This is an archive article published on April 11, 2025

Where does Korea stand in Compound Archery mixed team, really? Or is the bigger threat to gold, Colombia?

While Koreans have propped up their Compound Archery program, even hiring an American coach (a first foreigner) in 2021, the recurve bowstyle still casts a long shadow upon the simpler compound.

South Korean compound archer So Chae Won in action. (World Archery)

4 min readApr 11, 2025 06:59 PM IST First published on: Apr 11, 2025 at 06:59 PM IST

The announcement was celebrated deliriously by Indians who have been sweeping Compound Archery global meets. But LA28 including Compound Archery bow mixed team event brings into focus what Recurve giants Korea are upto.

Look at the last three Compound World Championships medals in mixed teams: 2019 Netherlands: Gold – Korea, Silver – France, Bronze – Taiwan. 2021 USA: Gold – Colombia, Silver – India, Bronze – Korea. 2023 Berlin: Gold – USA, Silver – Colombia, Bronze – Luxembourg. The relative simplicity of the Compound bow opens up the field, though Colombia is a powerhouse without a doubt.

However, Korea, which has a mixed relationship with the Compound bow, reacted with cautious optimism to the announcement. The Instagram comment by a former Robinhood squad content creator (Korea appoints six per year who drive narratives), stated: “Now is the time when everything you’ve been preparing for finally comes into action! Fighting till we conquer America over India.” Other fans manifested a win for Compound queen and fan favourite, So Chae Won.

Korean Archery Association on Instagram, stated, ‘Compound was officially adopted as medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou where Korean national team showcased outstanding performance. Detailed regulations for compound at LA28 will be announced at later date. Please give a little bit of support and interest to our compound national archers who will compete at LA28.”

At trials for upcoming World Championships at Gwangju, compound veteran Choi Yong hee (Hyundai) topped with 40 points and women So Chae-won of Hyundai Mobis topped with 41.

“We have been consistently working to revitalise compound events and we hope this announcement will provide compound archers with great motivation to grow. The association will actively support archers so they demonstrate their best skills.

Korea were dominant on the recurve bow at Paris Olympics, but have been quietly building up their Compound quiver. Compound first debuted at Asian in 2014 when some recurve archers shifted. But the drive to prop up compound ranks had begun, in school and college clubs and then companies like Hyundai Steel – archery giants.

Compound attracted a lot of attention a few years ago when Korea found its first amateur archer. Kang Donghyeon went viral due to his story. From being a firefighter in military to travelling 3 hours to public archery field to pulling a basic compound bow, Donghyeon made it to a pro academy in Daegu and then Hyundai. The big men’s names are Choi Yong-hee and Kim Jongho.

Korean compound archery section also attracted attention when Reo Wilde, an American coach became their first foreigner coach in 2023. At 2023 Asiad, Joo Jae-hoon, Yang Jae-woon and Kim Jong-ho lost gold to India, while So Chae-won went down to Jyothi Surekha Vennam, a loss that made her even more popular than she already was.

However, in a bizarre incident in 2021, legislators of National Assembly submitted a bill restricting sales, possession, and use of compound bows. Koreabiz wrote, “A series of accidents related to the use of compound bows, primarily used for leisure activities, has sparked controversy over how to restrict their use. The controversy began after a teenage son shot his father with a compound bow last month during an argument, resulting in a court’s probation ruling. In turn, the National Assembly submitted a bill last month restricting sales, possession, and use of compound bows. Compound bows, unlike or recurve bows, are equipped with pulleys, a sight, and a firing mechanism to shoot the target with ease.”

Earlier, an arrow shot from a compound bow missed the target at an archery center and pierced a SUV parked 120 meters away, as per the publication, adding them being easy to purchase created headaches.

The proposal never got passed and Compound bows have gone from strength to strength.

But as a Recurve giants, Koreans can be expected to go to bootcamp in Compound teams too. Though the real threat for both India and Korea might be USA and Colombia.