South Korea's Ryu Seung-min defeated China's Wang Hao to claim the gold medal in the Olympic table tennis men's singles final Monday.

The third-seeded South Korean ended Chinese domination of the event by edging Wang Wang with a set score of four to two.

Ryu repeatedly fought back in the final as Wang started each game strongly and secured victory with a huge forehand.

From Seoul, President Roh Moo-hyun sent a congratulatory message to Ryu, praising his indomitable spirit, excellent skill and hard work in winning the Olympic gold.

The gold medal was South Korea's first in the Olympic men's singles event since Yoo Nam-kyu took gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

As of Tuesday morning, South Korea sits at 11th place in the total medal count with six gold, ten silver and five bronze medals.