South Korea's men's volleyball team came from behind to beat China 3-1 and reach the semifinals of the 2026 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship in Kitakyushu, Japan. Korea dropped the opening set 17-25 but recovered to win the next three 25-21, 25-22 and 29-27, securing its first semifinal appearance at the tournament in seven years.
Heo Su-bong and Lim Dong-hyuk led the comeback with 21 points each, while Lee Sang-hyeon added 14. Korea was outscored in blocks but made up ground through serving and more consistent attacking after the first set. The fourth set went to deuce before Korea closed the match 29-27, turning a difficult start into one of its strongest results of the competition.
Olympic and World Cup qualification stay alive
The win carries more than medal significance. The Asian championship winner earns a direct place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while the top three teams qualify for the 2027 men's World Cup. Korea entered the tournament targeting at least the semifinals, so the victory over China keeps both qualification routes alive.
Korea will face the winner of Japan and India for a place in the final. A final appearance would be Korea's first at the Asian championship since finishing runner-up in 2013. The immediate focus will be recovery after a four-set quarterfinal and whether the attack built around Heo and Lim can hold up against a stronger semifinal opponent.