Korea U18 Team Departs for FIBA Asia Qualifiers
- Joanne Lee
- Jun 6
- 2 min read
June 6, 2026
Joanne Lee
On June 1, the Korean U18 national team departed for Fukuoka, Japan, to compete in the FIBA U18 Asia Qualifiers for the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup.
In this qualifying tournament, a total of five teams-Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan, China, and Hong Kong will compete against one another. Among them, only the top four teams will earn a place in the U18 Asia Cup.
This year's squad includes not only Park Tae-jun (Yongsan High School) and Shin Yu-beom (Kyungbock High School), both of whom previously represented Korea on the U16 national team, but also Yoon Ji-won, Yoon Ji-hoon, and Eom Seong-min of Kyungbock High School, who are currently among the top players in Korean high school basketball. In addition, the roster is filled with promising talents such as Kwak Geon-woo (Yongsan High School), Lee Seung-min (Yongsan High School), Eom Ji-hu (Yangjeong High School), Kwon Dae-hyeon (Samil High School), Heo Geon-woo (Anyang High School), Baek Jong-won (Jemulpo High School), and Kim Jeong-woo (Kwangsin Broadcasting Arts High School).
The U18 national team trained together at the Jincheon National Training Center from May 26 to May 31. However, concerns remain, as the Asia Cup qualifiers were added rather suddenly following changes to FIBA regulations.
The current roster was selected with players who are considered the best fit for their respective roles at this time, making it more than enough to raise expectations among fans. As this tournament provides an opportunity to measure their abilities on the international stage, many basketball fans are eager to see how far Korea can go. If the team qualifies for the Asia Cup, fans will also be watching closely to see whether Korea can secure a place in the World Cup.
