Why Is South Korea Ranked 3 at the Asian Games? Gold Medals Take Priority Over Total Medals
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Asian Games medal rankings compare the number of gold medals first, not the total number of medals. If gold medal counts are equal, silver medals are compared, followed by bronze medals if the silver medal counts are also tied. Therefore, a country can win more medals than another country and still rank lower overall. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) also displayed its standard rankings and its 'rankings by total medals' separately in the official Hangzhou Asian Games medal table.
How Are Asian Games Medal Rankings Determined?
When reading a medal table, it is more accurate to look at the gold, silver, and bronze medal counts from left to right, in that order, rather than focusing on the total.
| Order of comparison | Medal count considered |
|---|---|
| 1 ranking criterion | Gold medals |
| 2 ranking criterion | Silver medals |
| 3 ranking criterion | Bronze medals |
| Displayed separately | Total gold, silver, and bronze medals |
For example, suppose Country A wins 5 gold medals and no other medals, giving it a total of 5 medals, while Country B wins 20 medals in total, including 4 gold medals. Country A would rank higher in the medal standings because 5 gold medals take priority over a total of 20 medals.
There is also a rule for displaying countries whose gold, silver, and bronze medal counts are all identical. The official OCA medal table for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games explained that when all medal counts are equal, countries are listed alphabetically by their National Olympic Committee (NOC) codes.
A Real Example: South Korea Ranked Below Japan Despite Winning More Medals
The final medal table from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games provides one of the clearest examples of how this ranking system works.
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Overall ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 52 | 67 | 69 | 188 | 2 |
| South Korea | 42 | 59 | 89 | 190 | 3 |
South Korea won 190 medals in total, 2 more than Japan's 188 medals. However, Japan won 52 gold medals compared with South Korea's 42, giving Japan 10 more gold medals. As a result, Japan finished 2 and South Korea finished 3. In the OCA's official final standings, Japan was ranked 2 and South Korea 3 under the standard ranking system. However, when ranked solely by total medal count, South Korea was 2 and Japan was 3.
Author's calculation: South Korea won 2 more medals overall than Japan but 10 fewer gold medals.
Understanding South Korea's 3 Ranking at the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games
At the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games, simply looking at how many medals South Korea has won is not enough to understand its position in the standings.
According to Yonhap News Agency's tally as of 6:40 p.m. on September 21, South Korea had won 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 15 bronze medals, for a total of 23 medals, placing it 3 overall. The important point is not that South Korea ranked 3 'because it had 23 medals,' but that it ranked 3 in a medal table that compares gold medal counts first. Because the competition was still underway, medal counts and rankings could continue to change depending on subsequent results.
The official website of the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee also provides a 'Medal Table' section where visitors can check each country's medal results alongside competition results. When checking live standings, it is advisable to look at the update time as well as the medal counts.
Why Rankings May Stay the Same Even When Total Medal Counts Rise Sharply
Even if South Korea adds several silver or bronze medals in a single day, significantly increasing its total medal count, its overall ranking may remain unchanged if its gold medal count does not increase.
Conversely, adding 1 gold medals could bring South Korea level with or ahead of the country immediately above it in gold medal count, potentially changing its ranking. If the gold medal counts become equal, silver medals are compared next, followed by bronze medals if the countries remain tied.
Therefore, when following medal standings during the competition, treating 'How many medals has the country won?' and 'What is its ranking?' as two separate questions is the easiest way to avoid confusion.
Why Do Live Medal Counts Differ Between Websites?
During the Asian Games, medal totals may differ across websites even when checked on the same day. When several finals finish in quick succession, a difference of just a few dozen minutes between updates can produce different totals.
In fact, on September 21, domestic and international medal tables were found to display different bronze medal counts and overall medal totals for South Korea depending on when they were updated. Therefore, when comparing medal standings during an ongoing Asian Games, it is essential to first check whether the figures were recorded on the same date and at the same time.
In summary, Asian Games medal rankings are determined by comparing gold medals → silver medals → bronze medals, in that order. The total medal count indicates the overall number of medals won by a national team, while gold medals are the first factor used to determine its overall ranking.
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이 포스팅은 쿠팡 파트너스 활동의 일환으로, 이에 따른 일정액의 수수료를 제공받습니다.