Korean Badminton: Kim Won-ho & Kang Min-hyuk Reunion?

[스포츠동아 권재민 기자] The national badminton team is focusing on finding a partner for men’s doubles Kim Won-ho (27, Samsung Life Insurance) ahead of the 2026 Asian Men’s and Women’s Team Championships.

The national team entered Qingdao, China, where the Asian Men’s and Women’s Team Championships will be held, on the 1st and are continuing their training. There are less concerns about the women’s singles, where Ahn Se-young (24, Samsung Life Insurance, world ranking No. 1) is strong, and the women’s doubles, where top rankers such as Lee So-hee (32), Baek Ha-na (26, Incheon International Airport, 3rd place), Gong Hee-yong (30, Jeonbuk Bank) and Kim Hye-jeong (28, Samsung Life Insurance, 5th place) are holding on. However, there is great concern about the men’s division, which does not have a top-ranked player.

In particular, the weakening of the men’s doubles team with the departure of Seo Seung-jae (29, Samsung Life Insurance) is painful. Seo Seung-jae is a world-class player who ranks first in the world in men’s doubles along with Kim Won-ho. As a left-hander, he successfully won a prize in doubles at leading international competitions such as the Asian Games, World Championships, All England Open, and World Tour Finals, using world-class technology and game management. However, on the 9th of last month (Korean time), he announced that he would not participate in this tournament as the left shoulder injury suffered at the Malaysia Open did not heal.

The national team coaching staff is very worried because the world number one team of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho cannot be activated. This tournament will be held in 3 singles and 2 doubles each match. The national team was in a situation where men’s singles players such as Yoo Tae-bin (Gimcheon City Hall, 73rd place), Choi Ji-hoon (Samsung Life Insurance, 110th place), Park Sang-yong (Yonex, 137th place), and Jo Hyun-woo (Gimcheon City Hall, 217th place) had low international competitiveness and had to compete in doubles. It is difficult to predict victory with the pairing of Kang Min-hyuk (27, Armed Forces Athletic Corps) and Ki Dong-ju (25, Incheon International Airport, 15th).

First of all, the national team coaching staff is focusing on finding a partner for Won-ho Kim. This is because, when disbanding and forming a doubles team, the ace-level player’s partner was chosen first and then the remaining doubles group was matched.

Some also raise the possibility of Kim Won-ho and Kang Min-hyuk reuniting. The two, who have worked together at Wonil Middle School, Maewon High School, and Samsung Life Insurance since their fourth grade days at Taejang Elementary School in Suwon, have formed a doubles team in the past as a junior national team member and in the early days of the adult national team. Kim Won-ho, who is strong in net play and racket control in the front line, and Kang Min-hyuk, who has good attack power in the back line, can create synergy. The two formed a temporary group at the Indonesia Masters (quarterfinals) in January last year when the doubles group reorganization was in progress. It is highly likely that his pure skills are better than that of Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju.

However, if two or more decent doubles groups need to be created, there is a possibility that a third player could become Kim Won-ho’s partner. In the past, the national team featured Seo Seung-jae – Kang Min-hyuk and Choi Sol-gyu – Kim Won-ho as the main combination ahead of the 2023 Sudirman Cup (World Mixed Team Championship). However, it was judged that the team of Kim Won-ho and Na Seong-seung (27, Gimcheon City Hall) was better than the team of Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho in terms of pure skill, so the team of Kim Won-ho and Na Seong-seung was given a chance in the finals. Kim Won-ho and Na Seong-seung, who were ranked 803rd in the world at the time, created an upset by completely defeating world number 2 Aaron Chia and Souik (Malaysia) in the semifinals with a game score of 2-0. Opportunities are also open to Jin Yong (23, Yonex) and Jo Song-hyeon (22, Gwangju Bank).

The national team coaching staff plans to find a partner for Kim Won-ho by the 3rd, the first day of the competition. National team coach Park Joo-bong and men’s doubles coach Kim Sang-soo decided to finalize the national team’s men’s doubles group the following day through final training on the 3rd, when there were no men’s national team matches.

Reporter Kwon Jae-min [email protected]