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Go Player Goeun Kim, First Female Teenager to Reach 500 Wins, Surpasses Shin Jinseo's Pace
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Culture & Society

Go Player Goeun Kim, First Female Teenager to Reach 500 Wins, Surpasses Shin Jinseo's Pace

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Goeun Kim, a 19-year-old South Korean female Go player, became the youngest and fastest to reach 500 career wins.
  • She achieved this milestone in 730 games with a 68.49% win rate, surpassing previous records held by top female players like Choi Jeong.
  • Kim also leads all professional players, male and female, in wins and most games played in the first half of the year.

South Korean Go prodigy Goeun Kim has shattered records, becoming the youngest female player to achieve 500 career wins at just 19 years old. She reached this milestone on June 22, defeating Park Tae-hee in the Korea Women's Baduk League. Kim's victory marked her 500th win in 730 games, boasting a 68.49% win rate.

Her achievement is particularly remarkable as she surpassed the previous record held by Choi Jeong, who reached 500 wins at age 23. Kim accomplished this feat over four years earlier, solidifying her status as the first female player to reach 500 wins in her teens. She also achieved this in 6 years and 7 months since turning professional, significantly faster than Choi Jeong's 9 years and 9 months.

Expanding the scope to include male players, Kim's record places her second only to Lee Chang-ho, who achieved 500 wins at 18 years, 1 month, and 21 days. Shin Jinseo ranks third, reaching the milestone at 20 years and 10 months. However, Kim's speed in reaching 500 wins since her professional debut is the fastest among all players.

Beyond her record-breaking achievement, Kim has demonstrated exceptional performance this year. She leads both male and female professional players in the number of wins and games played in the first half of 2026, with 37 wins in 55 matches. Her recent successes include winning the women's Senko Cup and contributing to Wonik's victory in the KB National Bank Baduk League.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.