In 2025, Korean sports were filled with joy and challenge. Athletes competing on the world stage have left significant footprints in their respective sports. Demonstrated world-class skills. Ahn Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance)’s solo performance in badminton, Woo Sang-hyeok (29, Yongin City Hall)’s leap in track and field, Hwang Seon-woo (22, Gangwon Provincial Office)’s rebound in swimming, and table tennis Shin Yu-bin (21, Korean Air)’s progress were all impressive. He was a leading figure who made the people laugh and cry.
Ahn Se-young solidified her position as the ‘world’s strongest person.’ Woo Sang-hyuk left his mark on the world stage. Hwang Sun-woo once again showed his potential with ‘Wolkeul-level’ skills. Shin Yu-bin announced her growth by achieving the best performance on the international stage.
Ahn Se-young kisses the season’s 11th championship trophy. Yonhap News
2025 was definitely Ahn Se-young’s year. There was no hesitation. He took the top spot in as many as 11 competitions, including 3 Super 1000 series, 5 Super 750 series, Australian Open (Super 500), Orleans Masters (Super 300), and Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals 2025. It was a solo drink. Both his opponents and the audience were mesmerized by the mesmerizing skills of the ‘world number one’.
In these competitions, all-time records were set with the modifiers ‘most and best’. The milestone can be summarized as △tying the record for the most wins in a single season for both men and women (11 wins), △the highest winning percentage ever for a singles player (73 wins, 4 losses, 94.8%), and △the highest accumulated prize money ever ($1,003,175, approximately 1,438.65 million won).
The world was shocked by the amazing winning percentage and record. The people were enthusiastic about the new history. President Lee Jae-myung and Korea Sports Council Chairman Yoo Seung-min also joined the enthusiasm, saying, “I am overwhelmed” and “amazing.”
Proving that you are not a ‘sparkling champion’ but the ‘strongest person in the world’… The most stable ‘empress’
Ahn Se-young, the ‘world’s best’ badminton player, won the King of Kings Tournament, the last competition of the year, on the 21st and set the record for the most wins in a single season. Yonhap News
Ahn Se-young’s play this year was more than a win. He was evaluated as having a perfect balance of stamina, technique, and game management ability. In particular, it resonated in the sense that he proved his unwavering skills after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. He proved that he is not a ‘sparkling champion’ but ‘the world’s strongest man’. She showed herself as the most stable ‘empress’ in Korean sports history.
In 2026, he continues with a new challenge. The immediate goals include becoming the first Korean singles player to win two consecutive Asian Games (AG) games and achieving the first ever Super 1000 Grand Slam. Ahn Se-young says, “My prime is still there.” The answer to success or failure in 2026 is contained in his words.
Woo Sang-hyuk, 7 consecutive wins in international competitions, Hwang Sun-woo, Asia New, Shin Yu-bin, world number one in mixed uniform, completely defeated
The roar of Hwang Seon-woo (from the left in the photo), Woo Sang-hyuk, and Shin Yu-bin. Yonhap News
Woo Sang-hyuk’s leap also graced the pages of Korean sports this year. He competed a total of 10 times and won 9 times. Of these, he participated in eight international competitions and continued his seven-game winning streak. He showed off his presence by taking second place at the Tokyo World Championships (2m34). He also set a record of winning the National Sports Festival 10 times in total. Next year, AG is aiming for its first gold medal. He hinted at a new history with the determination to “continue to surpass myself.”
The year 2025 for Hwang Seon-woo (22, Gangwon Provincial Office) was also special. It was a year of rebound. The sluggish performance of the Paris Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore was blown away. He announced a brilliant revival by setting a new Asian record (1 minute 43.92 seconds) in the 200m freestyle final at the National Sports Festival held last October. It was a great achievement to become the 7th person in the world to join the ‘1 minute 43 invitation club’. He showed off his overwhelming skills by breaking three new Korean records in this competition.
Shin Yu-bin opened a new era in Korean women’s table tennis. Last October, he advanced to the semifinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) Grand Smash singles event. It was the first record for a Korean female athlete. Also, on the 13th of this month, they won the Hong Kong Finals 2025 mixed doubles, the WTT King of Kings, by completely defeating the world No. 1 Chinese group 3-0. It was the first Korean player to reach the top of the finals.
