'AI Looks' Praised by Foreign Media, Fencer Yang Seung-hye Wins Precious Silver Medal in Her First Asian Games [Tokoname On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Yang Seung-hye (20, Korea National University of Physical Education), who has emerged as the 'star of stars' at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games, secured a silver medal in the team épée event on her first-ever Asian Games career.

On the 25th, Yang Seung-hye joined forces with Song Se-ra (33, Busan Metropolitan City Office), Lee Hye-in (31, Ulsan Metropolitan City Office), and Im Tae-hee (24, Gyeongju City Office) in the women's épée team event held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, to claim a silver medal together. While the top-ranked world No. 1 women's épée national team fell short of its gold medal goal, leaving some regret, it still achieved a meaningful result.

As the youngest member of the épée national team, Yang Seung-hye competed in the Round of 16 against Mongolia in the eighth round (5-2), then served as a substitute player for the quarterfinals against Japan and the semifinals against Singapore. However, in the final match against China, she stepped out not as a substitute but in the second round (4-4) and fourth round (2-3), contributing to the tightly contested battle between both teams in the early stages.

Especially in the tense second round of the final, she held her ground against China's Wu Sihan. Despite being at a clear physical disadvantage in height and other attributes, Yang Seung-hye skillfully exploited her opponent's openings to maintain a tight 4-4 scoreline. After scoring, she also boosted the atmosphere with her signature roar. She demonstrated remarkable resilience even in the fourth round against Ryu Chang, refusing to yield significantly.

She could not stand atop the podium alongside her teammates, as she had hoped to do. The final match, which began with fiery intensity, gradually turned against South Korea after the fifth round, and the team ultimately lost to China by a wide margin of 28-45, settling for silver. Yang Seung-hye, who was stepping onto the Asian Games stage for the first time in her life, also experienced a painful moment at the final.

Although regret lingered deeply, Yang Seung-hye still found meaning with a bright spirit. In an interview with reporters after the match, she said, "Even so, I'm so grateful to my teammates for winning this valuable silver medal, and I feel incredibly happy." Rather than dwelling on the disappointment of not reaching the top, she focused more on the Asian Games journey itself — having reached the final alongside her teammates.

It was also significant that she proved her qualification as a national team member not just through her looks but also through her skills. Throughout the tournament, foreign media immediately took notice of her appearance, catapulting her to stardom overnight. Thai sports outlet Thai Rath praised her by saying, "It's hard to tell whether she is an actual athlete or a virtual character meticulously generated by AI." Even on this day, while waiting for reporters in the mixed zone shortly after the match, a foreigner who appeared to be a fan personally handed Yang Seung-hye a gift.

However, it was not just her outstanding appearance that shone; she also proved herself capable of handling two rounds at the final stage as a member of the national fencing team at the Asian Games. "Yang Seung-hye's exceptional looks are what draw public attention, but the true driving force that works on the world stage is her performance," said Taiwan outlet Now News in its praise — and there was solid reason behind it.

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*This content was translated by AI.