South Korea's under-23 men's football team beat Vietnam 4-0 in the Asian Games quarterfinal to advance to the semifinals. Lee Young-jun, who joined the squad later because of club scheduling, opened the scoring with a header in the 15th minute and added another goal in the second half. Kim Ji-soo and Kim Myung-jun also scored as Korea pulled away after halftime.
The win keeps South Korea's bid for a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football title alive. The team has won the tournament in 2014, 2018 and 2023 and entered this edition aiming to extend that streak. The Vietnam match was also Lee Young-jun's first start of the competition, and his two-goal performance gave Korea a different attacking option after the group stage.
South Korea will play its semifinal on September 30 in Osaka against the winner of China and Thailand. The 4-0 score gives the team momentum, but the knockout path still requires two more wins for another gold medal. The immediate question is whether Korea can carry the same balance of aerial threat, finishing and defensive control into the semifinal against a stronger remaining field.