They took the first step toward the 100th anniversary stage.
The South Korea national table tennis team departed for London, England, where the '2026 ITTF World Team Championships finals' will be held, via Incheon International Airport on the 28th. Despite bright expressions, the players' gazes were resolute.
At the departure site, Korea Table Tennis Association vice presidents Yu Nam-gyu and Hyun Jung-hwa joined to encourage the team and urge them to do well.
The tournament will be held for 13 days from April 28 to May 10 at London's Copper Box Arena and Wembley Arena. It is highly symbolic as an ITTF centennial commemorative event taking place again in London, where the first world championships were held in 1926. The number of participating countries has also expanded to 64, making it the largest in history.
The tournament format has also changed. Each of 64 men's and 64 women's teams are divided into 16 groups of four for preliminary league play, followed by a 32-team main draw tournament. The top eight seeded countries have already secured places in the round of 32 and will determine the main-draw matchups through the preliminary matches.
The Korean team, ranked sixth in the men's world rankings and third in the women's, is included in the seeded groups and will begin full competition on May 2. Since group momentum and securing seeds determine success in the main draw, concentration is required from the start.
This team is a young force formed amid a generational shift. The men's team will compete with Jang Woo-jin at the center alongside Ahn Jae-hyun, Oh Jun-seong, Kim Jang-won, and Lim Yu-no. The women's team will be led by Shin Yu-bin, with Kim Na-young, Park Ga-hyun, Yang Ha-eun, and Yoo Si-woo joining.
After finishing final preparations at the Jincheon National Training Center, the team completed final checks through open practice sessions and a media day. In a short but intensive preparation process, they focused on raising team cohesion and match sharpness.
Men's team coach Oh Sang-eun said, "It is important to seize the momentum from the first match," and "the ultimate goal is to face China in the final." Women's team coach Seok Eun-mi also said, "This is a new starting point after the generational change," and added, "Our top priority is reaching the semifinals."
Korean table tennis has a long history and record of achievements in the world team championships. It left notable traces such as the women's team victory at the 1973 Sarajevo tournament and the Korea team women's team victory in 1991. Riding on the successful hosting in Busan and the semifinal result, this London stage is an important testing ground to gauge the next step for Korean table tennis.
A grueling 13-day stretch. The Taegeuk Warriors raise their rackets to the world once again.
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