HANGZHOU, China -- South Korean athletes competing at the 19th Asian Games here in China celebrated one of the country's biggest holidays, Chuseok, with a slew of medals Friday.
Freestyle swimmer Kim Woo-min became the country's first triple gold medalist in Hangzhou on Friday by winning the men's 400m title. It was one of four swimming medals that South Korea picked up Friday, as the country finished with its Asiad-record total of 22 medals.
In the inaugural esports competition, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 to take the gold medal in League of Legends. Lee Sang-hyeok, the gaming legend better known as Faker, did not play in the final because of an illness, but he still got to collect his first Asian Games gold after competing in a preliminary contest.
Those two were the only gold medals South Korean earned Friday, its lowest daily total since the start of the medal race Sunday. With 26 golds, South Korea ceded second place to Japan, which added nine golds Friday to reach 27.
Neither country will catch the host country China, which has gobbled up 104 golds through Friday.
South Korea finished the fencing competition with bronze medals in the women's sabre team and the men's epee team events Friday.
Two mixed doubles ping pong teams from South Korea, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, and Jang Woo-jin and Jeon Ji-hee, both took bronze medals after losing to Chinese teams in the semifinals.
The country also added a bronze in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team competition.
South Korea earned its second straight silver in sepaktakraw's women's team regu event, and got bronze in the women's squash team event.
South Korea finished cycling's track competition without a gold medal, after picking up silver medals in the men's madison and men's keirin.
In a hyped-up women's basketball showdown, South Korea defeated North Korea 81-62 to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals.
The two Koreas won silver as a unified team at the 2018 Asian Games. South Korea brought three players back from the team and North Korea had two members of the joint team in Hangzhou.
South Korean center Park Ji-su, a key member of the 2018 squad, led her team with 18 points. Ro Suk-yong, the North Korean veteran who had roamed the paint with Park five years ago, was held to only four points on a 2-of-12 shooting. (Yonhap)