S Korea Eyes Asian Games Medal and Top Three at Asian Championships in 2026

Newly appointed South Korea women’s national team head coach Cha Sang-hyun has set his targets for the 2026 season. He wants a top three finish at the 2026 Asian Championships to secure an FIVB World Cup 2027 ticket and a medal at the Asian Games.

“Although there is some pressure, I want to sweat it out with the players and achieve good results in the end,” Cha said.

The Korea Volleyball Association held a press conference on May 20 in Seoul, where Cha and captain Kang So-hwi outlined their goals for the 2026 season.

South Korea’s women’s team has faced a difficult stretch on the international stage. In 2025, they were relegated from the VNL after finishing with one win and five points, one point behind second last placed Thailand. This means they will not participate in the 2026 VNL and will compete in the AVC Nations Cup 2026 instead. They also missed out on the 2025 FIVB World Championship after finishing sixth at the 2023 Asian Championship and falling short of the world rankings pathway by 13 ranking points at the end of August 2024.

At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023, South Korea finished fifth. This marked their second medal less Asian Games in women’s volleyball, with the other time dating back to 2006. South Korea is currently ranked No. 39 in the FIVB women’s world rankings.

In the 2026 national team season, South Korea will first play in the AVC Nations Cup from June 6 to 14 in Candon, Philippines, then the Asian Eastern Zonal Women’s Volleyball Championship from August 11 to 16 in Hong Kong, China. They will then compete in the Asian Championship from August 21 to 30 in Tianjin, China, where the champion will directly qualify for the LA 2028 Olympics and the top three will qualify for the FIVB World Cup 2027. The team will then compete at the Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya from September 16 to 22.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)