An Se-young, Seo Seung-jae, Baek Ha-na and More: South Korea Now Reigns as a Badminton Empire... The Strongest Golden Generation in History Has Arrived

[Financial News] Let’s put our hands on our hearts and ask ourselves: Has there ever been such a perfect, overwhelmingly dominant No. 1 in the history of Korean badminton?
Archery? Short track? They are certainly great. But this year, badminton has matched their achievements. For 365 days a year, on tour events held around the globe each week, no other sport has so thoroughly swept away the competition. Now, we are witnessing what is being called the strongest golden generation in Korean badminton history.
In the past, Korean badminton relied on ‘heroes in troubled times.’ There was Park Joo-bong, Kim Dong-moon, and Lee Yong-dae. When they retired, a dark age would follow.
But now, things are different. This is not a guerrilla war led by one or two prodigies. It is a full-scale assault by a regular army, overwhelming the world with a flawless system and deep roster.

On the 21st in Hangzhou, China, the ‘champion of champions’ BWF World Tour Finals served as a declaration of this new empire. In the heart of enemy territory, under the watchful eyes of Chinese spectators, Korea claimed three out of five championship trophies. It was not just a disruption of the host’s celebration—it was as if they took the entire table for themselves.
The roster alone is enough to send chills down your spine. In women’s singles stands the ‘living empress’ An Se-young. Her fighting spirit, pushing her knees to the limit to secure her 11th win of the season, has transcended human limits. Surpassing $1 million in prize money is only a small reward for her sweat and dedication.
In men’s doubles, there is the ‘record breaker’ Seo Seung-jae. With 12 gold medals—more than An Se-young—this ‘god of doubles’ rewrote the history of world badminton alongside his partner Kim Won-ho. When they erased the record of Japanese legend Kento Momota, the center of the badminton world shifted completely from Tokyo to Seoul.


And what about the women’s doubles team of Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee? Achieving back-to-back titles at the champion of champions event for the first time in 26 years, their defense is a veritable wall of lamentation. Their suffocating, impenetrable play left world-class opponents falling one after another.
When the Korean national anthem rang out three times at the Hangzhou Gymnasium, the disappointed faces of Chinese fans brought ultimate catharsis to Korean supporters. The message to the world was clear: ‘If you can’t beat Korea, you can’t win the title.’
It simply doesn’t get more perfect than this. With An Se-young’s solo dominance, the firepower of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, and the ironclad defense of Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, Korean badminton in 2025 was truly an invincible armada.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter