.
In needed an extra frame to defeat Daniel Ros Gomez of Spain 5-3.
His semifinals opponent on Thursday will be Vladislav Larin, world No. 1 from Russia.
One other South Korean in action on Wednesday, Jo Chol-ho, was eliminated in the round of 16 in the men's over-87kg.
Jo beat Kristopher Robert Uy of the Philippines 26-13 in the round of 32, but fell to Maicon Siqueira of Brazil 11-9 in his next match.
The competition concludes on Friday. (Yonhap)
