The South Korean women's curling team, ranked third in the world, lost to top-ranked Switzerland in a closely contested match at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics qualifiers held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on the 18th. The match ended with a score of 7-5 in favor of Switzerland, marking a significant setback for Korea, which now finds itself needing to secure victories in its remaining matches to maintain hopes for a semifinal berth.

During the match, Korea, known for its competitive spirit, showed great resilience and held a tie of 3-3 through the fifth end. However, a lapse in performance allowed Switzerland to pull ahead in the seventh and ninth ends, putting Korea in a challenging position as they fell behind by three points. Despite a final push from skip Kim Eun-ji, who executed a triple takeout to attempt a dramatic comeback, Switzerland prevailed with a double takeout in the last stone, forcing Korea to concede.

Korea is currently tied for fourth place with Canada, holding a record of four wins and three losses. To advance to the semifinals, Korea must win their upcoming matches against Sweden and Canada on the 18th and 19th, respectively. The stakes are high for the team, as only the top four out of ten teams will progress, intensifying the pressure to perform in their final games for a chance at the medal podium.