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The 20 athletes chosen to represent the South Korean table tennis team in 2026 were confirmed on the 6th. Following an extended selection procedure, Shin Yu-bin, Lim Jong-hoon (who earned a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics), and Lee Eun-hye—whose inclusion was more challenging due to naturalization rules—successfully made the national team.

As per the outcomes of the 2026 national team selection event held at the Chungbuk Jecheon Sports Complex starting on the 3rd, the Korean Table Tennis Association confirmed 20 athletes (10 male and 10 female) who have been acknowledged by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and 20 additional players from the association’s own national team. The final selection process included a comprehensive round-robin format for athletes who successfully passed the initial and second selection stages, as well as those who were part of the national team in the previous year.

In the men’s category, besides Ahn Jae-hyun (Korea Exchange), Jang Woo-jin (Sea), and Oh Jun-seong (Korea Exchange), who were chosen according to their global rankings, Park Gyu-hyun (Mirae Asset Securities), Lim Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange), Park Kang-hyun (Mirae Asset Securities), Jo Dae-sung (Hwaseong City Corporation), Lim Yu-no (Army Sports Unit), Kang Dong-soo (Samsung Life Insurance), and Kim Jang-won (Army Sports Unit) were picked after going through trials. These athletes need to go through rigorous selection processes before several international events this season in order to compete for their country.

In the women’s category, Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air), Ju Cheon-hee (Samsung Life Insurance), Kim Na-young (POSCO International), Park Ga-hyun (Korean Air), and Yoo Ye-rin (POSCO International) were confirmed. These players were selected based on the second-priority rule for young athletes ranked within the top 100 globally. Five more positions were highly contested, leading to the selection of Lee Eun-hye (Korean Air), Yang Ha-eun (Hwaseong City Corporation), Lee Si-on (independent), Yoo Si-woo (Hwaseong City Corporation), and Lee Da-eun (Korea Racing Authority) as this year’s national team members. Notably, naturalized players Lee Eun-hye and Choi Hyo-ju (Korean Air) fiercely competed for the last spot, as the team’s policy restricts naturalized players to a maximum of two. Ultimately, Lee Eun-hye secured the position on the national team.

The national team managed by the association, comparable to a second-level squad, has the same qualification as officially recognized national team members for participation in selection trials for events like the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the 2026 Asian Table Tennis Championships. In the men’s category, Jang Han-jae (Army Sports Unit), Hwang Jin-ha (Army Sports Unit), Kwon Hyuk (Daejeon Dongsan High School), Kim Min-hyuk (Korea Water Resources Corporation), Choi Ji-wook (Korea Racing Authority), Lee Sung-min (Daejeon Dongsan High School), Lee Jeong-mok (Korea Water Resources Corporation), Lee Hyun-ho (Daejeon Dongsan High School), Ma Young-min (Jeonggok Middle School), and Ma Young-jun (Jeonggok Middle School) were chosen. In the women’s category, Lee Da-eun (Mirae Asset Securities), Kim Seo-yun (Mirae Asset Securities), Kim Sung-jin (Samsung Life Insurance), Yoo Han-na (POSCO International), Ji Eun-chae (Hwaseong City Corporation), Jeong Ye-in (Hwaseong City Corporation), Heo Ye-rim (Hwaseong City Corporation), Choi Na-hyun (Hosu Don Girls’ High School), Lee Hye-rin (Hosu Don Girls’ Middle School), and Kim Kyu-rin (Hwaam Middle School) were selected.

The South Korean national table tennis team, having completed its selections, will kick off its official activities with the Singapore Smash tournament from the 19th to the 1st of next month. Following the Lunar New Year holiday, the team will move on to the selection trials for the London World Table Tennis Championships and start intensive training in March.