The South Korean table tennis team has demonstrated its international competitiveness in doubles, but faces a "happy dilemma."

At the 2025 WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana, which concluded last weekend, the South Korean team secured two gold medals solely in the doubles events. Among them, the pair of Lim Jong-hoon and An Jaehyun won the men's doubles championship, and Lim Jong-hoon also teamed up with South Korea's top female player, Shin Yubin, to claim the mixed doubles title.

Lim Jong-hoon (right) and An Jaehyun (center), who won the men's doubles championship at the 2025 WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana

As a result, South Korean star Lim Jong-hoon enjoyed the joy of being a double champion at this event. After winning the mixed doubles championship, Shin Yubin also secured the runner-up position in women's doubles with her new partner, Choi Hyo-joo. On the 24th, South Korean media reported that the world's strongest table tennis team from China sent a second-tier lineup to compete. Although their opponent's roster seemed somewhat diminished, the South Korean team still achieved notable results at this event.

The two championships won by the South Korean table tennis team hold significant value. Lim Jong-hoon and An Jaehyun triumphed in the men's doubles final with a 3-0 victory over the world’s top-ranked French duo, Félix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun. Achieving such results is particularly meaningful as the importance of doubles continues to be emphasized in the international table tennis arena. It is worth noting that in three years, at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the table tennis events will eliminate the mixed team competition that was held at the Paris Olympics and restore men's and women's doubles, as well as introduce a mixed team event.

Lim Jong-hoon (left) and An Jaehyun, who won the men's doubles championship at the 2025 WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana

At the Doha World Table Tennis Championships (individual events) in May this year, the South Korean table tennis team had only An Jaehyun reach the singles quarterfinals, but they secured two medals in the doubles events. The men's doubles pair of Lim Jong-hoon and An Jaehyun experienced a disappointing elimination in the round of 32 with a 0-3 loss to an Egyptian duo, but they made a strong comeback at the 2025 WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana, defeating the world’s top-ranked Lebrun brothers to claim the title. Moreover, Lim Jong-hoon also won the men's doubles championship at the recent 2025 WTT Skopje Regular Challenge, partnering with rising star Woo Jung-sung. As Lim Jong-hoon's partner, Woo Jung-sung's competitive ability has also been validated, increasing the South Korean team's options for men's doubles lineups.

In the mixed doubles competition, the strong pairing of Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yubin, after winning a bronze medal at last year's Paris Olympics, secured another bronze at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships this year. Additionally, after dominating the WTT Star Challenge in Chennai in March, Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yubin claimed the championship at the WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana, proving themselves to be a top-tier mixed doubles combination in the world.

Lim Jong-hoon (left) and Shin Yubin, who won the mixed doubles championship at the 2025 WTT Star Challenge in Ljubljana

However, in the women's doubles category, following the retirement of Tian Zhixi, who formed a "dream partnership" with Shin Yubin, the South Korean team is still experimenting with finding a new partner for Shin Yubin. At this year's Doha World Table Tennis Championships, Shin Yubin won a bronze medal in women's doubles with her partner, Yoo Han-na, after just about a month of collaboration. However, she subsequently changed partners for competitions based on her team's situation. In the 2025 WTT Skopje Regular Challenge, Shin Yubin partnered with Kim Na-young, also from the Pohang Steel International Team, and won the women's doubles championship. At the WTT Ljubljana event, Shin Yubin chose to partner with another left-handed player, Choi Hyo-joo, ultimately finishing as the runner-up.

It is reported that Shin Yubin plans to participate in competitions by changing partners before the national team's re-training session. In this regard, South Korean women's table tennis head coach Seo Eun-mi explained, "The national team plans to resume training in early August. For now, women's doubles can only enhance their world rankings by using different partners. It is currently difficult to guarantee who Shin Yubin's partner will be."

Lim Jong-hoon (right) also won the men's doubles championship at the 2025 WTT Skopje Regular Challenge, partnering with rising star Woo Jung-sung.

Coach Seo Eun-mi also added, "Yoo Han-na has the goal of breaking into the top 50 in the world rankings. Choi Hyo-joo must secure one of the two spots for naturalized players, so she has to compete with other naturalized players, Lee Eun-hye and Zhu Qianxi, before she can actively participate as a national representative."

Shin Yubin (right) and Yoo Han-na collaborated to win the women's doubles bronze medal at the 2025 Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

South Korean men's table tennis head coach Woo Sang-in predicted, "Lim Jong-hoon and An Jaehyun gained confidence by defeating the world’s top men's doubles pair, which is very significant. The revival of men's and women's doubles events at the Los Angeles Olympics, along with the introduction of a mixed team event, is expected to allow the two to leverage their doubles strengths." Coach Woo Sang-in continued, "The table tennis Asian Championships in October will be held in a team format, so in the short term, players will focus on improving their rankings in international competitions. The Asian Championships are crucial for qualification for next year's World Championships, so the competitive level will be elevated after the national team training."