Three-time defending baseball champions South Korea defeated Hong Kong on a mercy rule during their opening group round match at the Asian Games on Sunday.

The national team, led by head coach Ryu Joong-il, ended the game 10-0 after eight innings on a mercy rule at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center in Shaoxing, southeast of Hangzhou.

At the bottom of the first inning, Moon Bo-gyeong's single brought home Choi Ji-hoon from the second base. South Korea added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on Kim Hye-seong's two-RBI double with the bases loaded.

After three scoreless innings, ten batters scored seven runs to extend the lead to 10-0 in the bottom of the eighth.

Starter Won Tae-in gave up only one hit and struck out eight in the first four scoreless innings, while batter Kim Hye-seong had three hits in six at-bats, scoring three runs.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted on the ground with the game being delayed for around 20 minutes during the bottom of the third, after a dispute over the umpire's rulings that went back and forth over a base play at the bottom of the third inning.

South Korea will face off Chinese Taipei, their biggest rival for the top seed in Group B, starting 7:30 p.m. Monday, Korea time.