1. Overview
Kim Gi-jung (김기정Kim Gi-jeongKorean; born August 14, 1990) is a prominent South Korean professional badminton player. He has achieved significant success throughout his career, primarily excelling in men's doubles and mixed doubles events. Kim is known for his consistent performance on the international stage, securing multiple titles across various prestigious tournaments, including the BWF World Tour, BWF Superseries, and BWF Grand Prix circuits, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation. He reached a career-high world ranking of No. 2 in men's doubles with his long-standing partner, Kim Sa-rang, and No. 19 in mixed doubles. His career also includes notable medal wins at major championships such as the BWF World Championships, Asian Games, and Summer Universiade.
2. Personal Information
This section details the fundamental personal and physical attributes of Kim Gi-jung as an athlete.
2.1. Birth and Early Life
Kim Gi-jung was born on August 14, 1990, in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. He holds South Korean nationality and has been affiliated with Dangjin City Hall during his professional career.
2.2. Physical Characteristics
As an athlete, Kim Gi-jung possesses physical attributes well-suited for badminton. He stands at a height of 5.9 ft (1.79 m) and weighs 159 lb (72 kg). He is a right-handed player, utilizing his dominant hand for powerful and precise shots on the court.
3. Career
Kim Gi-jung's career as a badminton player spans a successful journey from his junior years to becoming a distinguished senior professional.
3.1. Junior Career
Kim Gi-jung began his international career in junior competitions, quickly demonstrating his potential. In 2006, he earned a bronze medal in boys' doubles at the 2006 BWF World Junior Championships in Incheon, South Korea, partnering with Lee Jung-hwan. He also contributed to South Korea's gold medal win in the mixed team event at the same championship. The following year, in 2007, he secured a silver medal in the mixed team event at the 2007 BWF World Junior Championships in Waitakere City, New Zealand. His junior career continued to flourish in 2008 at the 2008 BWF World Junior Championships in Pune, India, where he won a bronze medal in mixed doubles with Eom Hye-won and a silver medal in the mixed team event. At the 2008 Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he claimed silver medals in both boys' doubles with Choi Young-woo and mixed doubles with Eom Hye-won, in addition to another silver in the mixed team event.
3.2. Professional Career
Kim Gi-jung transitioned into the senior professional circuit, establishing himself as a formidable force, particularly in men's doubles.
3.2.1. Major Partnerships
Throughout his professional career, Kim Gi-jung formed several key partnerships that led to significant successes. His most prominent and successful partnership was with Kim Sa-rang in men's doubles. Together, they achieved their first Superseries title at the 2012 Japan Super Series by defeating the Malaysian pair Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong. They also secured a gold medal at the 2012 Badminton Asia Championships after overcoming Japan's Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa. In September 2012, they won the men's doubles title at the Indonesian Masters.
In 2013, Kim Gi-jung and Kim Sa-rang became champions at the Chinese Taipei Open and the South Korea Grand Prix Gold tournaments. At the Chinese Taipei Open, they defeated the host pair Lee Sheng-mu and Tsai Chia-hsin in straight sets. At the Korea Grand Prix Gold, they won against compatriots Ko Sung-hyun and Shin Baek-cheol in a three-set match. They also reached the final of the 2013 BWF Super Series Masters Finals in Kuala Lumpur, finishing as runners-up to Indonesia's Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.
In 2015, Kim Gi-jung and Kim Sa-rang continued their success, winning the 2015 Korea Masters Grand Prix Gold by defeating Ko Sung-hyun and Shin Baek-cheol in a close three-set match. They also triumphed at the 2015 China Open Super Series Premier, beating Chai Biao and Hong Wei in straight games. Their winning streak extended into 2016 when they won the 2016 Malaysia Super Series Premier title. In this tournament, they defeated the world No. 1 pair, Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong, in the semifinals, and then went on to beat Chai Biao and Hong Wei in the final.
Beyond his partnership with Kim Sa-rang, Kim Gi-jung also had a successful collaboration with Lee Yong-dae in the BWF World Tour. Together, they won the men's doubles titles at the 2018 Spain Masters, 2018 Macau Open, and the 2020 Malaysia Masters. In mixed doubles, Kim Gi-jung secured a gold medal at the 2013 Summer Universiade with Kim So-yeong and another gold at the 2015 Summer Universiade with Shin Seung-chan.
3.2.2. Olympic Participation
Kim Gi-jung represented South Korea at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's doubles event, partnering with Kim Sa-rang. They advanced to the quarterfinal round but were ultimately defeated by the Chinese pair Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan in a closely contested three-set match with scores of 21-11, 18-21, and 22-24.
3.3. Doping Incident
In 2014, Kim Gi-jung, along with fellow South Korean player Lee Yong-dae, faced a one-year suspension from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) under its Anti-Doping Regulations. The suspension was imposed for missing three doping tests, which constituted "whereabouts failures" as they failed to provide accurate whereabouts information for out-of-competition testing. The Korea Badminton Association also imposed a penalty of 41.17 K USD for administrative failures related to the incident.
However, after a review of the case, the BWF panel reconsidered its decision. The information and evidence presented at the January hearing were deemed insufficient and ambiguous, and there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the players were at fault. Consequently, in April 2014, the BWF panel reversed its original decision, expunging the missed tests and filing failures from their records and lifting the suspensions. This allowed Kim Gi-jung to resume his professional career without further penalty.
4. Achievements
Kim Gi-jung has accumulated an impressive array of medals and titles throughout his career, showcasing his prowess on both the junior and senior international stages.
4.1. BWF World Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tianhe Sports Center, Guangzhou, China | Kim Sa-rang | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 23-21, 18-21, 18-21 |  Bronze |
| 2014 | Ballerup Super Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark | Kim Sa-rang | Ko Sung-hyun Shin Baek-cheol | Walkover | Bronze |
4.2. Sudirman Cup
Mixed team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Putra Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |  Silver |
| 2015 | Dongfeng Nissan Sports Centre, Dongguan, China | Bronze |
4.3. Thomas Cup
Men's team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium, Wuhan, China | Silver |
| 2016 | Kunshan Sports Center, Kunshan, China | Bronze |
4.4. Asian Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Gyeyang Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea | Kim Sa-rang | Mohammad Ahsan Hendra Setiawan | 21-19, 16-21, 18-21 | Bronze |
Men's team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Tianhe Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China | Silver |
| 2014 | Gyeyang Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea |  Gold |
4.5. Asian Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Qingdao Sports Centre Conson Stadium, Qingdao, China | Kim Sa-rang | Hiroyuki Endo Kenichi Hayakawa | 21-12, 21-16 | Gold |
| 2013 | Taipei Arena, Taipei, Taiwan | Kim Sa-rang | Ko Sung-hyun Lee Yong-dae | 13-21, 20-22 | Silver |
| 2015 | Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium, Wuhan, China | Kim Sa-rang | Lee Yong-dae Yoo Yeon-seong | 18-21, 9-21 | Bronze |
4.6. Asia Mixed Team Championships
Mixed team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Silver |
4.7. Asia Team Championships
Men's team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hyderabad, India | Bronze |
4.8. Summer Universiade
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tennis Academy, Kazan, Russia | Hong Ji-hoon | Vladimir Ivanov Ivan Sozonov | 21-17, 11-21, 15-21 | Bronze |
| 2015 | Hwasun Hanium Culture Sports Center, Hwasun, South Korea | Kim Sa-rang | Wang Yilyu Zhang Wen | 21-16, 22-20 | Gold |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tennis Academy, Kazan, Russia | Kim So-yeong | Liu Cheng Tian Qing | 22-20, 21-14 | Gold |
| 2015 | Hwasun Hanium Culture Sports Center, Hwasun, South Korea | Shin Seung-chan | Lu Ching-yao Chiang Kai-hsin | 21-14, 21-11 | Gold |
Mixed team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tennis Academy, Kazan, Russia | Gold |
| 2015 | Hwasun Hanium Culture Sports Center, Hwasun, South Korea | Gold |
4.9. East Asian Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong | Kwon Yi-goo | Hu Chung-hsien Tsai Chia-hsin | 13-21, 23-21, 10-21 | Bronze |
Mixed team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong | Silver |
4.10. BWF World Junior Championships
Boys' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Samsan World Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea | Lee Jung-hwan | Li Tian Liu Xiaolong | 20-22, 21-19, 19-21 | Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Badminton Hall, Pune, India | Eom Hye-won | Chai Biao Xie Jing | 13-21, 19-21 | Bronze |
Mixed team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Samsan World Gymnasium, Incheon, South Korea | Gold |
| 2007 | Waitakere City, New Zealand | Silver |
| 2008 | Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Badminton Hall, Pune, India | Silver |
4.11. Asian Junior Championships
Boys' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Stadium Juara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Choi Young-woo | Mak Hee Chun Teo Kok Siang | 13-21, 18-21 | Silver |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Stadium Juara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Eom Hye-won | Zhang Nan Lu Lu | 21-14, 15-21, 22-24 | Silver |
Mixed team
| Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Stadium Juara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Silver |
4.12. BWF World Tour
The BWF World Tour, launched in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It is divided into levels including World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and BWF Tour Super 100.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Spain Masters | Super 300 | Lee Yong-dae | Bodin Isara Maneepong Jongjit | 21-13, 21-17 | Winner |
| 2018 | Macau Open | Super 300 | Lee Yong-dae | Ko Sung-hyun Shin Baek-cheol | 17-21, 21-13, 21-19 | Winner |
| 2020 | Malaysia Masters | Super 500 | Lee Yong-dae | Li Junhui Liu Yuchen | 21-14, 21-16 | Winner |
| 2022 | Korea Masters | Super 300 | Kim Sa-rang | Liu Yuchen Ou Xuanyi | 21-14, 21-16 | Winner |
4.13. BWF Superseries
The BWF Superseries, which was launched in 2007 and concluded in 2017, was a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It included Superseries and Superseries Premier levels. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals at the end of each year.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Japan Open | Kim Sa-rang | Koo Kien Keat Tan Boon Heong | 21-16, 21-19 | Winner |
| 2013 | Hong Kong Open | Kim Sa-rang | Lee Yong-dae Yoo Yeon-seong | 21-12, 15-21, 18-21 | Runner-up |
| 2013 | World Superseries Finals | Kim Sa-rang | Mohammad Ahsan Hendra Setiawan | 14-21, 16-21 | Runner-up |
| 2015 | Korea Open | Kim Sa-rang | Lee Yong-dae Yoo Yeon-seong | 16-21, 12-21 | Runner-up |
| 2015 | China Open | Kim Sa-rang | Chai Biao Hong Wei | 21-13, 21-19 | Winner |
| 2016 | Malaysia Open | Kim Sa-rang | Chai Biao Hong Wei | 21-19, 21-15 | Winner |
| 2016 | Japan Open | Ko Sung-hyun | Li Junhui Liu Yuchen | 12-21, 12-21 | Runner-up |
4.14. BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix, which included the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold levels, was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | German Open | Kim Sa-rang | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 19-21, 21-18, 11-21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Indonesia Grand Prix Gold | Kim Sa-rang | Angga Pratama Ryan Agung Saputra | 21-13, 21-9 | Winner |
| 2012 | Korea Grand Prix Gold | Kim Sa-rang | Ko Sung-hyun Lee Yong-dae | 12-21, 11-21 | Runner-up |
| 2013 | Chinese Taipei Open | Kim Sa-rang | Lee Sheng-mu Tsai Chia-hsin | 21-11, 21-11 | Winner |
| 2013 | Korea Grand Prix Gold | Kim Sa-rang | Ko Sung-hyun Shin Baek-cheol | 21-15, 18-21, 25-23 | Winner |
| 2015 | Korea Masters | Kim Sa-rang | Ko Sung-hyun Shin Baek-cheol | 16-21, 21-18, 21-19 | Winner |
| 2016 | Thailand Masters | Kim Sa-rang | Mohammad Ahsan Hendra Setiawan | 21-12, 15-21, 12-21 | Runner-up |
| 2016 | China Masters | Kim Sa-rang | Lee Yong-dae Yoo Yeon-seong | 17-21, 14-21 | Runner-up |
| 2017 | Korea Masters | Jung Jae-wook | Kim Won-ho Seo Seung-jae | 15-21, 16-21 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Korea Grand Prix Gold | Jung Kyung-eun | Yoo Yeon-seong Jang Ye-na | 17-21, 19-21 | Runner-up |
4.15. BWF International Challenge/Series
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Mongolian Satellite | Lee Jung-hwan | Jeon Jun-bum Yoo Yeon-seong | 14-21, 14-21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Vietnam International | Shin Baek-choel | Goh V Shem Teo Kok Siang | 23-21, 17-21, 19-21 | Runner-up |
| 2011 | Turkey International | Kim Sa-rang | Cho Gun-woo Shin Baek-choel | 21-17, 16-21, 21-15 | Winner |
| 2021 | Welsh International | Kim Sa-rang | Man Wei Chong Tee Kai Wun | 21-18, 18-21, 21-15 | Winner |
5. Personal Life
Outside of his competitive badminton career, Kim Gi-jung is affiliated with the Dangjin City Hall, indicating his continued connection to the sport through a local government team.
6. Assessment and Impact
Kim Gi-jung has left a significant mark on South Korean and international badminton, particularly in the men's doubles category. His partnership with Kim Sa-rang was one of the most formidable pairs of their era, consistently challenging top-ranked opponents and securing multiple major titles, including the prestigious BWF Superseries events. His highest world ranking of No. 2 in men's doubles underscores his elite status in the sport.
The doping incident in 2014, although a challenging period, ultimately highlighted the BWF's review process and Kim's eventual exoneration, allowing him to continue his successful career. His resilience and ability to return to top form after this period demonstrated his dedication and commitment to the sport. Kim Gi-jung's consistent presence in finals and his numerous medal wins at various championships solidify his standing as one of South Korea's notable badminton talents, contributing to the country's strong reputation in the sport.