1. Early Life and Player Career
Kim Yong-hyun, born in Incheon on May 13, 1978, competed primarily in men's and mixed doubles. He notably represented South Korea at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, reaching the quarterfinals in men's doubles and the round of 16 in mixed doubles.
1.1. Early Life
Kim Yong-hyun was born on May 13, 1978, in Incheon, South Korea. During his athletic career, he was noted for being right-handed, standing 6.0 ft (1.83 m) tall, and weighing 161 lb (73 kg).
1.2. Player Career Overview
Kim Yong-hyun primarily competed in men's doubles and mixed doubles disciplines. He represented South Korea at the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece. In the men's doubles event, he partnered with Yim Bang-eun. After receiving a bye in the first round, they defeated Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen from Denmark in the second round. Their Olympic journey concluded in the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by Eng Hian and Flandy Limpele of Indonesia with scores of 1-15, 10-15.
In the mixed doubles event at the same Olympics, Kim Yong-hyun teamed up with Lee Hyo-jung. Following a first-round bye, they faced Jens Eriksen and Mette Schjoldager of Denmark in the round of 16, where they were defeated.
2. Achievements as a Player
Kim Yong-hyun accumulated several significant medals and runner-up finishes during his professional badminton career across various international championships and tournament series.
2.1. Asian Championships
In the mixed doubles event at the 2003 Asian Badminton Championships, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kim Yong-hyun secured a bronze medal. Partnering with Lee Hyo-jung, they reached the semi-finals where they were defeated by Anggun Nugroho and Eny Widiowati from Indonesia with scores of 13-15, 8-15.
2.2. World Junior Championships
Kim Yong-hyun earned a bronze medal in the boys' doubles event at the 1996 IBF World Junior Championships held in Silkeborg, Denmark. He partnered with Yim Bang-eun, but they were eliminated in the semi-finals by the pair of Huang Shih-chung and Chien Yu-hsiu representing Chinese Taipei, with scores of 11-15, 7-15.
2.3. IBF Grand Prix
The World Badminton Grand Prix was an important series of tournaments sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation (which later became the BWF) starting in 1983. Kim Yong-hyun achieved multiple runner-up positions in this series.
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's doubles | |||||
| 2003 | Dutch Open | Yim Bang-eun (South Korea) | Ha Tae-kwon, Kim Dong-moon (South Korea) | 2-15, 2-15 | Runner-up |
| Mixed doubles | |||||
| 2004 | Malaysia Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Zhang Jun, Gao Ling (China) | 2-15, 11-15 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Korea Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Kim Dong-moon, Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) | 5-15, 11-15 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | All England Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Kim Dong-moon, Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) | 8-15, 15-17 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Denmark Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Kim Dong-moon, Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) | 16-17, 10-15 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Dutch Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Kim Dong-moon, Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) | 4-15, 2-15 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Korea Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Kim Dong-moon, Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) | 5-11, 4-11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Swiss Open | Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | Jens Eriksen, Mette Schjoldager (Denmark) | 7-11, 11-9, 5-11 | Runner-up |
2.4. IBF International
Kim Yong-hyun also secured victories in the IBF International tournaments.
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's doubles | |||||
| 1999 | Norwegian International | Yim Bang-eun (South Korea) | Thomas Rojkjaer Jensen, Tommy Sørensen (Denmark) | 15-4, 15-9 | Winner |
| 1999 | Hungarian International | Yim Bang-eun (South Korea) | Jung Sung-gyun, Park Young-duk (South Korea) | 15-1, 15-4 | Winner |
| Mixed doubles | |||||
| 1999 | Norwegian International | Yim Kyung-jin (South Korea) | Ove Svejstrup, Britta Andersen (Denmark) | 9-15, 15-8, 15-9 | Winner |
| 1999 | Hungarian International | Yim Kyung-jin (South Korea) | Yim Bang-eun, Lee Hyo-jung (South Korea) | 5-15, 15-9, 15-3 | Winner |
3. Coaching Career
After concluding his career as a professional player, Kim Yong-hyun transitioned into coaching, taking on significant leadership roles within the South Korean badminton community. Since 2019, he has served as a coach for the national badminton team. In 2024, Kim Yong-hyun was appointed as the inaugural head coach of the Jeonju City Hall Badminton Team, marking a new chapter in his contribution to the sport.