South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 5-0 on Monday in their opening Group B match at the 2026 Asian Games (the continent's premier multi-sport competition, held this year in the Nagoya region of Japan), launching their bid for a fifth straight gold medal in baseball. Starter Gwak Been, the Korea Baseball Organization's strikeout leader this season, dominated over six no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts, and was backed by run contributions from five different batters. South Korea will next face Hong Kong and Thailand before a potential Super Round berth, with the gold medal match scheduled for Sunday in Toyohashi.