No country apart from China in over a quarter-century has successfully defended the Uber Cup.

That grim statistic is an indicator of the magnitude of the task that awaits Korea as they embark on their campaign to retain the Uber Cup.

The 2022 final, in which Korea beat China, was one of the greatest team event finals of recent times. Korea were very much the underdog, and when the unheralded Sim Yu Jin held her nerve against Asian champion Wang Zhi Yi to secure the title for Korea after a 12-year wait, it had all the elements of a fairytale.

The two years since then have seen several highs for Korea, particularly with An Se Young’s evolution into a potential great. Having won a succession of major titles, and dominating 2023 with a record 10 titles, An turned the spotlight on Korean women’s singles in a manner that none of her predecessors had, with the exception perhaps of Bang Soo Hyun.

Korea’s other singles players have had modest results, with Kim Ga Eun enjoying occasional success, such as winning Korea Masters 2023.

The last two years have seen Korea consolidate on their traditional strength in women’s doubles. Interestingly, although the Uber Cup win was due in part to Shin Seung Chan/Lee So Hee’s strong performances, the pair was split in early 2023, with Lee pairing Baek Ha Na. The Baek/Lee pair have been just as successful, making seven finals that year, and recently winning back-to-back titles at the All England and the Badminton Asia Championships.

Other pairs, such as Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong, Jeong Na Eun/Kim Hye Jeong and Shin Seung Chan/Lee Yu Lim, have kept Korea’s reputation intact.

The big occasion for the Koreans after the Uber Cup was the Asian Games team event, and An once again led admirably. The 3-0 win over hosts China, with Kim Ga Eun winning the gold medal point over He Bing Jiao, was only their second in the Asian Games, achieved after nearly three decades.

While An led Korea to memorable triumphs, she fell prey to the one problem feared most by athletes – injury. A knee injury that she picked up during the Asian Games could not prevent her from winning the singles gold, but it would become a constant and unwelcome companion. She willed herself on at the All England 2024 despite obvious pain, but the effort proved too much at the Asia Championships, where she crashed out in the quarterfinals to He.

Korea’s challenge will hinge to a large extent on An’s condition, particularly in the knockout stages. With Kim Ga Eun sitting out the Uber Cup due to a knee injury, the defending champions will be hard-pressed. Can they conjure another fairytale?