Head-to-head• Korea Republic are winless in their five World Championship meetings. Three of those meetings had five sets (1956, 1978 and 1994).
• Cuba claimed their first World Championship medal (bronze) in 1978 by beating Korea Republic 3-1 in the final for third place.
• In 41 matches between Cuba and Korea Republic at World Championships, World Cups, World Leagues and Olympic Games combined, Korea Republic grabbed only one victory (2011 World League, 3-0). Cuba took 120 sets in all of these matches against the 21 of Korea Republic.
Korea Republic• Korea have won only one of their last four World Championship matches (3-1 against Tunisia).
• Korea can win two of their first three matches for the first time since 1982.
• Korea have not won a World Championship match in straight sets since beating Egypt 3-0 in 1998. They have played 16 matches since.
Cuba• Cuba can lose four successive World Championship matches for the first time since 2002-2006.
• Cuba can lose their opening three World Championship matches for the first time since their debut in 1956, when they lost their first six.
• Cuba have won their last nine World Championship matches against Asian teams, since losing against Korea DPR in 1970.