JINCHEON — They are still the top-ranked men's doubles team in world badminton, but the Korean tandem of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho will limp into their second Asian Games together following a string of subpar performances. Seo and Kim combined for 11 titles last year, tied for the most in a single season. This year, however, they have not lifted a trophy since the Asian championships in April, an eternity ago for a duo that dominated the sport just last season. They have since collected two silver medals and three bronze medals in five international events, including a bronze at the world championships as they failed to defend their title. Then at the China Masters last week, Seo and Kim lost in the first round despite being the top seed. This was their first opening-round loss at a tournament since reuniting as a team in January 2025 — following their first go-around together from 2017 to 2019. At the 2023 Asian Games, Seo won bronze medals in the men's team event and the mixed doubles. Kim was on the men's team as well, and he collected silver in the men's doubles with a differe