South Korea's Yun Kyu-sung wins gold in taekwondo poomsae at Asian Games

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South Korea's Yun Kyu-sung (Yonhap)
South Korea's Yun Kyu-sung (Yonhap)

South Korea's Yun Kyu-sung won the gold medal in the taekwondo poomsae event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, giving the country its second gold in the taekwondo poomsae event.

Yun scored 9.3800 points to stand on the top of the podium in the men's individual taekwondo poomsae final at Toyohashi Gymnasium in Toyohashi, some 85 kilometers southeast of Nagoya.

His gold marked South Korea's second poomsae gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games, following Jung Ha-eun's gold in the women's individual event earlier in the day.

Yun also became the third South Korean male poomsae practitioner to win the Asian Games title, after Kang Min-sung and Kang Wan-jin, since the discipline became an official Asian Games event in 2018.

Yun scored 9.340 points in his first routine, thanks to 3.680 points for accuracy and 5.660 points for presentation. For the second routine, Yun received 5.680 points for his technique and 3.740 points for presentation, a total of 9.420 points.

His winning score was the average of the two scores. Yun held off Navin Pinthasute of Thailand by 0.1 point.

Yun, 24, is the 2024 world poomsae silver medalist who won gold at this year's Asian championships.

Yun, who began his mandatory military service in June last year, will now get an early discharge thanks to his Asian Games gold medal. He is a member of his Army unit's taekwondo demonstration squad.

South Korean male Asiad gold medalists who have not yet fulfilled their military duty receive exemption from the service. Those who win gold medals while in the armed forces are eligible for an early discharge, though in some cases, athletes have chosen to stay put to complete their time.

Yun thanked his officers and fellow soldiers for their support, and for allowing him to train for the Asian Games.

"They have helped me so much, and I miss them a lot," Yun said. "I have won many medals over my career, but I think this is the happiest I have felt." (Yonhap)