On the evening of October 3, the men's football final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was held at Toyota Stadium in Japan. South Korea defeated Japan 1-0 with a goal from Eom Ji-sung in the 15th minute of the second half, securing their fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold medal.

After the match, South Korea head coach Lee Min-sung reflected on the team's victory and his coaching experience over the past year. He stated that the team won gold under very difficult circumstances and apologized for the pressure the players had endured.

Lee Min-sung said, "I want to apologize to the players. Because I, as head coach, did not perform well, the players experienced many difficulties and did not receive sufficient recognition. I want to thank them for being able to win the gold medal under such challenging conditions."

Regarding the final, Lee Min-sung said, "I had expected it to be a difficult match. The pitch conditions today were different from before, plus there was the pressure of the final itself, and factors like military service obligations. The players' ability to withstand this pressure was the reason for our eventual victory."

When asked who was the greatest contributor to the team's victory, Lee Min-sung first credited the entire team: "All the players were contributors."

He then specifically mentioned overage player Yang Hyun-jun: "Yang Hyun-jun joined the team as an overage player but only played one match. He silently contributed behind the scenes and supported the players who took the field. If I had to pick one person, I would say Yang Hyun-jun."

Over the past year, Lee Min-sung has faced external criticism. He acknowledged, "The reason I felt it was difficult is because I didn't perform well myself. Participating in these Asian Games, I felt that every match was a final, and that weighed heavily on me."

"We gave our best in every match, and although we received criticism when our performance fell short, this is a competition where results matter most. Personally, I achieved my goal. I am proud of these players."

These Asian Games were also Lee Min-sung's final tournament as coach of the South Korea Asian Games team. Following the victory, he hopes these players will continue to develop and that more of them will join the senior national team.

Lee Min-sung concluded, "Just because our team won the gold medal does not mean that Korean football will automatically rise again. Coaches still need to work hard, and players still need to improve. I hope that more of the players who participated this time can join the South Korea senior national team and become a foundation for Korean football to recover."

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