1. Early Life and Education
Kim Jae-hwan's early life and educational background laid the foundation for his athletic career.
1.1. Birth and Personal Background
Kim Jae-hwan was born on August 13, 1996, in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. He resides in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do. He is right-handed and stands at 5.9 ft (1.79 m) tall.
1.2. Education
He completed his secondary education at Jeonju Life Science High School. Following this, he continued his studies at Wonkwang University.
2. Junior Career
Kim Jae-hwan demonstrated significant talent during his junior career, securing multiple medals at prominent international junior badminton events.
2.1. BWF World Junior Championships
At the BWF World Junior Championships, Kim Jae-hwan collected a gold medal and two bronze medals. In 2013, he won a gold medal in the mixed team event at the championships held in Bangkok, Thailand. He also secured bronze medals in the mixed team event at the 2012 championships in Chiba, Japan, and in the boys' doubles event at the 2014 championships in Alor Setar, Malaysia. In the 2014 boys' doubles, partnered with Kim Jung-ho, they were defeated in the semifinals by the Thai pair Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh with scores of 14-21, 18-21.
2.2. Asian Junior Championships
Kim Jae-hwan's performance in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships included three silver medals and one bronze medal. He earned silver medals in the mixed team event at the 2013 championships in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and in both the mixed team and boys' doubles events at the 2014 championships in Taipei, Taiwan. In the 2014 boys' doubles final, he and partner Kim Jung-ho lost to Chinese opponents Huang Kaixiang and Zheng Siwei with scores of 16-21, 14-21. He also achieved a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 2014 Taipei championships, partnering with Kim Hye-jeong, where they were defeated in the semifinals by Huang Kaixiang and Chen Qingchen from China with scores of 9-21, 19-21.
3. Senior Career Achievements
Kim Jae-hwan has continued his success into his senior career, achieving significant victories in various major international badminton tournaments.
3.1. Summer Universiade
In 2017, Kim Jae-hwan participated in the Summer Universiade held in Taipei, Taiwan. He secured a gold medal in the men's doubles event, partnered with Seo Seung-jae. They won the final match against Japanese opponents Katsuki Tamate and Kenya Mitsuhashi with scores of 21-12, 21-19.
3.2. World University Championships
At the 2016 World University Championships, held in the Sports Palace "Borisoglebskiy" in Ramenskoye, Russia, Kim Jae-hwan clinched a gold medal in men's doubles. He partnered with Choi Sol-gyu and defeated the Chinese Taipei pair Lee Jhe-huei and Lee Yang in a three-game match, 19-21, 21-14, 21-17.
3.3. BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold
Kim Jae-hwan also achieved a title in the BWF Grand Prix Gold circuit. In 2016, he won the men's doubles title at the Korea Masters Grand Prix Gold tournament. Partnering with veteran player Ko Sung-hyun, they overcame the Chinese Taipei duo Lee Jhe-huei and Lee Yang with a score of 21-19, 21-18.
3.4. BWF International Challenge/Series
Throughout his senior career, Kim Jae-hwan has competed in various BWF International Challenge and Series tournaments, securing two titles and four runner-up finishes.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Osaka International | Kang Min-hyuk | Ko Sung-hyun Shin Baek-cheol | 13-21, 16-21 | Runner-up |
| 2019 | Vietnam International | Kang Min-hyuk | Kenas Adi Haryanto Rian Agung Saputro | 19-21, 21-15, 18-21 | Runner-up |
| 2019 | Mongolia International | Kang Min-hyuk | Kim Won-ho Park Kyung-hoon | 21-14, 27-29, 14-21 | Runner-up |
| 2019 | Indonesia International | Kang Min-hyuk | Muhammad Fachrikar Amri Syahnawi | 21-17, 11-21, 21-15 | Winner |
| 2022 | Italian International | Yoon Dae-il | Su Ching-heng Ye Hong-wei | 21-14, 21-19 | Winner |
| 2023 (II) | Indonesia International | Ki Dong-ju | Kenya Mitsuhashi Hiroki Okamura | 22-20, 16-21, 8-21 | Runner-up |
4. World Rankings
Kim Jae-hwan has achieved career-high rankings in both men's doubles and mixed doubles. His highest ranking in men's doubles was 38, which he reached on February 18, 2020. He attained his highest mixed doubles ranking of 46 on November 16, 2017. As of February 22, 2022, his men's doubles ranking was 48.
5. Personal Life
Kim Jae-hwan is affiliated with the Incheon International Airport badminton team.
6. Assessment and Impact
Kim Jae-hwan's career highlights, particularly his gold medal wins at the Summer Universiade and World University Championships, along with his consistent performance in the BWF Grand Prix and International Challenge/Series tournaments, underscore his significant contributions to South Korean badminton. His achievements reflect his dedication and skill, cementing his place among notable players in his era.