[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ] South Korean fencing proved its status as one of Asia’s top teams by winning a total of 10 medals across all events—including men’s and women’s sabre, épée, and foil—at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. On the 27th, the final day of the competition, the team added medals in the men’s épée and women’s sabre team events, and the previous day, the men’s sabre team defeated Japan in the final to secure their fourth consecutive title at the Games.

Analysts attribute South Korea’s ability to maintain world-class fencing performance for years to 24 years of sustained corporate sponsorship and the recent introduction of cutting-edge information and communications technology (ICT) support.

According to industry sources on the 28th, SKTelecom(017670), the title sponsor of the Korea Fencing Association, has provided a cumulative total of 36 billion won in support for fencing since 2003. As a result of the company’s ongoing efforts—including providing training equipment, supporting participation in international competitions, hosting international Grand Prix events, and expanding the base of recreational sports—South Korean fencing has consistently achieved solid results at major international competitions such as the Olympics and the Asian Games.

Notably, this tournament marked the first introduction of “SKT-FAN (Fencing AI Nexus),” an AI-powered fencing performance analysis system developed in-house by SKT. Utilizing AI computer vision and sensorless motion capture technology, the system automatically detects and analyzes athletes’ joint movements and the timing of points scored or conceded, reducing video analysis time by up to 90% and assisting coaching staff in developing in-match strategies.

Meanwhile, SKT’s sponsorship is expanding to include less popular and amateur sports as well. Athletes belonging to “Team SKT”—including swimmer Hwang Sun-woo, weightlifter Park Hye-jeong, and modern pentathlete Shin Su-min—had collectively won a total of 18 medals as of the 27th, including 5 gold, 7 silver, and 6 bronze.

Kwon Young-sang, Head of the SKT Comm Support Office, said, “The scene of our national team—with whom we’ve worked hard for 24 years—achieving a fourth consecutive men’s sabre gold medal amid the cheers of the public was an unforgettable moment for SKT as well.” He added, “Since it has been confirmed that SKT’s AI technology contributed to improved athletic performance, we will continue to refine it to support athletes on the field.”