# Football at the 2018 Asian Games – Men's tournament
The men's football tournament at the 2018 [Asian Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-games) in Jakarta and [Palembang](https://www.edgepedia.org/palembang), Indonesia, was an under-23 competition, with each squad allowed three overage players, won by South Korea (Korea Republic), who beat Japan 2–1 after extra time in the final on 1 September 2018.[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html) • [2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/news/bumper_cast_for_2018_asian_games_mens_football.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tournament dates | Men's football ran within the 18th Asian Games, held 18 August to 2 September 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html) |
| Age rule | Under-23 teams, each allowed three overage players[2](https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/news/bumper_cast_for_2018_asian_games_mens_football.html) |
| Squad size | 20 players per nation in 2018, later expanded to 22[3](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230217004600315) |
| Final | Korea Republic 2–1 Japan (after extra time), Pakansari Stadium, 1 September 2018[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html) |
| Final scorers | Lee Seung-woo (93'), Hwang Hee-chan (101') for Korea; Ueda Ayase (115') for Japan[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html) |
| Significance for Korea | The gold medal carried an exemption from South Korea's mandatory military service for the players[4](https://apnews.com/article/b54958a04eb14f0346d1828f041f23dc) |
## The final
The final was played at Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, Bogor, West Java, with a 18:30 kickoff on 1 September 2018. Regulation and the first period of extra time produced no goals until the 93rd minute, when substitute [Lee Seung-woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-seung-woo) scored for Korea Republic; [Hwang Hee-chan](https://www.edgepedia.org/hwang-hee-chan) added a second in the 101st minute. Japan pulled one back through Ueda Ayase in the 115th minute, and Korea held on to win 2–1.[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html) It was the first time South Korea and Japan had met in the men's football final at the Asian Games.[5](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20180901003500315)
Korea's captain was [Son Heung-min](https://www.edgepedia.org/son-heung-min), then a Tottenham Hotspur forward, with Hwang Hee-chan and [Hwang Ui-jo](https://www.edgepedia.org/hwang-ui-jo) in the front line and Jo Hyeon-woo in goal; Japan's captain was midfielder Koji Miyoshi, with [Ayase Ueda](https://www.edgepedia.org/ayase-ueda) leading the attack and Kojima Ryosuke in goal.[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html) Kim Hak-bum coached Korea and Hajime Moriyasu coached Japan.[1](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html)
## Military service stakes
For South Korean players the result carried consequences beyond the medal. Compulsory military conscription applies to South Korean men, and winning a gold medal at the Asian Games grants an exemption from the roughly 21-month service. Son Heung-min bypassed the 21-month stint through the 2018 gold, though he still had to complete three months of basic training.[4](https://apnews.com/article/b54958a04eb14f0346d1828f041f23dc)
## Japan's team
Japan entered its U-21 national team rather than a full under-23 squad, and the side reached the final by beating Saudi Arabia's U-21 team 2–1 in the quarterfinal stage and advancing through the semifinals.[6](https://www.jfa.jp/national_team/asiangames_jakarta_2018/)
## Context in the Asian Games
Korea's 2018 win retained the title it had won at the previous edition, and the victory came a day before the Games closed, part of a run of gold-medal wins for Korea over Japan in finals that day, including baseball.[7](https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Sports/view?articleId=162958)
## References
1. [Fixtures/Results, Final: Korea Republic 2–1 Japan, JFA](https://www.jfa.jp/eng/national_team/u21_2018/asiangames_jakarta_2018_men/final/match_page/m16.html)
2. [Bumper cast for 2018 Asian Games men's football, the-AFC](https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/news/bumper_cast_for_2018_asian_games_mens_football.html)
3. [Age limit to be raised in men's football at Asian Games, Yonhap News Agency](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230217004600315)
4. [The Asian Games: larger than the Olympics, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/b54958a04eb14f0346d1828f041f23dc)
5. [(Asian Games) S. Korea beat Japan 2-1 in extra time to claim men's football title, Yonhap News Agency](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20180901003500315)
6. [第18回アジア競技大会（2018/ジャカルタ・パレンバン）TOP, JFA](https://www.jfa.jp/national_team/asiangames_jakarta_2018/)
7. [Asian Games Day 15: Korea wins gold in soccer, baseball, Korea.net](https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Sports/view?articleId=162958)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › National team seasons and results archives › Youth and Olympic tournaments*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license