*This content was translated by AI.
The first round of selection for the Korean national table tennis team in 2026 has ended. Kwon Hyuk (Daejeon Dongsan High School), a junior player, drew attention by passing the first round of selection as the top of the group.
The Korea Table Tennis Association said on the 10th, "The first round of selection for the national table tennis team in 2026 ended after the final round of the men's group stage."
The Korea Table Tennis Association, which is in charge of the selection match at Jecheon Gymnasium in Chungcheongbuk-do, has continued the men's match from the 7th to the day after the first round of the women's match from the 3rd to the 5th.
The first round of selection was played in six groups of men's and women's teams. The 2026 national team candidates (10 junior and six cadets), qualified athletes for the national individual singles standard (second-tier elementary school, fourth-tier middle school, eighth-tier high school, and fourth-tier college), and free-participating unemployed athletes competed. Up to the third place in each group of the league's performance order, 18 men and women each advanced to the second round.
Kwon Hyuk of Daejeon Dongsan High School showed the most outstanding performance. The men's team, which had a relatively large number of games compared to the women's team, was determined to play in the second game after more fierce competition. While strong professional league players such as Kang Dong-soo (Samsung Life Insurance) and Woo Hyung-kyu (Korea Racing Authority) took the lead in the group without difficulty, Kwon Hyuk caused a stir by ranking first with 14 wins and 1 loss in Group 5.
Other than that, unemployed mid-sized players dominated the top ranks of each group without major unexpected events in both men's and women's groups. In the women's division, professional league stars Yoo Si-woo (Hwaseong City Corporation), Lee Seung-mi (Mirae Asset Securities), and Choi Hyo-joo, who transferred to Korean Air this season, passed the first round with a victory.
Players who passed the first round of competition will seek to advance to the final round of selection in the second round from the 29th to February 1st. In the second game, players from last year's association-run national team will appear as new competitors.
Eight men and women from two groups to fourth place in each group will advance to the final match. Last year's first-team national team (Korea Sports Council-run national team) players and their full-league match in the final match are the "last match" of this year's selection match.
This year, the Korea Table Tennis Association will also operate the "Korea National University" under a dual system of the "Korea Sports Association Operation" and the "Korea Sports Association Operation" national team. First of all, there are several players who have already made the national team according to the selection criteria.
As of December 30, 2025, Ahn Jae-hyun (15th, Korea Exchange), Jang Woo-jin (18th, Se-ah), and Oh Jun-sung (22nd, Korea Exchange) did not participate in the selection match.
For the women's team, Shin Yoo-bin (12th, Korean Air), Joo Chun-hee (16th, Samsung Life Insurance), and Kim Na-young (28th, POSCO International) came first to the national team.
Junior Park Ga-hyun (18, Korean Air, 75th) and Yoo Hae-rin (17, POSCO International, 78th) also secured the national flag by meeting the second-ranked criteria for "youth players in the top 100." There are 10 men and women each for the national team run by the Korea Sports Council, which is a first-tier team.
Meanwhile, the Korean Table Tennis Association will hold the 79th Korean Air Men's and Women's Comprehensive Table Tennis Championships at Jecheon Gymnasium, the same place, from the 21st to the 27th, ahead of the second round.
The men's and women's singles championship of the event, which will be finalized in 2025, will automatically become a member of the Korean Olympic Committee (ranked third). The second round of trials will begin again on the 29th, immediately after the general competition.
The following are the players who passed the men's and women's first round of selection and the players who are expected to join the second round.
Women's 1st round (affiliated, winning/losing, ranking)
▶Group 1=Lee Seung-mi (Mirae Asset Securities, 10/0, No. 1), Lim Ji-soo (Samsung Life, 8/2, No. 2), Yoon Sun-ah (Paju City Hall, 8/2, No. 3)
▶Group 2=Ji Eun-chae (Hwaseong City Corporation, 9/1, No. 1), Shim Hyun-joo (Mirae Asset Securities, 9/1, No. 2), Choi Yerin (Paju City Hall, 7/3, No. 3)
▶Group 3=Kim Yerin (Posco International, 8/2, No. 1), Moon Cho-won (Korean Air, 8/2, No. 2), Lee Yun-ji (Samsung Life Insurance, 8/2, No. 3)
▶Article 4 = Choi Hyo-joo (10/0, No. 1), Choi Hae-eun (Hwaseong Urban Innovation Corporation, 8/2, No. 2), and Kim Ha-na (Hwaseong Urban Innovation Corporation, 8/2, No. 3)
▶Article 5 = Yu Si-woo (Hwaseong Urban Innovation Corporation, 10/0, No. 1), Seo Hyun-ji (Sangseo, 8/2, No. 2), Choi Ye-seo (Korean Air, 7/3, No. 3)
▶Group 6=Lee Da-hye (Korean Air, 9/1, No. 1), Park Ye-eun (Yangsan City Hall, 9/1, No. 2), Kwon A-hyun (Yangsan City Hall, 8/2, No. 3)
Women's team is scheduled to join the second round
▶ 2025 National Table Tennis Association (excluding preferred starters) = Yoon Hyo-bin (Mirae Asset Securities), Kim Seo-yoon (Mirae Asset Securities), Lee Da-kyung (Yangsan City Hall), Jung Ye-in (Hwaseong City Corporation U18), Lee Seung-eun (Korean Air), Heo Ye-rim (Hwaseong City Corporation U15), Choi Seo-yeon (Mirae Asset Securities), and Lee Hye-rin (Hosu Don Girls' Middle School)
Men's first round (affiliated, winning/losing, ranking)
▶Group 1=Kang Dong-soo (Samsung Life Insurance, 13/1, No. 1), Kim Dae-woo (Hwaseong Urban Innovation Corporation, 13/1, No. 2), and Park Jung-woo (Korea Water Resources Corporation, 11/3, No. 3)
▶Group 2=Woo Hyung-gyu (Korea Racing Authority, 13/1, 2nd), Im Yuno (Korea Racing Authority, 13/1, 1st), Jung Young-hoon (Boram Hallelujah, 13/1, 3rd)
▶Group 3 = Choi In-hyuk (Boram Hallelujah, 14/1, No. 1), Park Chan-hyuk (Korea Racing Authority, 14/1, No. 2), Kim Entertainment (Seoul City Hall, 13/2, No. 3)
▶Group 4 =Park Kyung-tae (Boram Hallelujah, 13/1, 1st), Ahn Joon-young (National Army Sports Unit, 12/2, 2nd), Lee Seong-min (Great Advertising, 11/3, 3rd)
▶Article 5= Kwon Hyuk (Daejeon Dongsan High School, 14/1, No. 1), Ho Jeong-moon (National Military Sports Unit, 12/2, No. 2), Seo Jung-won (Hwaseong Urban Corporation, 12/2, No. 3)
▶Article 6 = Kim Woo-jin (Hwaseong Urban Innovation Corporation, 12/2, No. 1), Hwang Jin-ha (National Army Sports Unit, 11/3, No. 2), Nam Sung-bin (National Army Sports Unit, 11/3, No. 3)
Men's team will join the second round
▶ 2025 Korean Table Tennis Association National Team = Jang Han-jae (Korea Water Resources Corporation), Kim Jang-won (Korea Military Sports Unit), Lee Seung-soo (Daejeon Dongsan Middle School), Lee Ho-yoon (Sea), Lee Jung-mok (Daejeon Dongsan High School), Ma Young-min (Jeonggok Middle School), Kim Ga-on (Korea Exchange), Choi Ji-wook (Daegwang Middle School), and Kim Ji-hoo (Daegwang Middle School)
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*This content was translated by AI.
