South Korean badminton players Kim Yu-jung and Lee Yu-rim advanced to the women’s doubles semifinals at the 2026 Badminton World Federation World Tour Korea Open, defeating China’s Li Yijing and Wang Yiduo 2-1 at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu.
Ranked No. 31 in the world, the Samsung Life Insurance pairing overcame a first-game deficit to win the match 17-21, 21-8, 22-20 after a battle lasting one hour and 21 minutes. The victory marks the first time Kim and Lee have reached the semifinals at a Super 500 level tournament.
Their opponents, Li Yijing and Wang Yiduo, entered the match ranked No. 93. However, Li previously peaked at No. 5 in the world rankings while competing alongside Luo Xumin, bringing veteran experience to the court that kept the South Korean pair under constant pressure.
After dropping the opening game 17-21, Kim and Lee dominated the second game 21-8 to level the match. The deciding third game featured a tense exchange that saw the Chinese pair reach match point at 19-18 following a disputed line call that prompted visible frustration from the South Korean duo.
Recovering their composure, Kim and Lee claimed four consecutive points to seal the 22-20 win in the third game, prompting celebrations from spectators at Jinnam Gymnasium.
The result extends a strong run of form for the South Korean women’s doubles pair, who reached the round of 16 at consecutive Super 750 events in Europe last month. At the Denmark Open, competing as the world No. 41, they defeated Indonesia’s Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti—then ranked No. 15—in straight games (21-17, 21-16). They followed that performance at the France Open by defeating Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemir 2-1 (21-13, 20-22, 21-9) in the opening round.
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