With nine medals secured at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship throughout the history, the Republic of Korea are the most decorated team in the history of the competition. Yet they have secured only one title, in 2014, with three silver medals and five bronze medals being clinched over the 20 editions they featured in.

Nevertheless, the Asian powerhouse are coming after their first-ever finish outside the top 10 at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, ending up on the 19th place at Slovenia 2022, when they failed to enter the main round, after a difficult group, where they faced Norway and France.

Now, Korea are trying to get back into the fold and they will be relying on the generation which secured the title two years ago at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship. MVP Minseo Kim is missing from the provisional squad, but wings Seojin Kim and Cha Seoyeon are there, with the latter also making the All-Star team two years ago.

North Macedonia was also the host in that competition and the Republic of Korea will be hoping to make it again here, especially as they won all their matches, all bar one of which came against European opponents.

Whether the Republic of Korea can replicate that performance or not it is still to be seen, yet the Asian side are coming in hot, after dominating their opponents last year in the 2023 Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship, where they ran out with the title, in superb fashion, with a commanding 34:15 win against the People’s Republic of China in the final.

This time around, things do not look to be easier for Korea, which are facing Hungary in a fiery clash in the preliminary round, but the Asian side will be definitely favoured against Argentina and Mexico, as they aim to come back into the top-10.

Key players: Hyewon Lee (right back), Seojin Kim (left wing), Cha Seoyeon (right wing)

Qualification: 2023 Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship: Winners

History in the competition: 1981: 4th, 1983: Bronze medal, 1985: Silver medal, 1987: 4th, 1989: Silver medal, 1991: Silver medal, 1993: Bronze medal, 1995: 4th, 1997: 5th, 1999: 9th, 2001: 9th, 2003: 9th, 2005: Bronze medal, 2008: Bronze medal, 2010: 4th, 2012: 6th, 2014: Winners, 2016: 7th, 2018: Bronze medal, 2022: 19th   

Group at North Macedonia 2024: Group C (Hungary, Republic of Korea, Argentina, Mexico)