Park Junghwan | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

Park Junghwan (박정환_{Park Jeong-hwan}^Korean; 朴廷桓_{Boku Teikan}^Japanese), born on January 11, 1993, is a prominent South Korean professional Go player of 9-dan rank. Widely regarded as one of the strongest players of his generation, Park Junghwan achieved the distinction of being the youngest South Korean to reach 9-dan at the age of 17 years and 11 months. His career is marked by numerous victories in major international and domestic tournaments, including the Fujitsu Cup, LG Cup, Mlily Cup, and Chunlan Cup, establishing him as a dominant force in the global Go community. He held the number one position in the Korean Go player rankings for an impressive 59 consecutive months from December 2013 to October 2018.

2. Early Life and Background

Park Junghwan's journey into the world of Go began at a very young age, laying the foundation for his future professional career through dedicated training and early competitive experiences.

2.1. Birth and Early Life

Park Junghwan was born on January 11, 1993, in Seoul, South Korea. His early life was characterized by an early introduction to the game of Go, which quickly became the central focus of his development.

2.2. Entry into Go and Training

Park began learning Go at the age of six. By the time he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, he joined the renowned Kweon Kab-yong Go dojang, where he received intensive training under the tutelage of Kweon Kab-yong, a respected 7-dan professional. His talent was evident early on, as he won the Junior Division of the 2004 World Youth Go Championship, showcasing his potential as a formidable amateur player before turning professional.

3. Professional Career

Park Junghwan's professional career began in 2006, and since then, he has steadily climbed the ranks, accumulating a significant number of titles and maintaining a top position in the Go world.

3.1. Professional Debut and Early Career

Park Junghwan officially turned professional in 2006 at the age of 13. His early professional years saw him quickly making an impact. In 2007, he secured his first professional title by winning the Go Masters Championship. In the same year, he also reached the quarterfinals of the Korean Kisei-sen. He followed this with victories in the 4th Siptan in 2009, defeating Baek Hongseok, and the 14th Chunwon in the same year, overcoming Kim Jiseok. These early successes paved the way for his international breakthrough. In 2011, he won the Fujitsu Cup, marking his first major international title. He also reached the final of the 2012 Ing Cup, where he faced Fan Tingyu but ultimately lost 1-3. In 2015, he claimed the 19th LG Cup title by defeating Kim Jiseok 2-1 in the final. In 2016, he ranked 2nd in the Korean professional player prize money ranking, earning 583.00 M KRW.

3.2. Promotion Record

Park Junghwan's progression through the professional Go ranks reflects his consistent performance and significant achievements.

Rank	Year	Achievement
1-dan	2006	Promoted to professional dan rank after passing the qualifying test.
2-dan	2007
3-dan	2008
4-dan	2009	Won the 4th Siptan against Baek Hongseok.
5-dan	2009	Won the 14th Chunwon against Kim Jiseok.
6-dan	2010	Won the 5th Siptan against Lee Chang-ho.
7-dan	2010	Qualified for the 2nd BC Card Cup main tournament.
8-dan	2010	Skipped over due to Hanguk Kiwon promotion rules.
9-dan	2010	Won two gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games, becoming the youngest Korean 9-dan at 17 years and 11 months. This achievement also granted him a lifetime pension from the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and military exemption.

4. Tournament Performance

Park Junghwan has participated extensively in a wide array of Go tournaments, both international and domestic, consistently achieving high-level results.

4.1. International Tournaments

Park Junghwan has an impressive record in international competitions. He won the 2011 Fujitsu Cup and the 19th LG Cup in 2015, defeating Kim Jiseok. He was a runner-up in the Ing Cup twice, in 2012 (losing to Fan Tingyu 1-3) and 2016 (losing to Tang Weixing 2-3). In the 2016 Ing Cup final, after winning the third game to lead 2-1, Tang Weixing made a comeback to win the next two games, securing China's third Ing Cup title. Park became the first player to lose two consecutive Ing Cup finals. He later reached the semifinals of the 2016 LG Cup but lost to Zhou Ruiyang. He was also a runner-up in the 25th LG Cup in 2020, losing 0-2 to Shin Jinseo.

He won the 3rd Mlily Cup in 2018, defeating Park Yeonghun 3-0 in the final. In 2019, he secured the Chunlan Cup title, again defeating Park Yeonghun 2-0. Park also won the World Go Championship three consecutive times from 2017 to 2019, an invitational tournament organized by the Nihon Ki-in, where he notably defeated Iyama Yuta, the Japanese Go program DeepZenGo, and Mi Yuting. He also claimed the CCTV New Year's Cup three times consecutively from 2018 to 2020 and the Kuksu Mountains Championship in 2018. In 2021, Park won the 26th Samsung Fire & Marine Cup World Baduk Masters, defeating Shin Jinseo 2-1.

His other notable international performances include:

Samsung Fire & Marine Cup:** Semifinalist in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2023. Quarterfinalist in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022.
Asian TV Cup:** Runner-up in 2013 and 2015.
BC Card Cup:** Semifinalist in 2010 and 2011.
Bailing Cup:** Semifinalist in 2014 and quarterfinalist in 2016.
Tianfu Cup:** Semifinalist in 2018.
Lanke Cup:** Reached the Round of 16 in 2023 and quarterfinals in 2024.
Nanyang Cup:** Reached the Round of 32 in 2024.
Phoenix Ancient City World Go Summit:** Lost to Chen Yaoye in 2013 and Ke Jie in 2018.

4.2. Continental Tournaments

Park Junghwan has also excelled in continental championships. He won the China-Korea Tengen in 2010, defeating Chen Yaoye 2-1, and again in 2014, defeating Chen Yaoye 2-0.

4.3. Domestic Tournaments

In South Korea, Park Junghwan has secured numerous domestic titles, demonstrating his consistent strength. He won the GS Caltex Cup in 2011 and the Prices Information Cup in 2013. He is a two-time winner of the Chunwon (2009, 2014) and the Guksu (2014-15, 2016). He has won the Maxim Cup three times (2012-13, 2017, 2022) and the KBS Cup five times (2011-2013, 2016, 2018), achieving a three-peat from 2011 to 2013. Other domestic titles include the Crown Haitai Cup (2018), Baduk TV Cup (2019), and Yongseong (2019). More recently, he won the Usulbongjopae Korean Kiwon Championship in 2022 and 2023, and the Myungin in 2014 and 2024.

He has also been a runner-up in several domestic tournaments, including the SK Gas Cup New Pro Ten Best Match (2008), KBS Cup (2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022), Maxim Cup (2014), Myungin (2016), Yongseong (2020, 2021), Sopalkosanol Highest Go Player Decision Match (2020, 2021), and YK Construction Cup (2022).

4.4. Team Tournaments

Park Junghwan has been a vital member of various successful Go teams. He debuted in the Korean Go League in 2007 with World Construction. He contributed to South Korea's victory in the Nongshim Cup in 2013, winning two games (against Xie He and Jiang Weijie). He has also participated in the Nongshim Cup with the following individual records:

2014: 2 wins, 1 loss (vs Tan Xiao, Zhou Ruiyang; lost to Shi Yue)
2015: 1 win, 1 loss (vs Wang Xi; lost to Iyama Yuta)
2016: 0 wins, 1 loss (lost to Gu Li)
2017: 2 wins, 1 loss (vs Fan Tingyu, Iyama Yuta; lost to Fan Yunruo)
2018: No appearance
2019-20: 2 wins, 1 loss (vs Fan Tingyu, Iyama Yuta; lost to Dang Yifei)
2019-20: 4 wins, 1 loss (vs Iyama Yuta, Mi Yuting, Fan Tingyu, Xie Erhao; lost to Ke Jie). In the 2020 Nongshim Cup, a remote match against Fan Tingyu was interrupted by a computer issue on Park's side, leading to a replay which Park won.
2020-21: No appearance
2021-22: 1 win, 1 loss (vs Xu Jiayuan; lost to Fan Tingyu)
2022-23: 2 wins, 1 loss (vs Iyama Yuta, Ke Jie; lost to Gu Zihao)
2023-24: 1 win, 1 loss (lost to Gu Zihao)

In the Korean Go League, he achieved the league's youngest record for 100 wins on October 16, 2017, at 24 years and 9 months, with a 71.4% win rate at that point, second only to Lee Sedol's 73% two years prior. He also received the Most Wins Award in the Korean Go League in 2013 (12 wins) and was named MVP for three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016. He also competed in the Chinese Go A League (Jia League), winning the league championship with his team Supor Hangzhou three consecutive times from 2014 to 2016. His yearly records in the Jia League include:

2012 (Dalian Shangfang): 11 wins, 5 losses
2013 (Dalian Shangfang): 13 wins, 4 losses
2014 (Dalian Shangfang, champion): 11 wins, 2 losses
2015 (Supor Hangzhou, champion): 11 wins, 3 losses
2016 (Supor Hangzhou, champion): 11 wins, 4 losses
2017 (Supor Hangzhou): 9 wins, 4 losses
2018 (Supor Hangzhou): 5 wins, 8 losses
2019 (Chengdu Yijin Holdings): 10 wins, 5 losses
2020 (Chengdu Yijin Holdings): 14 wins, 1 loss
2021 (Chengdu Nongshang Bank): 12 wins, 3 losses
2022 (Shenzhen Longhua): 9 wins, 6 losses

4.5. Asian Games

Park Junghwan has achieved significant success at the Asian Games. At the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, he won two gold medals: one in the men's team event and another in the mixed doubles event (partnering with Lee Seul-a). He also secured a gold medal in the men's team event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

5. Titles and Awards

Park Junghwan's career is decorated with numerous titles and individual accolades, reflecting his status as a top-tier Go player.

5.1. Domestic Titles

Park Junghwan has won 20 domestic titles:

Go Masters Fighting God: 2007
Siptan: 2009, 2010
GS Caltex Cup: 2011
Prices Information Cup: 2013
Chunwon: 2009, 2014
Guksu: 2014-15, 2016
Maxim Cup: 2012-13, 2017, 2022
KBS Cup: 2011-2013, 2016, 2018
Crown Haitai Cup: 2018
Baduk TV Cup: 2019
Yongseong: 2019
Usulbongjopae Korean Kiwon Championship: 2022, 2023
Myungin: 2014, 2024

5.2. International Titles

Park Junghwan has won 8 international titles:

Fujitsu Cup: 2011
LG Cup: 2015
Mlily Cup: 2018
Kuksu Mountains Championship: 2018
World Go Championship: 2017, 2018, 2019
Chunlan Cup: 2019
Samsung Fire & Marine Cup World Baduk Masters: 2021

5.3. Team Titles

Park Junghwan has won 7 team titles:

Asian Games, Men's Team: 2010, 2022
Asian Games, Mixed Doubles: 2010
SportAccord World Mind Games, Men's Team: 2013
Nongshim Cup: 2013
IMSA Elite Mind Games, Mixed Doubles: 2016
IMSA Elite Mind Games, Men's Team: 2017
Pair Go World Cup: 2018, 2019
Zhujiang Cup World Team Go Championship, Men's Team: 2013, 2016

5.4. Major Individual Awards

Park Junghwan has received numerous individual awards from the Hanguk Kiwon Go Awards:

Rookie of the Year: 2009
Consecutive Wins Award: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Most Wins Award: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Highest Win Rate Award: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
Player of the Year (Most Valuable Player): 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
Korean Go League MVP: 2014, 2015, 2016

6. Korean Rankings

Park Junghwan's dominance in Korean Go is clearly reflected in his ranking history. He was ranked 25th in 2007 and rose to 2nd place in 2010. In June 2012, he achieved the number one position, replacing Lee Sedol. He then maintained this top spot for an extraordinary 59 consecutive months, from December 2013 until October 2018, a testament to his sustained high-level performance.

7. Head-to-Head Records

Park Junghwan has faced many of the world's top Go players throughout his career, developing significant rivalries and showcasing his competitive strength.

Chen Yaoye (China): 16 wins, 22 losses (English source); 13 wins, 18 losses (Korean source). Initially, Chen Yaoye was considered Park's "natural enemy," with Park suffering four consecutive losses. However, Park later overcame this, achieving a 6-4 record against Chen in subsequent matches.
Lee Sedol (South Korea): 14 wins, 18 losses (English source); 12 wins, 18 losses (Korean source). Lee Sedol was considered Park's "natural enemy" among the top 10 Korean players. From 2007 to 2012, Park had a significantly unfavorable record of 1 win and 6 losses against Lee. However, in 2013, Park achieved a 2-0 victory in the Maxim Cup final, narrowing the gap with three consecutive wins. Despite this, Lee Sedol later reasserted his dominance, including a 0-2 loss in the 2013 Guksu Challenger Final and a 1-2 loss in the 2014 KBS Cup final.
Park Yeonghun (South Korea): 21 wins, 9 losses (English source); 19 wins, 7 losses (Korean source). Park Junghwan is considered Park Yeonghun's "natural enemy." From 2009 to June 2011, Park Junghwan had a 1-3 disadvantage. However, he then went on a six-game winning streak, including a 3-0 sweep in the GS Caltex Cup final, and has since maintained a dominant 7-1 record.
Kim Jiseok (South Korea): 20 wins, 6 losses (English source); 20 wins, 6 losses (Korean source). Kim Jiseok is another player against whom Park Junghwan holds a strong advantage. After an initial loss in the 2008 SK Gas Cup, Park achieved a seven-game winning streak, including a 3-0 sweep in the 2009 Chunwon final. Following a loss in the 2012 Korea Prices Information Cup semifinals, Park embarked on another five-game winning streak. Park's consistent victories against Kim Jiseok in crucial semifinal matches have been particularly significant.
Lee Chang-ho (South Korea): 16 wins, 7 losses (English source); 15 wins, 7 losses (Korean source). In their first encounter in the 2007 Korean Go League, Park lost early due to a miscalculation. However, he later secured consecutive victories in major tournaments such as the Wonik Cup Siptan final, Ing Cup semifinals, and KBS Cup final, establishing a favorable overall record.
Ke Jie (China): 11 wins, 10 losses.
Choi Cheolhan (South Korea): 14 wins, 6 losses (English source); 11 wins, 6 losses (Korean source). Choi Cheolhan was Park Junghwan's senior at the Go dojang and was known to care for him, with a famous photo showing Choi holding a young Park on his lap while playing online Go. While their early professional matches were evenly contested, Park's rapid growth led to his current lead in their head-to-head record.
Shi Yue (China): 11 wins, 9 losses (English source); 6 wins, 8 losses (Korean source). Shi Yue is known for his strong performance against Korean players, and Park Junghwan also has a losing record against him.
Tan Xiao (China): 12 wins, 5 losses.
Yun Junsang (South Korea): 9 wins, 8 losses (English source); 1 win, 6 losses (Korean source). Yun Junsang is considered Park's "natural enemy." In official matches, Yun leads 4-1, and including the 2010 Asian Games qualifiers, Park's record is a significant 1-6 disadvantage. Park himself has stated that "Yun Junsang is the most difficult opponent."
Cho Hanseung (South Korea): 13 wins, 3 losses.
Zhou Ruiyang (China): 11 wins, 5 losses (English source); 12 wins, 3 losses (Korean source). Park Junghwan has shown a very strong performance against Zhou Ruiyang, consistently winning in major international tournament matches, with his only loss coming in the Bailing Cup quarterfinals.
Tang Weixing (China): 9 wins, 7 losses.
Lee Younggu (South Korea): 13 wins, 2 losses.
Shin Jinseo (South Korea): 10 wins, 5 losses.
Fan Tingyu (China): 8 wins, 7 losses.
Kang Dongyun (South Korea): 7 wins, 7 losses.
Baek Hongseok (South Korea): 11 wins, 2 losses (English source); 10 wins, 2 losses (Korean source). Baek Hongseok is another player against whom Park Junghwan holds a significant advantage. Despite two losses in the 2007 Korea Prices Information Cup qualifiers and the 2011 Myungin Round of 16, Park swept Baek 2-0 in the 2009 4th Wonik Cup Siptan final and both the 29th and 30th KBS Cup finals.
Mi Yuting (China): 7 wins, 6 losses.
Won Seongjin (South Korea): 7 wins, 4 losses (English source); 9 wins, 5 losses (Korean source). From 2007 to 2011, Won Seongjin held a slight 5-4 lead in their encounters. However, since 2012, Park Junghwan has won five consecutive games, reversing the overall record in his favor.
On Sojin (South Korea): 7 wins, 3 losses.
Mok Jinseok (South Korea): 6 wins, 4 losses.
Gu Li (China): 5 wins, 5 losses (English source); 1 win, 4 losses (Korean source). Park Junghwan has generally had an unfavorable record against Gu Li in official matches.
Hong Seongji (South Korea): 8 wins, 1 loss.

8. Career Statistics

Park Junghwan's career statistics highlight his consistent high-level performance and remarkable success rate throughout his professional journey.

8.1. Yearly Performance

Year	Wins	Losses	Win %
2007	11	8	57.9%
2008	15	14	51.7%
2009	24	14	63.2%
2010	35	15	70.0%
2011	41	19	68.3%
2012	79	31	71.8%
2013	79	28	73.8%
2014	75	26	74.3%
2015	58	20	74.4%
2016	57	24	70.4%
2017	55	16	77.5%
2018	58	19	75.3%
2019	72	23	75.8%
2020	17	9	65.4%

8.2. Overall Record

As of June 1, 2020, Park Junghwan's overall professional career record stands at 676 wins and 269 losses, resulting in an impressive 71.5% win rate.