An Se-young (Left) and Kim Ga-eun

Renaissance of South Korean Women's Badminton: From Shadows to Spotlight

By Jonathan Park

From the 1990s to the 2000s, South Korea held a dominant position in badminton. Legends like Bang Soo-hyun, Park Joo-bong, Kim Dong-moon, Ra Kyung-min, and Ha Tae-kwon spearheaded the golden era of Korean badminton. This powerhouse team clinched six golds, seven silvers, and four bronzes across five Olympic events starting from 1992.

However, Korean badminton plunged into a dark phase after Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung grabbed the gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics mixed doubles. For three consecutive Olympics from 2012, the country managed just one bronze medal each time. At the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, they suffered the ignominy of returning medal-less across all categories.

While the absence of star players contributed to this slump, the exodus of Korean coaches to foreign teams also played a part. For instance, coach Park Joo-bong took his expertise to Japan, a nation previously not known for its badminton prowess, and transformed it into a world-class contender. Kang Kyung-jin, a former Korean badminton team coach, secured a lucrative deal with China in 2022 after previously coaching the Chinese national team for two years.

South Korea's method of nurturing young talent also came under scrutiny. The nation had a system of selecting young prospects not directly as national representatives but drafting them into a standby team to train with veteran players. With a dearth of such seasoned players post-2012, young players were mainly left to their own devices, contributing to the downturn in Korean badminton fortunes.

But the tides began to turn with the emergence of a prodigy: An Se-young. Currently the world's number one, 21-year-old Se-young's impressive feats include clinching the top spot at the 2023 World Championships in Copenhagen and successive wins in India, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, China, and other major tournaments. She's the first female Korean player to win the world championship.

An Se-young's brilliance shone at the ongoing 19th Asian Games, leading her team to a monumental 3-0 victory over world powerhouses China, granting Korea its first women's team gold in 29 years. This victory was shocking in the badminton circles, as China, boasting players with rankings of 3, 5, and 9 globally and the world's number one doubles pair, had been Asia's dominant force since 1998.

The resounding victory saw An Se-young defeating world number 3 Chen Yufei, while the doubles pair ranked second in the world, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, bested the top-ranked Chinese pair. Kim Ga-eun also shone brightly, conquering her Chinese opponent, ranked fifth globally. China failed to win a single game. Korea's Kim So-young and Kong Hee-yong, ranked third globally in doubles, didn't even need to step onto the court.

The recent triumphs signify more than just victories; they herald the renaissance of South Korean women's badminton. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we are witnessing a new golden era.