The South Korean Men’s Curling team, skipped by Chang-Min Kim, backed by third Ki Jeong Lee, second Hak Kyun Kim and lead Ki Bok Lee, and coached by Charlottetown PEI’s Peter Gallant, went undefeated  to capture the 2019 Pacific-Asia Curling Championships (PACC) men’s title in Shenzhen China on Saturday, securing their ticket for the LGT World Men’s Curling Championship 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland  from 28 March-5 April.  They downed defending PACC champion Japan by an 11-2 score, in eight ends, finishing with an undefeated 11 win record. Men’s teams from Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand, Nigeria,and Qatar were competing in the PACC.

The South Korean men’s team, with coach Peter Gallant on the right

Men’s medal results: Korea 11-2 Japan (gold); China 9-4 New Zealand (bronze)

Meanwhile, China sealed the women’s crown with a 10-3 win over Japan in another one-sided final,  needing only eight ends to secure the title and become the first rink from that nation to take gold in the women’s event since 2014. Both China and Japan are now guaranteed places at the World Women’s Curling Championship 2020 to be held in Prince George, BC between March 14 and 22.

The South Korean women won bronze, after the team, skipped by Un Chi Gim, and made up of third Min Ji Um, second Su Ji Kim, lead Ye Eun Seol and alternate Ye Ji Seol, beat Hong Kong, 13-2, in Friday night’s Bronze Medal game. The Korean and Hong Kong women will have second chances for world qualification, with an offer to compete in the World Qualification Event 2020. That competition will be held in Lohja, Finland, from 13 to 18 January.