Google Translate, War Cries and Korea’s Quest for a Hockey Renaissance
For years, South Korea stood tall among the giants of Asian hockey. The continental game was once dominated by India and Pakistan, but the Koreans broke that duopoly in 1986, winning gold at the Asian Games on home soil in Seoul.
They have since added three more gold medals from the Asian Games. Their crowning moment came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where they stunned the hockey world by winning silver. Fourth places at the 2002 and 2006 World Championships further underlined their status. By 2003, South Korea had climbed to fourth place in the FIH rankings and established itself as a leading power in Asia.
ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY: FULL REPORT
But the landscape has changed dramatically.
South Korea is now a team in transition and has fallen to 20th in the world rankings. They missed out on this year’s World Championships and finished fourth at the Asian Games in Nagoya, a far cry from the heights they once achieved.
Their Asian Champions Trophy campaign in Jalandhar didn’t get off to the best start either. Despite a spirited performance, Japan edged them 3-2 on the opening day, giving the Koreans plenty to think about.
With questions swirling around their future, we got to the South Korean team’s training session on Wednesday, October 28. How will the former Asian power hit the reset button? And what will it take to rebuild a team that was once among the best in the world?
We believed the answers lay with head coach Jungbin Lim and captain Yong Bok Kim.
Both men were at the center of an intense training session that offered a glimpse into the spirit of the team. There was an urgency to the drills, but also a palpable sense of camaraderie. Their warm-up run was punctuated by loud war cries that echoed around the Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, with Lim watching closely from the sidelines.
The session soon moved to tactical work. The focus was on overcoming high pressure and moving forward, with Lim constantly communicating with his players in Korean. His voice bounced off the walls of the stadium and caught the attention of the handful of local reporters who came to watch.
We waited for our chance to speak to the coach and his players. But before the talks started, we witnessed one of the most unusual interactions of our time in Punjab.
A local reporter asked questions in Punjabi while Lim answered in Korean. The language barrier didn’t seem to bother them in any way. Google Translate was an unlikely intermediary, translating questions and answers back and forth as the conversation flowed.
The same process followed when Captain Kim spoke.
When it was finally our turn, we knew we would have to adapt. But the talks that followed offered more than a glimpse of South Korea’s recovery plans. They revealed a team trying to rediscover his identity.
HEART AND PASSION
Lim is relatively new to the job and South Korea are also dealing with significant changes to the squad that appeared at Asia Cup 2025. Dain Son, their top scorer in Rajgir, was missing from the squad while Hyeongjin Kim and Yoonho Kong left.
Rebuilding a team while trying to maintain its competitive edge is rarely easy. However, Lim seems to have a clear idea of where he wants to start.
The starting point for him is neither tactics nor results. It is unity.
“My philosophy is to lead the players on the pitch with a united heart and a common vision and passion. That’s the best I can do,” Lim said. (Credit: India Today)
His plan for a revival also rests on finding the right balance between youth and experience. That mix was seen during practice as goalkeeper Jaehyeon Kim helped his coach direct drills and keep things moving.
Lim believes South Korea must go through a period of trial and error before it can regain its place among the continent’s elite.
“South Korea is currently going through trial and error to create a combination of current players and veterans; from now on, the country will regain its former glory,” Lim said. (Credit: India Today)
Captain Kim sees himself as a key part of this process. His responsibility is to bring the group together, help the younger players settle in and ensure the team progresses as one.
His immediate priority is to get the best out of the next generation and turn individual abilities into collective results.
“I will maximize the abilities of the young players and cement the team to achieve results,” Kim said.
However, for the captain, the rebuilding cannot be rushed. The focus must be on preparation, experience and hunger to improve rather than the pressure of immediate results, especially at the Asian Champions Trophy.
“We will be thorough in our preparations and instead of focusing on results, we start and finish this tournament with the experience and enthusiasm of the players. I believe that with the same passion we will achieve good results,” said Kim. (Credit: India Today)
It is a patient approach, but one that reflects the reality of the situation in South Korea. A team cannot simply rely on its past reputation. He must build towards a new future, one training session at a time.
HOCKEY IS LOOKING FOR ITS PLACE
South Korea continues to produce world-class athletes across a range of sports. Se-young established herself among the best in badmintonwhile the country’s football team has earned a reputation for upsetting some of the biggest sides on the global stage.
Then there’s archery, where South Korea has long been a dominant force.
Where does hockey fit in this context?
At this point, goalkeeper Jaehyeon Kim joined the conversation and assured us that Google Translate would no longer be needed. He was delighted to hear the names of An Se-young and other South Korean sports stars.
“Se-young is a very good player and the Korean soccer team has high potential,” Kim said.
But when the conversation turned to hockey, Kim offered a candid assessment of the sport’s status at home. Despite the country’s rich history in the game, hockey struggles to gain the same attention as its more popular counterparts.
“There is no support. Hockey is not very popular in Korea and we have no support from the government. Football, baseball and basketball are professional sports in Korea,” Kim said.
It was a sobering performance from a team that once challenged the best in the world. South Korea’s problem is not necessarily a lack of talent, but the challenge of building a system that can nurture it and give the sport a stronger foundation at home.
But Kim remains optimistic that a recovery is possible. He believes the current group of young players has the individual skills needed to take the team forward, even as the coaching staff and team are still finding their feet.
“Many players have changed and we have so many young talents. The coaching staff is new, but in Korea, the young players are very good with their individual skills. In 10 years, we may be able to return to the elite in support. Because the potential is there,” said Kim.
The ambitions are clear: South Korea wants to return to the biggest stage, compete in the Olympics and reclaim its place at the top of Asian hockey. For that to happen, Kim believes the team will need more than just talent and determination. It will also need more institutional and financial support.
“I think the first goal is to get to the Olympics and win the Asian championship. After that, with the support from the government and big sponsors, I think yes, we can get there. We’re almost there, just a little bit more,” Kim said.
It was a plea for support, but also an expression of faith. South Korea may be a long way from their former glory, but their captain is confident the foundations for a comeback are already in place.
## WAR WISH FOR A NEW DAWN
Just before we left, we had one last question for Lim. Why was he so loud during practice?
A wide smile spread across the coach’s face. Then, true to his nature, he shouted one word at the top of his lungs: “fight”.
The outburst prompted a few giggles on the field, but also neatly focused attention. For all the tactical adjustments and rebuilding challenges, South Korea’s approach remains rooted in energy, togetherness and a willingness to fight for each other.
This spirit has long been part of Korean hockey’s identity. They once challenged the established order in Asia and went on to compete for the biggest prizes in sports. Now they face a different battle: rebuilding the team, developing young players and convincing their country that hockey deserves a place among its premier sports.
The glory days may seem far away, but South Korea is not ready to give them up. Lim and Kim know that the road back will require patience, investment and a lot of hard work.
War cries are still ringing through the training ground. And if the Koreans get their way, one day they’ll be heard on hockey’s biggest stages again.
– The end