The year he turned 9, he became a professional. His record of 9 years 7 months 5 days stood for 63 years. In 1963, he went to Japan and became a live-in student of Kensaku Segoe. In 1966, he entered the Nihon Ki-in again.
In 1972, he returned to Korea to complete his military service. In 1974, he took the Choegowi title from Kim In, his former teacher. In 1976, he won the Guksu title.
In 1980, he became the first to sweep all nine domestic titles at once. In 1982, he swept ten titles for his second sweep and became the first 9 dan of the Korea Baduk Association. In 1984, he began teaching nine-year-old Lee Chang-ho at his home. In 1986, he swept eleven titles for his third sweep.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 36, he beat Nie Weiping in game 5 of the final of the first Ing Cup in Singapore and won it. The next day he rode in a car parade from Gimpo Airport, and that October he received the Order of Cultural Merit, Silver Crown.
In February 1990, he lost the Choegowi title to his student Lee Chang-ho. In 1994, he also won the Dongyang Securities Cup and the Fujitsu Cup to complete a grand slam of the international tournaments. In 1995, he lost to Lee Chang-ho in the Daewang and was without a title for the first time in 21 years.
In 2001, he won the 6th Samsung Fire Cup. In 2002, he won the Samsung Fire Cup again, two years in a row. In 2013, he reached 1,900 career wins.
In 2016, he was elected to the 20th National Assembly. In 2020, he finished his term and returned to playing.
In 2023, he won the Yongzi Cup in China for his 161st career title. In 2025, the film The Match, about him, was released, and in November he lost to Lee Chang-ho in Sacheon. In 2026, he became senior vice chairman of the Korea Baduk Association.
Cho Hun-hyun (born Mar 10, 1953) turned pro on Oct 14, 1962, the year he turned 9, and became known when he won the first Ing Cup on Sep 5, 1989, the year he turned 36. He first swept every domestic title in 1980, the year he turned 27.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Turned pro in third grade of elementary school. His record of 9 years 7 months 5 days as the youngest to turn pro stood for 63 years.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Edaily (Korean) · Special game of Cho Hun-hyun and Yoo Ha-jun · opens in a new tabWent to Japan and became a student of Kensaku Segoe, 9 dan. He was a live-in student who lived with his teacher while learning.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Interview on Go after AI · opens in a new tabThe Nihon Ki-in recognized only the 2 dan he had earned from the Korea Baduk Association as 4 kyu, so he entered again.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Rose to 5 dan in Japan.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Came back to Korea to complete his military service. His teacher Segoe died four months later.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabTook the Choegowi title from Kim In, 8 dan, who had been his teacher during his Air Force service. From there he began to sweep the domestic tournaments.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabBeat Ha Chan-seok to take the Guksu title.
Source 04 · Kuki News (Korean) · Dreaming of the Guksu in Cho Hun-hyun’s hometown · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Won every domestic tournament and swept all titles for the first time. He did so three times, through 1986.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Cho Hun-hyun and Cho Chikun face off after 12 years · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Kuki News (Korean) · Dreaming of the Guksu in Cho Hun-hyun’s hometown · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Held ten titles at once and became the first player promoted to 9 dan by the Korea Baduk Association.
Source 03 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Cho Hun-hyun and Cho Chikun face off after 12 years · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Kuki News (Korean) · Dreaming of the Guksu in Cho Hun-hyun’s hometown · opens in a new tab The year of the 9 dan promotion follows Kuki News; Yonhap gives 1980.Took nine-year-old Lee Chang-ho into his home and taught him.
Source 27 · The Fact (Korean) · Cho Hun-hyun, Lee Chang-ho and the film The Match · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Interview on Go after AI · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Xports News (Korean) · Appearance on Baekban Gihaeng · opens in a new tab The starting year follows The Fact.Held eleven titles at once, the last of his three sweeps.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Cho Hun-hyun and Cho Chikun face off after 12 years · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.In game 5 of the final at the Westin Stamford Hotel in Singapore, he beat Nie Weiping of China and won 3-2. The prize was $400,000. Maeil Business Newspaper wrote that he began to be called the emperor of Go from this win, and Xports News wrote that it thrilled the whole nation.
Returned the day after the win and rode in a car parade starting from Gimpo Airport in Seoul.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · Winning the Ing Cup on Sept. 5, 1989 · opens in a new tabReceived the Order of Cultural Merit, Silver Crown, from Culture and Public Information Minister Choi Byung-ryul. Cho Nam-chul, 9 dan, received it as well.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabHis student Lee Chang-ho beat his teacher for the first time in a nationwide official tournament. It was by half a point, and Lee was then 4 dan.
Source 10 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Long ago today, Feb. 3, 1990 · opens in a new tabWon the Jinro Cup in 1993 and the Dongyang Securities Cup and Fujitsu Cup in 1994 to complete a grand slam of the international tournaments.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 30 years since Cho Hun-hyun conquered world Go · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Kuki News (Korean) · Dreaming of the Guksu in Cho Hun-hyun’s hometown · opens in a new tab The dates of the wins in each tournament were not confirmed.Lost game 4 of the 12th Daewang challenge to Lee Chang-ho, 7 dan, and became a player with no title.
Source 21 · Nocut News (Korean) · Sacheon special match · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Beat Chang Hao of China in the final for his first win in this tournament.
Source 11 · Kuki News (Korean) · 30 years of the Samsung Fire Cup · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Beat Wang Yuhui in the semifinal and Wang Lei in the final.
Source 11 · Kuki News (Korean) · 30 years of the Samsung Fire Cup · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · The Ing Cup final and the Samsung Fire Cup · opens in a new tab Kuki News gives the 7th tournament as 2002 and Maeil Business Newspaper as 2003. The date was not confirmed.In round 17 of the main tournament of the 7th GG Auction Cup, he beat Choi Jeong, 3 dan, as Black by half a point in 260 moves. The Korea Baduk Association said it was a first in world Go.
Source 12 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · 1,900 career wins · opens in a new tabWas elected through proportional representation and became the first National Assembly member from the ranks of pro Go players.
Source 13 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Cho Hun-hyun enters the National Assembly · opens in a new tabSource 14 · MK Sports (Korean) · Back to Go after leaving the National Assembly · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Takes leave from the Korea Baduk Association · opens in a new tab The election date is not in the articles cited.Played Nie Weiping again after 30 years at the Baduk TV Studio of the Korea Baduk Association and lost as Black by 13 points in 344 moves.
Source 15 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Special game for the 30th anniversary of the Ing Cup · opens in a new tabLost to Choi Jeong, 9 dan, by resignation in 177 moves in a special comeback game.
Source 16 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Return game against Choi Jeong · opens in a new tabSource 14 · MK Sports (Korean) · Back to Go after leaving the National Assembly · opens in a new tabWon all four games in the special event of the world Go championship.
Source 17 · JTBC (Korean) · Winning the Nongshim Cup special event · opens in a new tab The date was not confirmed.Beat Japan’s Masaki Takemiya in the final of the 2023 Yongzi Cup Go Masters at the Yongzi Go Academy in Baoshan, Yunnan, China.
Source 18 · Sports Today (Korean) · Winning the Yongzi Cup · opens in a new tabBeat Ma Xiaochun, 9 dan, in 260 moves at the 1st Nongshim Baeksansu Cup world senior Go championship in Shanghai, China.
Source 19 · News1 (Korean) · Nongshim Baeksansu Cup, game against Ma Xiaochun · opens in a new tabThe film about his games with Lee Chang-ho stars Lee Byung-hun as Cho Hun-hyun. Kuki News gave the audience as 2.13 million.
Source 20 · MBC Entertainment (Korean) · Film The Match released · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Kuki News (Korean) · Dreaming of the Guksu in Cho Hun-hyun’s hometown · opens in a new tabLost to Lee Chang-ho, 9 dan, in 173 moves in a game at the Sacheon Aerospace Science Museum. The win brought Lee within one win of the record for career wins.
Source 21 · Nocut News (Korean) · Sacheon special match · opens in a new tabYoo Ha-jun turned pro at 9 years 6 months 12 days and passed the 1962 record.
Source 22 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Youngest-pro record broken · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Edaily (Korean) · Special game of Cho Hun-hyun and Yoo Ha-jun · opens in a new tab Articles differ on the day the entrance tournament ended, so only the month is given.In a special game at the Baduk TV Studio of the Korea Baduk Association, he beat Yoo Ha-jun, 1 dan, as White by two points in 281 moves. Yoo took Black and played an even game with no komi.
Source 02 · Edaily (Korean) · Special game of Cho Hun-hyun and Yoo Ha-jun · opens in a new tabAt the 95th regular board meeting of the Korea Baduk Association he was named to the newly created post of senior vice chairman.
Source 23 · Kuki News (Korean) · Named senior vice chairman of the Korea Baduk Association · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Nocut News (Korean) · Senior vice chairman post created · opens in a new tabAt the 17th Asian Leadership Conference he played doubles Go with Lee Chang-ho, each paired with an AI, for the first time.
Source 24 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Doubles game with AI · opens in a new tabLost to Japan’s Satoshi Yuki, 9 dan, as Black by resignation in 156 moves in game 5 of the main tournament of the 4th Nongshim Baeksansu Cup world senior Go championship in Beijing, China.
Source 25 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Nongshim Baeksansu Cup, game against Yuki · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1962–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Games · South Korea
Mar 10, 1953 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1953: the year of the event minus 1953, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.