The South Korean men's national volleyball team defeated Japan in the final of the 2026 East Asian Men's Volleyball Championship to claim their fourth overall title, achieving back-to-back victories following the previous tournament.

On the 9th at AVA Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, South Korea, led by head coach Isana Ye Ramirez, defeated Japan with a set score of 3-1 (40-38, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22). They completed a perfect championship run with five consecutive victories in this tournament.

Set 1: Fierce Battle with 15 Deuces... Lim Seong-jin and Jeong Han-yong Shine in Set 4

The first set was a blood battle that lasted 40 minutes. After a staggering 15 deuces, South Korea took the set 40-38 to seize the early momentum, and carried that momentum into the second set, winning 25-17. They conceded the third set to Japan 23-25, but in the fourth set, the attacks of Lim Seong-jin and Jeong Han-yong proved dominant, securing the final victory at 25-22.

In terms of scoring, Shin Ho-jin (Hyundai Capital) led the offense with a team-high 18 points, followed by Lim Seong-jin (Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps) with 17 points. Middle blockers Choi Jun-hyuk (Korean Air) and Lee Sang-hyun (Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps) each recorded 16 points, showcasing a well-distributed scoring effort. Shin Ho-jin was also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP), adding to the double celebration.

World Ranking Rises from 26th to 25th... Japan and China Field Young Rosters

In this tournament, which featured major East Asian nations including South Korea, Japan, China, and Chinese Taipei, Japan and China assembled their national teams with younger players, while South Korea rose to the top and proved their depth. They also achieved the result of moving up one spot in the world rankings, from 26th to 25th.

In the third-place match held on the same day, host nation Mongolia defeated China with a set score of 3-1 to claim third place.

Meanwhile, this tournament applied the rule that teams participating in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and their opponents cannot earn ranking points.