South Korea's Archery Team Undergoes Major Transition

Veteran stars absent as national squad prepares for 2028 Olympics

Apr. 18, 2026 at 7:51pm

A cubist, geometric painting depicting an archery competition, with the athletes and targets broken down into overlapping, angular shapes in muted earth tones.South Korea's archery program undergoes a major generational shift as it prepares for the 2028 Olympics.Los Angeles Today

South Korea's archery team is undergoing a significant transition as it prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with several veteran athletes absent from the national squad and a 14-year-old earning a historic call-up to the team. The men's recurve team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been selected again, but the women's side presents a stark contrast, with neither Olympic triple champion An San nor world record holder Lim Si-hyeon included in the latest national team roster.

Why it matters

South Korea has long dominated international archery competition, especially on the women's side. The absence of stars like An San and Lim Si-hyeon signals a major shift in the national team's composition as it prepares for the next Olympic cycle, potentially making way for new talent to emerge.

The details

The men's recurve team of Kim Je-deok, Kim Woo-jin, and Lee Woo-seok, who won gold together at the 2024 Paris Olympics, have all been selected once again to represent South Korea. However, the women's side sees a notable shift, with neither An San, who won three gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, nor Lim Si-hyeon, a two-time individual world champion and world record holder, included in the latest national team roster.

  • The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be the next major international competition for South Korea's archery team.

The players

Kim Je-deok

A member of the South Korean men's recurve archery team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Kim Woo-jin

A member of the South Korean men's recurve archery team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Lee Woo-seok

A member of the South Korean men's recurve archery team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

An San

An Olympic triple champion in archery who was not selected for the latest South Korean national team roster.

Lim Si-hyeon

A two-time individual world champion and world record holder in archery who was not selected for the latest South Korean national team roster.

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The takeaway

The significant changes to South Korea's archery team, particularly the absence of dominant women's stars like An San and Lim Si-hyeon, suggest a deliberate effort to transition the national squad and prepare for new talent to emerge ahead of the 2028 Olympics.