At Paloma Mizuho Stadium, South Korea dominated possession but did not score until the second half. Shin Min-ha and Kim Myeong-jun scored in the 67th and 69th minutes to secure a 2-0 victory. South Korea had previously beaten Qatar 4-1.

Vietnam lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan in their final Group C match at the 2026 Asian Games earlier on Tuesday but advanced to the quarterfinals as group runners-up.

With Iraq withdrawing from the tournament, Group D consisted of three teams. South Korea finished top with six points, followed by Saudi Arabia with three. South Korea will face Vietnam in the quarterfinals, while Saudi Arabia will meet Uzbekistan.

The other two quarterfinal matchups will be determined after the final Group A and B matches on Sept. 23.

South Korea's midfielder Eom Ji-sung (7) celebrates a goal in their 4-1 victory over Qatar 4-1 in Group D of the 2026 Asian Games in Paloma Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 15, 2026. Photo by KFA

South Korea have won all three of their previous Asian Games meetings with Vietnam, beating them 4-0 in the 1998 group stage, 2-0 in 2006 and 3-1 in the 2018 semifinals.

The 2018 meeting featured Vietnam's so-called "golden generation," which had finished as runners-up at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship. Vietnam also fielded three over-age players: Nguyen Van Quyet, Nguyen Anh Duc and Do Hung Dung.

South Korea, however, proved too strong, with Son Heung-min, then at Tottenham, joined by goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo and forward Hwang Ui-jo. Hwang scored once and Lee Seung-woo twice, while Tran Minh Vuong scored Vietnam's goal from a free kick.

The teams met again in January at the AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, with Vietnam winning the third-place match 7-6 on penalties after a 2-2 draw following extra time. Nguyen Quoc Viet and Nguyen Dinh Bac scored for Vietnam, while Kim Tae-won and Shin Min-ha equalized. Shin's goal came in the seventh minute of stoppage time, after Dinh Bac had been sent off.

That shootout marked Vietnam's first victory over South Korea at the U23 level or higher.

Vietnam (red) in a 2-2 draw with South Korea, followed by the former's 7-6 victory in penalty shootout in the 2026 U23 Asian Cup bronze medal match in King Abdullah Sports City, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 31, 2026. Photo by AFC

The teams will meet again with significantly different squads. Vietnam are without head coach Kim Sang-sik, who is leading the senior national team in the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. The squad has also been overhauled, with about half of the roster changed and Dinh Bac, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Hieu Minh and Tran Trung Kien among those absent.

South Korea have made 16 changes to their squad as they target the Asian Games gold medal. They have selected 17 players born in 2004 or earlier, making them ineligible for the U23 Asian Cup and the 2028 Olympic qualifiers.

The team has also used all three over-age slots on midfielder Lee Gi-hyuk, born in 2000 and playing for Gangwon FC; Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City; and Yang Hyun-jun of Celtic.

Other overseas-based players include defender Kim Ji-soo of Brentford, Kim Myung-jun of Genk Youth, forward Lee Young-jun of Grasshopper, and midfielders Lee Hyun-ju of Arouca and Yang Min-hyeok of Westerlo.