Korea is after a taekwondo comeback for the first time. Can it strike gold in Paris?

Soon, a four-person squad of all but one first-time Olympians will start a quest to recreate Korea’s gold medal glory at the Paris Olympics.

From left: Park Tae-joon, Seo Geon-woo, Kim Yu-jin and Lee Da-bin pose for a photo during a media day at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

No one is surprised when Korea does well in taekwondo. Korea invented the sport, grew the sport and enrolls children in the sport as soon as they learn to stand on two feet. So it's news when Korea doesn't end up at the top of a podium and, for the first time, needs a comeback.

Since taekwondo became a full medal sport at the 2000 Olympics, Korea has won at least one gold medal in the sport at every Games — except at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Korea ended with one silver and two bronze and in ninth place in the medal standings.

But soon, a four-person squad of all but one first-time Olympians will start a quest to recreate Korea’s gold medal glory at the Paris Olympics.

Park Tae-joon, Seo Geon-woo, Kim Yu-jin and Lee Da-bin are set to represent Korea across four weight categories next month.

Korea remains the most successful country in taekwondo in Olympic history with 22 medals — 12 gold, three silver and seven bronze.

But other countries have been strong contenders, beating out Korea for the most medals in the Korean-grown sport.

How successful has Korea been in taekwondo at past Olympics, and who might pose a threat in Paris?

Glory from the beginning

It only took Korea one Olympics to shine in taekwondo, with four practitioners winning one medal apiece at the sport’s debut at the 2000 Games.

Kim Kyong-hun, Jung Jae-eun and Lee Sun-hee were the first to win gold for Korea, while Sin Joon-sik was the first to take silver. The four medals allowed Korea to end the tournament with the most medals, beating joint runners-up Australia and Cuba, who won two each.

Korean taekwondo practitioner Jung Jae-eun poses after winning a gold medal in the women's lightweight 57 kilogram final at the 2000 Summer Olympicss at the State Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia on Sept. 28, 2000. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The following Olympics in 2004 also went in Korea’s favor, winning the most medals at four — two gold and two bronze — again.

China emerged as a notable competitor in that Games by winning two gold and has continued to challenge Korea at subsequent Olympics.

China saw success in taekwondo again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning two medals as hosts, but it was not enough to stop Korea from becoming the first country to win four gold in that Games.

Short slump

The 2012 London Olympics saw Korea losing dominance for the first time, winning just one gold and one silver in the tournament that adopted a new electronic scoring system and instant video replays.

Alongside China, multiple European countries like Spain and Italy secured gold medals in London. It was the first time that eight different countries took one gold medal each in the sport.

Spain finished as No. 1 with one gold and two silver, with China coming in second with one gold, one silver and one bronze. Korea and Turkey tied for third with one gold and one silver each.

The results were unimpressive for Korea not just medal-count-wise, but because Lee In-jong and Cha Dong-min became the first two Korean taekwondo practitioners to fail to win a medal in Olympic history.

Korean taekwondo practitioner Lee In-jong reacts after losing the women's heavyweight 67 kilogram quarterfinal at the 2012 London Olympics against Anne Caroline Graffe of France in London on Aug. 11, 2012. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Yet what looked to be a decline saw an immediate turnaround at the 2016 Olympics, where Korea won five medals — two gold and three bronze — to return to the top of the medal standings.

China was also successful again in that Olympics, winning two gold.

Downhill again? The delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 looked similar to the 2012 Games for Korea, with Korean practitioners losing their dominance and collecting three medals with one noticeable change — no gold for the first time.

Korean taekwondo practitioner Lee Da-bin, left, kicks Milica Mandic of Serbia in the women's heavyweight 67 kilogram final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at Makuhari Messe in Japan on July 27, 2021. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Russian Olympic Committee, competing as a committee after Russia was banned from the Olympics for violating doping regulations, topped the medal standings for the first time with four medals.

This year’s Olympics in the French capital will see four Korean practitioners, two fewer than the pool from the Tokyo Games, vie to put Korea back on top. Among the four, Lee is the only one with an Olympic medal, having won silver in Tokyo.

A total of 128 competitors — 64 men and 64 women — across eight disciplines are scheduled to compete in taekwondo, which runs from Aug. 7 to 10 in Paris. The Paris Olympics begin on July 26.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]