// Workers AI · dad joke modeDid South Korea medal in 1948? Seoul good at sports.

South Korea at the 1948 Summer Olympics
IOC code	KOR
NOC	Korean Olympic Committee
in London
Competitors	50 in 7 sports
Flag bearer	Sohn Kee-chung
Officials	17
Medals Ranked 32nd	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 2 Total 2
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

South Korea competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It was the first time a Korean state competed as an independent country. The Korean Olympic Committee, established in 1946 and recognized in 1947, represented only Southern Korea although the division of Korea was not fully realized at the time of the 1948 Games.

South Korea won two bronze medals, putting it at the 32nd rank of competing nations.

Medalists

Medal	Name	Sport	Event	Date
Bronze	Kim Sung-Jip	Weightlifting	Men's Middleweight	10 August
Bronze	Han Soo-Ann	Boxing	Men's Flyweight	12 August

Results and competitors by event

Athletics

Men

Track & road events

Athletes	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Lee Yun-Seok	800 metres	2:01.4	6 (H1)	Did not advance
	1500 metres	-	9 (H4)	Did not advance
Sim Bok-Seok	5000 metres	-	10 (H2)	Did not advance
Hong Jong-O	Marathon					2:56:52	25
Suh Yun-Bok						2:59:36	27
Choi Yun-Chil						DNF	-

Field

Athletes	Event	Qualification		Final
		Result (m)	Rank	Result	Rank
Kim Won-Kwon	Long Jump	6.710	18	Did not advance
	Triple Jump	14.600	7T Q	14.250	12
An Yeong-Han	Discus Throw	No mark	-	Did not advance
Gin Gang-Hwan	Hammer Throw	49.49	7 Q	43.93	13

Field

Athletes	Event	Qualification		Final
		Result (m)	Rank	Result	Rank
Pak Bong-Sik	Discus Throw	33.80	18	Did not advance

Basketball

Group stage

Group B

	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
South Korea	5	3	2	258	152	8
Chile	5	3	2	269	162	8
Belgium	5	3	2	234	156	8
Philippines	5	3	2	262	200	8
Republic of China	5	3	2	281	202	8
Iraq	5	0	5	113	545	5

• Korea 29-27 Belgium
• Philippines 35-33 Korea
• China 49-48 Korea
• Korea 120-20 Iraq
• Korea 28-21 Chile

Quarterfinals

• Mexico 43-32 Korea

Classification 7/8

• Czechoslovakia 39-38 Korea

Squad

An Byeong-Seok, Bang Won-Sun, Chang Ri-Jin, Jo Deuk-Jun, Gang Bong-Hyeon, Kim Jeong-Sin, Lee Jun-Yeong, Lee Sang-Hun, O Su-Cheol

Boxing

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Han Soo-Ann	Flyweight	Gausterer (AUT) W by points	Cochin (FRA) W by points	Corman (NED) W by KO (R2)	Bandinelli (ITA) L by points	Majdloch (TCH) W by points
Seo Byeong-Ran	Featherweight	Hamouda (EGY) W by points	Birks (AUS) W by KO (R2)	Antkiewicz (POL) L by points	Did not advance		5T
Gang In-Seok	Lightweight		Breiby (NOR) L by points	Did not advance			9T

Cycling

Athlete	Event	Time	Rank
Gwon Ik-hyeon	Individual road race	Did not finish	-
Hwang San-ung	Individual road race	Did not finish	-

Football

First round

August 2, 1948
14:00

South Korea	5–3	Mexico
Choi Song-Gon 13' Bae Jong-Ho 30' Chung Kook-Chin 63' 66' Chung Nam-Sik 87'	Report	Cárdenas 23' Figueroa 85' Ruiz 89'

Champion Hill, Dulwich

Referee: Leo Lemesic (YUG)

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Quarterfinal

August 5, 1948
13:00

Sweden	12–0	South Korea
Liedholm 11' 62' G. Nordahl 25' 40' 78' 80' Gren 27' Carlsson 61' 64' 82' Rosen 72' 85'	Report

Selhurst Park, South Norwood

Attendance: 7.110

Referee: Giuseppe Carpani (ITA)

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Weightlifting

Athlete	Event	Press		Snatch		Clean & jerk		Total	Rank
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Lee Gyu-Hyeok	Men's Bantamweight (-56 kg)	77.5	14	92.5	2	120	2	290	4
Park Dong-Wook otherwise Park Dong-Uk		80	7	85	7	107.5	12	272.5	10
Nam Su-Il	Men's Featherweight (-60 kg)	92.5	6	92.5	8	122.5	2	307.5	4
Choi Hang-Gi		0	-	85	17	-	-	85	23
Kim Chang-Hui	Men's Lightweight (-67.5 kg)	95	8	100	7	135	5	330	6
Na Si-Yun		90	14	100	8	140	3	330	7
Kim Seong-Jip	Men's Middleweight (-75 kg)	122.5 OR	1	112.5	4	145	3	380	3
Lee Yeong-Hwan	Men's Light-Heavyweight (-82.5 kg)	100	12	105	14	0	-	205	16

Wrestling

Men's Freestyle

Athlete	Event	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Han Sang-Ryong	Bantamweight (−57 kg)		Persson (SWE) L by points	Did not advance					N/A
Kim Kuk-Fan	Featherweight (−62 kg)	López (CUB) L by points	Did not advance						N/A
Kim Seok-Yeong	Lightweight (−67 kg)	Bechara (LIB) W by retired	Ghaffari (IRI) L by fall	Did not advance					9T
Hwang Byeong-gwan	Welterweight (−73 kg)	Culot (BEL) W by points	Moustafa (EGY) L by points	Did not advance					N/A

Sources

• Official Olympic Reports
• International Olympic Committee results database