Host nation South Korea secured overall championship honors at the Korea Open 2026 after world number-one men’s doubles pair Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae won a hard-fought three-game final on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu.
The host nation’s sweep of two different divisional podiums at the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament culminated in the men’s doubles showdown, where Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae faced Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, Juara.net reported. The tournament ran from November 3 to November 8, 2026, with total prize money of $500,000, according to reporting by Disway Malang.
How Did Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae Secure the Men’s Doubles Title?
The top-ranked Korean pair established early control by taking the opening game comfortably at 21-12. Hoki and Kobayashi responded in the second game, erasing a 16-13 deficit to edge out a 22-20 victory and force a deciding third game.
Ahead of the final, Kim and Seo advanced past Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in the semifinals, holding a 6-0 head-to-head record against the Malaysian pair entering that match, Disway Malang noted. Meanwhile, the tournament’s broader draws saw numerous withdrawals across various divisions, including top-seeded Japanese women’s doubles pair Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, as well as fifth-seeded compatriots Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto, which shifted early-round matchups for competing pairs from China and Bulgaria, Kumparan reported.
Which Countries Reached the Finals Across the Five Sectors?
The championship Sunday featured title matches contested by representatives from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, and South Korea, according to Tirto.id. China guaranteed one title early through an all-Chinese mixed doubles final between Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Ya Xin and their compatriots Gao Jia Xuan and Wu Meng Ying. In the women’s doubles division, Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara faced South Korea’s Kim Yu Jung and Lee Yu Lim.
The women’s singles final showcased a historic rivalry as South Korea’s An Se-young met Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. The meeting marked their 40th career encounter, with An holding 24 prior victories to Yamaguchi’s 15, Tirto.id recorded.
What Happened in the Men’s Singles and Other Divisions?
The men’s singles final featured Jason Gunawan of Hong Kong against Victor Lai of Canada. The tournament bracket experienced substantial reshuffling prior to the weekend due to player withdrawals, including the departure of eighth-seeded Chinese singles player Li Shi Feng and India’s Hylo Open champion Lakshya Sen, which altered paths for players like Indonesia’s Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo and Japan’s Yudai Okimoto, Kumparan reported.
Indonesian representation concluded before the title matches, as men’s singles competitor Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and women’s singles player Ni Kadek Dhinda exited the tournament during the quarterfinal rounds, leaving no Indonesian finalists in Yeosu, Tirto.id confirmed. Ginting had earlier advanced past local competitor Jeon Hyeok Jin in the opening rounds.
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