The team of Gu Bon-gil, Kim Jun-ho, Oh Sang-uk and Ha Han-sol earned a narrow 45-44 win against Tamás Decsi, Csanád Gémesi, 2017 individual world sabre champion András Szatmári and Olympic champion Áron Szilágyi in the final at YMA Sports and Conference Centre.

South Korea arrived in the Hungarian capital having claimed the team title at the past two World Championships in Leipzig and Wuxi.

They came perilously close to relinquishing their title as the Hungarian quartet pushed them all the way before eventually falling short.

South Korea thrashed Germany 45-22 in the semi-final, while Hungary ousted Italy 45-38.

The bronze medal was clinched by the Italian team of Enrico Berre, Luca Curatoli, Aldo Montano and Luigi Samele, who beat Germany's Max Hartung, Björn Hübner, Matyas Szabo and Benedikt Wagner 45-38.

China secured the women's team épée crown as they denied Russia further success at these Championships with a 29-28 win.

The Chinese team of Xu Anqi, Sun Yiwen, Lin Sheng and Zhu Mingye, two of which were part of the squad which earned silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, prevailed by a slim margin over Tatyna Andryushina, Violetta Khrapina, Violetta Kolobova and Lyubov Shutova to claim the world title.

Italy's Alice Clerici, Rossella Fiamingo, Federica Isola and Mara Navarria took bronze by defeating Ukraine's Dzhoan Feybi Bezhura, Olena Kryvytska, Kseniya Pantelyeyva and Yana Shemyakina 45-36 in the third-place playoff.

The Championships continue tomorrow.