The year he turned 12, he turned professional. He had learned Go in Sinan at six and moved to Seoul at eight to join Kwon Kap-yong’s school. In 1998, his father, who had taught him Go, died. In 1999, he stayed out of the promotion tournament, saying it did not reflect real strength.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 17, he ran up a 32-game winning streak and was called “the unbeaten boy.” That year he also lifted his first title, the Baccus Cup Chunwon.
In 2001, he was runner-up at the LG Cup final even after winning the first two games against 9-dan Lee Chang-ho. In 2002, he won the Fujitsu Cup, his first world title, as a 3-dan. In 2003, he beat 9-dan Lee Chang-ho in the LG Cup final, and in the summer he won the Fujitsu Cup for a second straight year and became a 9 dan eight years after turning pro. In 2004, he won the Samsung Cup for the first time. In 2005, he added the Toyota Denso World Oza for his fifth world title.
In 2006, he married. In 2007, he won the Myungin and had seven titles that year across domestic and international tournaments. In 2009, after a clash with the professional players’ association, he filed for 18 months of leave.
In January 2010, he signed a pledge and returned to the Korea Baduk Association, and four months after returning he won the BC Card Cup. In 2012, he won four tournaments, including the Samsung Cup. In 2014, he won a ten-game match against 9-dan Gu Li, 6-2.
The year he turned 33, he played AlphaGo in five games in March and lost 1-4. His win in game 4 remains the only win by a human against AlphaGo. In May that year, saying he could not go along with a system that deducts part of prize money across the board, he left the professional players’ association. In 2017, his domestic ranking fell outside the top three for the first time. In November 2019, he submitted his resignation, and in December he played a last three-game match against the AI HanDol.
In 2021, an NFT of AlphaGo game 4 sold for about 250.2 million won. In 2023, he released three board games adapted from Go. In 2025, he became a UNIST distinguished professor, appeared in Netflix’s The Devil’s Plan: Death Room and published a book.
In 2026, he threw the first pitch at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, and KBS2’s Baeksu Lee Sedol was scheduled to air in October.
Lee Sedol (born Mar 2, 1983) turned professional in Jul 1995, the year he turned 12, and became known in 2000, the year he turned 17, when he ran up a 32-game winning streak and was called “the unbeaten boy.” He won his first world title, the Fujitsu Cup, on Aug 3, 2002, the year he turned 19.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Became a professional player at the Korea Baduk Association. He started learning Go at six in Sinan, South Jeolla, and at eight moved to Seoul to join Kwon Kap-yong’s school.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Retirement announced, plan for a game against HanDol · opens in a new tabSource 02 · SBS (Korean) · The maverick who shook up the Go world and left · opens in a new tabHis father, who had first taught him Go, died.
Source 02 · SBS (Korean) · The maverick who shook up the Go world and left · opens in a new tab Only the year appears in the article; the date could not be confirmed.He stayed out of the promotion tournament, which required ten extra games a year with no game fee, saying it did not reflect real strength.
Source 02 · SBS (Korean) · The maverick who shook up the Go world and left · opens in a new tab Only the year appears in the article; the date could not be confirmed.Ran up a 32-game winning streak and earned the nickname “the unbeaten boy.” That year he also lifted his first title, the Baccus Cup Chunwon.
In the final, he won the first two games against 9-dan Lee Chang-ho and then lost three straight. It was his best result in an international tournament up to then.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Fujitsu Cup win, first world title · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Beats Lee Chang-ho for his first LG Cup · opens in a new tab The date of the final could not be confirmed.In the final at the Nihon Ki-in, he beat 9-dan Yoo Chang-hyuk by half a point as White in 263 moves. Winning as a 3-dan, he set a record as the lowest-ranked player to win a world title. The prize was 20 million yen.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Fujitsu Cup win, first world title · opens in a new tabIn game 4 of the best-of-five final at the Grand InterContinental Hotel in Seoul, he beat 9-dan Lee Chang-ho by 7.5 points as White in 294 moves. He won 3 games to 1, and the prize was 250 million won.
Source 06 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Beats Lee Chang-ho for his first LG Cup · opens in a new tabIn the final at the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo, he beat 4-dan Song Tae-kon by resignation as White in 204 moves. The win made him a 9 dan eight years after turning pro, two years faster than the previous record of 10 years held by 9-dan Lee Chang-ho.
Source 07 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Back-to-back Fujitsu Cups and the fastest road to 9 dan · opens in a new tabIn game 2 of the best-of-three final, he beat 5-dan Wang Xi by resignation as White in 276 moves and won the title 2-0. The prize was 200 million won.
Source 08 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · First Samsung Cup title · opens in a new tabIn the last game of the best-of-three final in Nagoya, Japan, he beat 9-dan Chang Hao by resignation as White in 188 moves. It was his fifth world title in total.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Toyota Denso World Oza win · opens in a new tabMarried a woman his own age at Nonhyeon Wedding Hall in Gangnam District, Seoul.
Source 10 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 9-dan Lee Sedol to marry on the 12th of next month · opens in a new tabIn game 3 of the best-of-five final at Kangwon Land, he beat Cho Han-seung, who turned pro the same year he did, by resignation as Black in 183 moves and won 3-0. Counting domestic and international tournaments, he had seven titles that year.
Source 11 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Kangwon Land Cup Myungin, 3-0 · opens in a new tabIn the last game of the best-of-three final at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, he beat 2-dan Han Sang-hoon by resignation as Black in 259 moves, coming back to win 2-1.
Source 12 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Beats Han Sang-hoon for the LG Cup · opens in a new tabAfter a clash with the professional players’ association over skipping the Korean Baduk League, he filed for 18 months of leave, from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2010.
Source 13 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Files for leave, activity suspended · opens in a new tabWent to the Korea Baduk Association and signed a pledge that included following the players’ rules, and returned. Five days later he began playing again from the main round of the 2nd BC Card Cup.
Source 14 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · 9-dan Lee Sedol returns to the Korea Baduk Association · opens in a new tabIn game 3 of the final, he beat 9-dan Chang Hao by resignation and won 3-0. It was his first title since returning, and the prize was 300 million won.
Source 15 · Maeil Business (Korean) · First title four months after returning · opens in a new tabIn the last game of the best-of-five final, he beat 9-dan Gu Li by resignation as Black in 207 moves and came back to win 3 games to 2. The prize was 300 million won.
Source 16 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Back-to-back BC Card Cups · opens in a new tabIn game 3 of the best-of-three final in Shanghai, he beat 9-dan Gu Li by half a point as Black in 270 moves. It was his fourth Samsung Cup, and with the Chunlan Cup, Olleh KT Cup and GS Caltex Cup he had four titles that year.
Source 17 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Beats Gu Li for the Samsung Cup · opens in a new tabIn the best-of-five final against Paek Hong-suk, he lost the first two games and then won three straight.
Source 18 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · 40th Myungin, his third Myungin · opens in a new tab The date of the last game of the final could not be confirmed. The report is dated July 3, 2013.The match ended with game 8 in Chongqing, China. The prize was 5 million yuan.
Source 19 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · The century’s ten-game match is over, but · opens in a new tabIn the final at the Mayfield Hotel in Seoul, he beat 9-dan Park Junghwan by resignation as Black in 207 moves. It was his fourth title in the tournament and his second in a row.
Source 20 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · 27th Asian TV Cup · opens in a new tabIn game 4 of the best-of-five final at the Korea Baduk Association, he beat 9-dan Park Junghwan by resignation as Black in 173 moves and won 3 games to 1.
Source 21 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Beats Park Junghwan for his fourth Myungin · opens in a new tabPlayed AlphaGo for the first time at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno District, Seoul, and lost by resignation in 186 moves.
Source 22 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Google DeepMind Challenge Match, game 1 · opens in a new tabWon by resignation in 180 moves. It remains the only win by a human against AlphaGo.
Source 23 · Asia Economy (Korean) · First win in game 4 against AlphaGo · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Retirement announced, plan for a game against HanDol · opens in a new tabPlaying Black, he lost by resignation in 280 moves and finished the five games 1-4.
Source 24 · Asia Economy (Korean) · AlphaGo game 5, 1 win and 4 losses · opens in a new tabHe handed in his notice at the opening ceremony of the KB Kookmin Bank Baduk League. He said he could not go along with a system that deducts part of prize money across the board. The association deducts 3 to 5% of members’ game income. His older brother, 9-dan Lee Sang-hoon, handed in his notice too.
Source 25 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Leaves the professional players’ association · opens in a new tabSource 02 · SBS (Korean) · The maverick who shook up the Go world and left · opens in a new tabIn rankings announced by the Korea Baduk Association, he placed fourth with 9,700 points. It was the first time since the ranking system began in 2009 that he had fallen outside the top three.
Source 26 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Fourth in the Korean Go rankings · opens in a new tabIn an exhibition game at the Haevichi Hotel in Seogwipo, Jeju, he beat 9-dan Ke Jie by 1.5 points as Black in 293 moves.
Source 27 · News1 (Korean) · New Year game against Ke Jie · opens in a new tabEnded a playing career of 24 years and 4 months. He won 50 titles in total, including 18 world titles and 32 domestic ones.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Retirement announced, plan for a game against HanDol · opens in a new tabIn the last game at Jeungdo, Sinan, South Jeolla, he lost by resignation as Black to the Korean-made AI HanDol and finished the match 1-2.
Source 02 · SBS (Korean) · The maverick who shook up the Go world and left · opens in a new tabHe was shown meeting Kim Hee-chul and Kim Jang-hoon.
Source 34 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Appears on My Ugly Duckling · opens in a new tabA non-fungible token of the Mar. 13, 2016 game 4 sold at an OpenSea auction for 60 ether, about 250.2 million won.
Source 33 · Edaily (Korean) · AlphaGo game NFT sells · opens in a new tabReleased Great Kingdom, Nine Knights and King’s Crown, which he made by adapting Go.
Source 28 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with board game developer Lee Sedol · opens in a new tab The release timing comes from his statement in a 2024 interview that it was last May. The date could not be confirmed.Became the first ambassador of the Mind Sports Tour created by the International Mind Sports Association.
Source 29 · Maeil Business (Korean) · A new start with a card game · opens in a new tabGoogle posted a 16-minute interview video on its blog and YouTube.
Source 30 · Edaily (Korean) · Google releases an interview with Lee Sedol · opens in a new tabBecame a distinguished professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology. The term runs three years to February 2028, and he teaches board game design.
Source 31 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Appointed UNIST distinguished professor · opens in a new tabAppeared as one of 14 players in the brain survival show directed by producer Jung Jong-yeon.
Source 32 · Startoday (Korean) · The Devil’s Plan: Death Room released · opens in a new tabPublished by Woongjin Knowledge House, 324 pages.
Source 04 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Review of Lee Sedol, Reading the Moves of Life · opens in a new tab The review report is dated Aug. 22, 2025. The publication date could not be confirmed.Threw the first pitch at the LG-NC game. Afterward he carried a beer bag and walked the steps of the stands.
Source 35 · News1 (Korean) · First pitch at the Jamsil LG-NC game · opens in a new tabSource 36 · TheFact (Korean) · Baeksu Lee Sedol first airs in October · opens in a new tabA variety show about visiting workplaces after quitting Go. KBS2 confirmed a first broadcast in October and released two teaser posters.
Source 36 · TheFact (Korean) · Baeksu Lee Sedol first airs in October · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1995–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Games · South Korea
Mar 2, 1983 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1983: the year of the event minus 1983, 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.