Seo Seung-jae & Kim Won-ho: Japan Open Finals & 10th Win Bid

Defeated Team Taiwan 2-0

Badminton men’s doubles’ Seung-jae Seo and Won-ho Kim (Samsung Life Insurance) are just one win away from winning their 10th championship this season.

World No. 1 men’s doubles Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho defeated Taiwan’s Wang Chi-lin and Chu Sang-je 2-0 (21-19 21-19) in the semifinals of the 2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 500 Japan Kumamoto Masters held at the Ilbo Kumamoto General Gymnasium on the 15th.

As a result, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho advanced to the finals without giving up a single game from the round of 32 of this tournament, revealing the prospect of winning for the 10th time.

Seungjae Seo and Wonho Kim will compete for the championship with Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita (29th in the world).

Starting with the Malaysia Open last January, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho continued their success through the German Open, All England Open, Indonesia Open, Japan Open, Paris World Championships, and even the China Masters. Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, who reached the top in front of domestic fans last September, also won the French Open, achieving their ninth title of the season.

Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, who are consistently ranked at the top, are on a winning streak, ranking first in the world in men’s doubles nine years after the pair of Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong in 2016.

On this day, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho had a difficult time falling behind 16-17 until the end of the first game. In a critical situation, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, who set the pace by scoring three consecutive goals, won the first game by scoring the last two consecutive goals. They continued the close game in the second game, and showed a strong back at 19-19, scoring two consecutive goals to secure the victory.

(Seoul = News 1)