South Korean pair Lee Eun-sil and Seok Eun-mi won the silver medal in the Olympic women's table tennis doubles on Friday.

Lee and Seok, who defeated teammates Kim Bok-rae and Kim Kyung-ah in the semifinals on Thursday, lost to the team of Wang nan and Zhang Yining of China 4 sets to nothing.

Lee and Seok, who took the gold at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, were overwhelmed by China's strong attack.

Except for the first set, the Chinese pair dominated the match, with Wang Nan's powerful backhand smashes baffling the Korean paddlers.

For the South Koreans, it was a chance to overcome powerhouse China and clinch the Olympic title for the first time in 16 years, but "the Great Wall" proved to be insurmountable.

South Koreans have not won the event since the 1988 Seoul Olympics when Hyun Jung-hwa and Yang Young-ja captured the crown.

Currently, Hyun coaches the South Korean women's table tennis squad.