"Korea Has a Doubles Pair as Great as An Se-young"... Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho Claim First Back-to-Back All England Men's Doubles Titles in 40 Years

For The Financial News, it was a truly great match that helped ease the disappointment surrounding the "shuttlecock queen." A brilliant landmark was set in Korean badminton history, as a Korean men's doubles pair captured back-to-back All England Open Badminton Championships titles for the first time in 40 years. Although An Se-young's relentless run was briefly halted, in the heart of badminton's birthplace, England, stood Korean shuttlers who completely erased that disappointment with a historic performance. The world's top-ranked "golden duo" of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho of Samsung Life Insurance were the protagonists.
World No. 1 pair Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho stood on the top step of the podium after defeating Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 2–1 (18–21, 21–12, 21–19) in the men's doubles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 1000 All England Open Badminton Championships at Utilita Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on March 9 (Korean time). This remarkable achievement marked Korea's first back-to-back men's doubles titles at the All England Open in 40 years, following the legendary duo of Park Joo-bong and Kim Moon-soo, who won the tournament in both 1985 and 1986. Just a day earlier, An Se-young had fallen short in the women's singles final, postponing her bid to become the first Korean to win back-to-back singles titles, leaving fans disappointed. Seo and Kim's golden victory instantly turned that national disappointment into pure joy.
The final was a fierce battle worthy of being called one of the greatest matches ever. After conceding the early lead and dropping the first game 18–21, it briefly seemed as if dark clouds were gathering. However, the composure of the world's No. 1 pair shone even brighter in crisis. Regrouping, they comfortably took the second game 21–12 to level the match. The highlight came in the decisive third game. Trailing 7–12 and facing what looked like a looming defeat, the pair produced a stunning comeback, turning the score around to 20–17 in a dramatic twist. Finally, Kim Won-ho's thunderous smash crashed into the opponents' court, sealing a thrilling come-from-behind victory and completing their title defense.


The combination of left-hander Seo Seung-jae and right-hander Kim Won-ho can rightfully be called one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of Korean badminton. The synergy created by Seo's powerful backcourt attacks and Kim's lightning-fast net play is second to none. Reunited in early 2025 after seven years apart, they climbed to world No. 1 in just six months. They went on to sweep major events, including the All England Open Badminton Championships, the BWF World Championships, and the BWF World Tour Finals, completely dominating the global badminton scene. Even after Seo suffered a shoulder injury earlier this year, the pair quietly regrouped. On the sport's most prestigious All England stage, they emphatically defended their champion status, once again reinforcing the strength and stature of Korean badminton to the world.


jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter