South Korean Judo Coach Admits Staff Error After Athlete Misses Asian Games Weigh-In by Just 100 Grams

SEOUL, South Korea — The head coach of South Korea's national judo team has admitted that a coaching error cost one of the country's top young prospects her chance to compete at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, after the athlete was disqualified for exceeding the weight limit by just 100 grams.

Jeong Sung-sook, the women's national team head coach, acknowledged that team staff gave Jeong Su-jin incorrect information about whether she had been selected for a random morning weigh-in. Believing she was not on the list, the 48-kilogram competitor ate and drank shortly before learning she was required to step on the scale.

"Because of our mistake, a situation that should never have happened occurred. It was our mistake," the coach said. "I apologized to the athlete."

The admission came after Jeong Su-jin publicly described what happened in a detailed social media post on Sunday, turning what had initially appeared to be a personal weight-management failure into a controversy over the coaching staff's handling of the tournament.

The Korea Judo Association said it will investigate.

Disqualified before stepping on the mat

Jeong Su-jin, who competes for Yong In University, was scheduled to face Aliya Mumunova of Tajikistan in the round of 16 of the women's 48-kilogram event on Sept. 30 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.

She never got on the mat.

In judo, athletes undergo an official weigh-in the day before competition. On the day of the event, a number of competitors are selected at random for a second weigh-in. Athletes in that check are allowed to weigh up to 5% above their category limit. For the women's 48-kilogram division, the maximum is 50.4 kilograms.

Jeong Su-jin came in 100 grams over that limit and was disqualified.

Athlete says she checked twice

In her social media post, Jeong Su-jin said she had kept her weight at or below 50.4 kilograms through the morning of the competition.

She said she asked both the head coach and an assistant coach twice whether she had been selected for the random weigh-in, and was told both times that she had not.

According to her account, coaches told her that she had lost a significant amount of weight and should eat to recover her strength before competing. Trusting that guidance, she said she consumed roughly 300 grams of rice porridge, 200 grams of banana and about 600 grams of a sports drink.

About 15 minutes before the random weigh-in window closed, the team discovered that she had in fact been selected.

Jeong Su-jin said she forced herself to vomit, cut her hair and ran continuously in an effort to shed weight. She still fell 100 grams short. She said she asked organizers for about three more minutes, but the request was denied.

The athlete acknowledged that she bore some responsibility for not personally checking the draw results. But she said it was natural for a national team member to follow the instructions and explanations given by her coaches.

Dispute over conversation on trip home

Jeong Su-jin also described a conversation with the head coach during the team's return to South Korea.

She said the coach told her, in effect, that the matter could only be closed quietly if it ended as it was. Jeong Su-jin said she decided to go public because she did not want to continue her career carrying the label of an athlete who failed to make weight, and wanted to clearly explain her side and address what she considered an unfair situation.

The coach acknowledged the staff's error and said she had apologized directly to the athlete. However, regarding the remarks Jeong Su-jin attributed to her on the return trip, the coach said there appeared to have been a misunderstanding between the two during the conversation.

Federation to review incident

The Korea Judo Association said it would look into the circumstances surrounding the disqualification.

The national team is currently competing at the world championships and is scheduled to return to South Korea on Oct. 13. The federation plans to hold an internal review meeting after the team returns to reexamine what happened, and said it will take appropriate measures based on the findings.

The association has not said what actions could result from the review.

Rising prospect loses medal chance

The incident is a significant setback for Jeong Su-jin, regarded as one of South Korea's most promising young judo athletes in the lightest women's weight category.

She won bronze medals at the Junior Asian Championships in both 2024 and 2025, and the Aichi-Nagoya Games were her first Asian Games. She had been seen as a contender for a medal in the 48-kilogram division.

Instead, she left the tournament without competing in a single match.

The Asian Games carry particular weight for South Korean athletes. Medals bring national recognition and, for male athletes, gold can earn an exemption from mandatory military service. For many athletes, a strong performance at the Games can also shape national team selection and future funding.

Weight checks under scrutiny

The random weigh-in system was introduced in international judo to discourage extreme weight cutting, in which athletes lose large amounts of weight before the official weigh-in and then rapidly regain it before competing.

By allowing a 5% margin on competition day, the rule gives athletes some room to rehydrate and eat while limiting dramatic weight swings. But it also means that athletes selected for the check must carefully manage what they consume in the hours before competition.

Because random selection is announced on the day of competition, clear communication between athletes and coaching staff is critical. Teams are typically responsible for confirming which athletes have been drawn.

Jeong Su-jin's case has prompted questions in South Korea about how the national team managed that process and why the information she received was wrong.

Calls for accountability

The incident has drawn wide attention in South Korean media, with many focusing on the gap of just 100 grams, roughly the weight of a small apple, that ended the athlete's Asian Games.

The young judoka's public account, along with the coach's acknowledgment of the error, has increased pressure on the federation to explain how such a mistake occurred at a major international competition and what steps will be taken to prevent a repeat.

For Jeong Su-jin, the immediate focus is on clearing her name. In her post, she made clear that she wanted the public to understand that her disqualification was not simply the result of failing to manage her own weight.

The federation's review is expected to begin after the national team returns home later this month.