The South Korean men's swimming team secured a fifth-place finish in the men's 800m freestyle relay final at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, failing to achieve a second consecutive podium finish.

On August 1 in Singapore, the South Korean team of Kim Youngbeom, Kim Woomin (both from Gangwon Province Office), Lee Hojun (Jeju City Hall), and Hwang Sunwoo (Gangwon Province Office) clocked 7:02.29 in the men's 800m freestyle relay final, ranking fifth among the eight competing nations.

The gold medal went to Great Britain, who finished with a time of 6:59.84. This victory marks Great Britain's third consecutive international title in this event, following wins at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. China won the silver medal with a new Asian record of 7:00.91, while Australia claimed bronze with 7:00.98. The United States finished fourth at 7:01.24.

South Korea made history at last year’s Doha event in February, when Yang Jaehun, Kim Woomin, Lee Hojun, and Hwang Sunwoo won the country's first-ever team event medal at the World Championships, earning silver with a time of 7:01.94. The team had aimed to repeat this medal feat in Singapore, but ultimately fell short.

In the final, Kim Youngbeom recorded 1:46.23, Kim Woomin 1:44.66, Lee Hojun 1:46.14, and Hwang Sunwoo 1:45.26—an overall improvement from their preliminary performance, but not enough to close the gap with the leading teams.

Kim Youngbeom, whose main event is butterfly, started as the lead-off swimmer and put up a strong fight, turning in second place at the 50m mark before slipping in rank and handing over in seventh place to Kim Woomin. Kim Woomin delivered the team's fastest leg, lifting the team to third, but Lee Hojun and Hwang Sunwoo were unable to maintain the position, finishing the relay in fifth.

South Korea's national record remains at 7:01.73, set at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September 2023, which at that time was also the Asian record. However, this mark was surpassed by China at the current championships. In the heats, the South Korean team had advanced to the final as the third fastest overall, posting a time of 7:04.68 with the same order of swimmers.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News Agency