Jung Ha-eun wins poomsae gold in Asian Games debut, giving Korea back-to-back titles

Jung Ha-eun of Yongin City Hall claimed gold at her first Asian Games on Thursday, delivering South Korea its first gold medal of the tournament in taekwondo.

Competing in the women's individual poomsae final at Toyohashi Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Jung averaged 9.3100 points across the compulsory and freestyle poomsae rounds to finish first among eight athletes at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Juliana Candelaria of the Philippines took silver with 9.1300 points, while Tittari Kaewonlanwasu of Thailand (9.0400) and Niwa Yuiko of Japan (8.9100) shared the bronze.

In the compulsory poomsae — performing Jitae — Jung scored 9.320 points, combining 3.700 for accuracy and 5.620 for presentation, the highest mark in that discipline. She entered the floor with a heart gesture directed at the South Korean flag embroidered on the left side of her uniform, then delivered a sharp, precise routine to claim the top score.

In the freestyle poomsae, she earned 9.300 points — 5.560 for technical skill and 3.740 for choreography. Opening with a back aerial, she worked through five required techniques before the music quickened, unleashing a sequence of kicks including a front kick, turning kick and back hook kick. She sealed the gold with a clean finish on her final tumbling pass.

Earlier in the semifinals, Jung had also topped her group with 9.020 points in the compulsory poomsae Koryo, 8.840 in the freestyle round and an average of 8.930, advancing to the final in first place.

With Jung's victory, South Korea claimed consecutive Asian Games gold medals in women's individual poomsae, following Cha Ye-eun's triumph at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.

Jung took up taekwondo at age 8 and began competing seriously after placing at a national poomsae championship in her second year of high school. She won gold in the pairs event at the 2024 World Poomsae Championships and silver in the individual event at the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr Summer World University Games before adding an Asian Games gold at her first appearance.