Pakistan scored three goals in the first half, then held off South Korea's rally attempt for a 3-2 win at the Sultan Azlan Shah field hockey tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Three-time champion Pakistan opened the scoring in the second minute Saturday with a penalty corner strike by Mohammed Imran.
Kang Seong Jung tied the match for South Korea from a penalty corner in the 13th minute, but Shakeel Abbasi and Akhtar Ali each tallied to give Pakistan the 3-1 lead at halftime.
South Korea launched a fierce attack in the second half, and it paid off when Jang Jong Hyun scored off a penalty corner to narrow the deficit to 3-2 in the 44th minute.
The Koreans swarmed in search of the equalizer, but Pakistan goalkeeper Salman Akhbar made several good saves late in game to seal the 3-2 victory.
Pakistan leads the standings with six points from its two matches, while India and Australia are tied for second place with four points each.