In 1984, the year he turned 9, he became Cho Hun-hyun’s live-in pupil and a trainee at the Korea Baduk Association. In August 1986, the year he turned 11, he became a professional at 11 years 1 month. Three years after turning pro, in 1989, he earned challenges for three tournaments, and in August he won the KBS Baduk Wang for his first title. In 1990, he won 41 straight games and became the youngest Guksu title holder. In February he beat his teacher, Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, to win the Choegowi title.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 17, he beat Lin Haifeng, 9 dan, to win the 3rd Tong Yang Cup. He was 16 years 6 months old, the youngest winner of a world tournament.
In 1993, he won 90 games. In 1994, he won all 16 domestic tournaments.
In 1998, he reached the final of every major world tournament. In 1999, he completed three straight Samsung Cup wins. In 2000, he won his 1,000th career game. In 2001, he won his 100th career title. In 2003, he completed the Grand Slam of world tournaments.
In 2005, he won five straight games at the Nongshim Cup as Korea’s last player. In 2007, the Dong-A Ilbo wrote, a slump handed the top spot to Lee Sedol, 9 dan. In 2010, he won his 1,500th game and got married in October.
In 2021, he reached 1,800 career wins. In 2024, he became honorary manager of the Jeonju Go team and won his 1,900th game. In 2025, he played a special game against Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, in Sacheon, and in December set the record for the most wins in Korean Go with 1,969. In 2026, he appeared at a talk concert at UNIST.
Lee Chang-ho (born 1975) turned professional in Aug 1986, the year he turned 11, and won his first title on Aug 8, 1989, the year he turned 14. He became known when he won the 3rd Tong Yang Cup in Jan 1992, the year he turned 17, as the youngest winner of a world Go tournament.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Entered the household of Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, as a live-in pupil and became a trainee at the Korea Baduk Association.
Source 02 · Yeongnam Ilbo (Korean) · [Today in 1989] Youngest title winner · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.The Chosun Ilbo reported in 2024 that this was the second-youngest entry into the pros on record. His first win came that August in a promotion tournament against Cho Yeong-suk, 1 dan.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tabSource 07 · The Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s 1,900th win · opens in a new tabEarned challenges for three tournaments three years after turning pro.
Source 04 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · [Today in the archives] 1990, Lee Chang-ho’s first win over Cho Hun-hyun · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed. Yeongnam Ilbo says he was chosen as challenger for the Paewang and Choegowi titles in 1988.Won game 2 of the best-of-three final over Kim Soo-jang, 7 dan, by 9.5 points in 230 moves, taking the series 2-0. It broke the record for the youngest domestic title winner, set 18 years earlier by Seo Bong-soo, 9 dan, at 18.
Source 02 · Yeongnam Ilbo (Korean) · [Today in 1989] Youngest title winner · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tabSet the record for the longest winning streak with 41 straight wins, and his win rate that year was 86.7%.
Source 13 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho, the real-life model for Reply 1988 · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Won the Guksu title as its youngest holder.
Source 04 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · [Today in the archives] 1990, Lee Chang-ho’s first win over Cho Hun-hyun · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Beat Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, by half a point to win the Choegowi title. He was 4 dan at the time, and it was his first win over his teacher in a nationwide official tournament.
Source 03 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Long ago today, Feb. 3, 1990 · opens in a new tabBeat Lin Haifeng, 9 dan, to win. He was 16 years 6 months old, and the Dong-A Ilbo again described it in 2025 as the youngest win in a world Go tournament. Seoul Economic Daily relays a Go commentator’s recollection that he became a nationally known star after this win, with popularity comparable to Kim Yuna and Park Tae-hwan.
Won 90 games. Electronic Times describes this as the most wins on record.
Source 13 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho, the real-life model for Reply 1988 · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Won all 16 domestic tournaments, a clean sweep known as a “cycling hit.”
Source 13 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho, the real-life model for Reply 1988 · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Received the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit.
Source 14 · Asia Today (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s Shanghai victory · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Reached the finals of the Fujitsu Cup, Tong Yang Cup, Samsung Cup, LG Cup and Chunlan Cup.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Won the 2nd to 4th Samsung Cup in a row, from 1997 to 1999.
Source 08 · Kukinews (Korean) · 30 years of the Samsung Cup · opens in a new tab Kukinews gives the 2nd to 4th tournaments (1997 to 1999) in the text, but a photo caption calls the 1999 tournament the 3rd. This follows the text; the date is not confirmed.Reached 1,000 wins by beating An Jo-young, 6 dan, at the Korea Telecom m.com 018 Cup Paewang.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tabSource 07 · The Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s 1,900th win · opens in a new tabWon his 100th career title.
Source 13 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho, the real-life model for Reply 1988 · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Won each of the six world tournaments at least once: the Fujitsu Cup, Ing Cup, Samsung Cup, LG Cup, Chunlan Cup and Toyota & Denso Cup.
Source 09 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Jeonju city pro Go team planned · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · New hometown team in the KB League, head manager · opens in a new tabSource 14 · Asia Today (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s Shanghai victory · opens in a new tab The year is from Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo. Asia Today says he completed it by winning the first Toyota & Denso Cup in 2002. The date is not confirmed.With Lee Chang-ho the only Korean player left, he beat two Japanese players and three Chinese players in a row. The five straight wins at this tournament, held in Shanghai, China, are known in Korea as the Shanghai Daecheop (“great victory in Shanghai”).
Source 14 · Asia Today (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s Shanghai victory · opens in a new tabSource 15 · Newsbrite (Korean) · Again, the Shanghai victory · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.The Dong-A Ilbo says he fell into a slump that year and gave up the top spot to Lee Sedol, 9 dan.
Source 04 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · [Today in the archives] 1990, Lee Chang-ho’s first win over Cho Hun-hyun · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Won a gold medal in the men’s team event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
Source 10 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · New hometown team in the KB League, head manager · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed.Reached 1,500 wins against Choi Cheol-han, 9 dan.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tabSource 07 · The Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s 1,900th win · opens in a new tabHeld a wedding in Samseong-dong, Seoul, with a bride 11 years younger who had worked as a Go reporter. It was private, and wreaths and cash gifts were declined.
Source 11 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho, 9 dan, marries · opens in a new tabReached 1,800 wins by beating Han Ung-gyu, 7 dan.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tabSource 07 · The Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s 1,900th win · opens in a new tabJeonju city in North Jeolla and the Korea Baduk Association agreed to found a Jeonju team for the KB Kookmin Bank Baduk League, with Lee Chang-ho, 9 dan, as honorary manager.
Source 09 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Jeonju city pro Go team planned · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · New hometown team in the KB League, head manager · opens in a new tab Hankook Ilbo reported in January 2024 that he was named first head manager; Kyunghyang Shinmun calls him honorary manager at the September agreement.Beat Yoo Chang-hyuk, 9 dan, as White by resignation in 132 moves at the 2024 Legend League. He was the second player after Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, to reach 1,900 wins.
Source 07 · The Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho’s 1,900th win · opens in a new tabBeat Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, as Black by resignation in 173 moves. Segye Ilbo says he had won 11 straight games against his teacher.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tab The date is based on the Segye Ilbo article of Dec. 1, which says “the 17th of last month.”Beat Kim Soo-jang, 9 dan, as Black by resignation in 159 moves in game 2 of the 2025 Legend League playoffs, for 1,969 wins (1 draw, 814 losses). He passed Cho Hun-hyun, 9 dan, to set a new record for the most wins in Korean Go. Kim Soo-jang was his opponent in the 1989 first-title final.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 1,969 career wins, a Korean Go record · opens in a new tabTalked with Lee Sedol, a distinguished adjunct professor, about reading ahead and reviewing games in Go at the UNIST Open Stage 1 talk concert.
Source 12 · Newsworks (Korean) · Lee Chang-ho and Lee Sedol talk concert at UNIST · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1984–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Games · South Korea
1975 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1975: the year of the event minus 1975, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.05 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.