Park Jung Hwan

Pak Cheong-hwan (박정환, b. 1993) is a Korean, professional 9-dan of the Hanguk Kiwon. On 21 December 2010, Park became the youngest Korean 9-dan professional.

Table of contents Baduk career highlights Rank Promotion Titles Runners up Career Statistics Head to head scores against leading rivals Results against leading female opponents Weblinks Videos Pictures

Baduk career highlights

A pupil of the famous Kwon Kap-yong baduk school (which has produced top pros such as Lee Sedol and Choi Cheolhan), he is described in In A Korean Baduk School as a prodigy who aged 12 defeated several professionals including Seo Bong Su 9 dan, and On Sojin. See particularly days 8, 10 and 14.

An Younggil has commented that Park is not as strong in the opening where he is prone to playing slack moves, but he has very good endgame technique.

In June 2012 (till October), Park ranked #1 in the Korean Ranking, and as of July 2012 ranked #1 also in the World Ranking published by cyberoro site. In July 2013, again Park ranked #1 in the Korean Ranking. On the 2024-01-02 rating list, Park is now #6 in the world (with Ke Jie) and #2 in Korea, behind only Shin Jinseo.

On 11 Dec 2024, Park won the Myeongin title for the first time, the 11th Myeongin in history. Park beat Lee Ji-hyeon 9p in the final 2–0. On the way, Park won the Winners’ section, while Lee won the Losers’ section after losing to Park in R2. In the Winners’ final, Park beat Byun Sangil 9p, who had beaten Shin Jinseo 9p in the semifinal, who in turn lost to Lee in the Losers’ final.

Park was the childhood ‘idol’ of Japanese prodigy “genius girl” Nakamura Sumire.

Rank Promotion

• 2006: 1-dan
• 2007: 2-dan
• 2008-12-12: 3-dan
• 2009-01-18: 4-dan, for winning the 4th Siptan
• 2009-12-23: 5-dan, for winning the 14th Chunwon
• 2010-01-10: 6-dan, for winning the 5th Siptan
• 2010-01-13: 7-dan, for qualifying for the main event of the 2nd BC Card Cup
• 2010-05: 8-dan
• 2010-12-21: 9-dan, for winning the Asian Games Gold Medal

Titles

• 2007: 3rd Baduk Masters Fighting God (d. Kim Jiseok 2–1).

• 2009-01-18: 4th Siptan (d. Baek Hongsuk 2–0).
• 2009-12-23: 14th Chunwon (d. Kim Jiseok 3–0).

• 2010-01-10: 5th Siptan (d. Yi Ch'ang-ho 2–1).
• 2010-07-13: 14th China Korea Tengen (d. Chen Yaoye 2–1).
• 2010-11-22: 1st 2010 Asian Games Pair Go (with Lee Sula).

• 2011-03-21: 29th KBS Cup (d. Baek Hongsuk 2–0).
• 2011-08-14: 24th Fujitsu Cup (d. Qiu Jun).
• 2011-10-19: 16th GS Caltex Cup (d. Park Yeonghun 3–0).

• 2012-03-05: 13th Maxim Cup (d. Ch'oe Ch'eol-han 2–0).
• 2012-03-18: 30th KBS Cup (d. Baek Hongsuk 2–0).

• 2013-02-04: 31st KBS Cup (d. Yi Ch'ang-ho 2–1).
• 2013-08-28: 9th Korean Prices Information Cup (d. Lee Yeongkyu 2–1).

• 2014-01-14: 18th Chunwon (d. Ch'oe Ch'eol-han 2–0).

• 2015-02-02: 19th LG Cup (d. Kim Jiseok)

• 2016-01-14: 34th KBS Cup (d. Lee Sedol 2–1)

• 2017-01-01: 3rd MLily Cup (d. Park Yeonghun 3–0)
• 2017-03-29: 36th KBS Cup (d. Kim Jiseok 2–0)
• 2017: 1st World Go Championship (d. Mi Yuting)
• 2017-05-22: 18th Maxim Cup (d. Yun Junsang 2–1)

• 2018-02-11: 1st Crown Haitai Cup (d. Shin Jinseo 2–1)
• 2018: 2nd World Go Championship (d. Iyama Yuta)

• 2019: 3rd World Go Championship (d. Ke Jie)
• 2019: 2nd Ryongsang (d. Shin Jinseo 2–0)
• 2019-07-23: 12th Chunlan Cup (d. Park Yeonghun 2–0)

• 2021-11-03: 26th Samsung Cup (d. Shin Jinseo 2–1)

• 2022-03-10 1st Baduk Association Championship (d. Lee Donghoon 3–0)

• 2024-03-06: 2nd Baduk Association Championship (d. Sul Hyunjun 3–2)
• 2024-12-11: 47th Myeongin (d. Lee Ji-hyeon 2–0)

Runners up

• 2018: 37th KBS Cup (l. Shin Minjun 0–2)

• 2020: 3rd Ryongsang (l. Shin Jinseo 0–2)
• 2020: 1st Supreme Player (l. Shin Jinseo 0–3)

• 2021: 40th KBS Cup (l. Shin Jinseo 0–2)
• 2021: 4th Ryongsang (l. Shin Jinseo 1–2)
• 2021: 2nd Supreme Player (l. Shin Jinseo 2–3)

• 2022: 1st YK Gyeonggi Cup? (l. Kang Dongyun 0–2)

• 2023: 41st KBS Cup (l. Shin Jinseo)
• 2023: 4th Supreme Player (l. Shin Jinseo 0–3)

• 2024: 5th Supreme Player (l. Shin Jinseo 0–3)

Career Statistics

Park Jung Hwan’s professional record is 1544 games, 1125 wins, 418 losses, for a 72.91% win rate.

Head to head scores against leading rivals

Based on Park Junghwan, Go ratings, as of 18 Mar 2025.

• Shin Jinseo, World and Korea #1: 23–45 (Shin won the most recent 16 games in a row)
• Wang Xinghao, World #2, China #1: 1–1
• Ke Jie, World #3, China #2: 17–16
• Ding Hao, #4 in world, #3 in China: 2–3
• Yang Dingxin, World #6, China #4: 7–2
• Dang Yifei, World #7, China #5: 7–2
• Li Xuanhao, World #8, China #6: 3–3
• Li Weiqing, World #9, China #7: 6–5
• Li Qincheng, World #10, China #4: 3–2
• Byun Sangil, World #11, Korea #3: 17–9
• Ichiriki Ryo, World #12, Japan #1: 8–0
• Iyama Yuta, World #13, Japan #2: 7–2
• Zhao Chenyu, World #21 (recently #11): 7–3
• Gu Zihao, World #24 (recently $5), China #3: 10–6

Results against leading female opponents

• Choi Jeong, #65 world , #1 female world and Korean: 8–1
• Kim Eunji, #147 world , #2 female world and Korean; #1 female teenager world and Korea: 2–0
• Ueno Asami: #5 female world, #1 female Japan: 1–0
• Kim Chaeyoung, #7 female world, #4 female Korea: 1–0
• Nakamura Sumire #13 world. #3 female Japan, #5 female Korea: 1–0
• Rui Naiwei: many years #1 world: 1–0
• Cho Hyeyeon, 9p, once #1 and many years #2 female in world: 2–0

Weblinks

• English Wikipedia
• Korean Wikipedia
• Korean Baduk profile
• Go4Go
• Go Ratings and Games
• He has played on Tygem as idontca1.

Videos

• Post-game comments after a victorius game against Kim Seunggu in the 1st round of 2023 Myeongin.

Pictures

park junghwan feb2023 (Image credit: Foxwq.com)

park junghwan mlily 2023 (Image credit: Foxwq.com)

Park Jung Hwan with 10-year-old admirer, girl prodigy Nakamura Sumire, 2019 (Image credit: Hong In-ki, hankookilbo.com)