Teenagers are drawing attention after being named to South Korea's 2026 national archery team.
According to the Korea Archery Association on Wednesday, Kang Yeon-seo (Bucheon G-Sports), who earned the No. 3 spot on the women's compound team, is just 14 years old. It marks the first time in Korean archery history that a middle school student has made the national team. Despite balancing academics and training as a member of a club team, Kang delivered unwavering performances and became the biggest story of the trials.
"I still can't believe it. It feels like a dream," Kang said. "I didn't even know I was the first middle school student. I just focused on each shot, one arrow at a time."
In the men's compound division, 17-year-old Kim Kang-min (Incheon Yeongseon High School) finished first overall to secure a national team spot. A high school senior, Kim first joined the winter national team last year and has shown rapid improvement through international competition experience. His selection was particularly symbolic as it highlighted a generational shift — he is 24 years younger than Choi Yong-hee (Hyundai Steel), the most senior member of the team and a first-generation compound archer.
Competition for spots on the compound squad has grown fiercer than ever since compound archery was approved as an official event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In the women's recurve division, Kim Seo-ha (Sunchon National University), born in 2006, also made her presence felt by qualifying in sixth place. Moon Gyun-ho (Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps) in the men's recurve division and Park Ri-ye (Korea National Sport University) in the women's compound division were also selected for the national team for the first time, signaling a new wave of talent.
Amid the rise of young talent, proven veterans also demonstrated their enduring strength. In the men's recurve division, Olympic medalists including Kim Je-deok (Yecheon County Office), Kim Woo-jin (Cheongju City Hall), Ku Bon-chan (Hyundai Steel) and Lee Woo-seok (Kolon) secured their places with consistent form. In the women's recurve division, world-class archers An San (Gwangju Bank), Kang Chae-young (Hyundai Mobis) and Jang Min-hee (Incheon City Hall) were also selected on the strength of their steady performances.
"This trial was more competitive than ever, with athletes from various generations performing strongly across the board," a Korea Archery Association official said. "We will spare no effort in supporting the selected athletes so they can deliver their best performances on the international stage."
The association held the third round of the 2026 national team trials from March 16 to 20 at the Kim Soo-nyung Archery Range in Cheongju, selecting a total of 32 athletes — eight each in the men's and women's recurve and compound divisions.
The newly confirmed national team entered the Jincheon National Training Center on Wednesday and began full-scale training ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The final three-member entries for the men's and women's recurve and compound teams that will compete at the Asian Games will be determined on April 17, following a first evaluation from March 30 to April 3 at the Jeonbuk International Archery Range and a second evaluation from April 13 to 17 at the Jinho International Archery Range in Yecheon.