Shin Jin-seo Dominates Korean Go Rankings: 77 Months at Number One!

Fomos.kr | 2026.05.06

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Shin Jin-seo, Korea’s top Go player (9-dan), extended his dominance this month, holding the No. 1 domestic ranking for a staggering 77 straight months. The run reinforces his status as the sport’s unquestioned leader. In the women’s division, Kim Eun-ji (9-dan) has led the rankings for six consecutive months, signaling a clear generational shift.

In the Korea Baduk Association’s May rankings, Shin posted 10,393 points to retain the top spot. Park Jeong-hwan (9-dan) was second with 10,030 points, 363 behind. Shin added 10 points after a 3-0 month; Park went 6-1 in seven games and gained 30 points, but neither moved in the standings.

The top tier otherwise remained stable. Shin Min-jun held third, Byun Sang-il fourth, Kim Myung-hoon fifth and Kang Dong-yoon sixth. The biggest mover was Lee Ji-hyun (9-dan), who went 10-1 in 11 games and jumped seven places to No. 7.

Kim Eun-ji’s presence was even more pronounced in the women’s rankings. She went 5-2 in seven matches and kept the women’s No. 1 slot for a sixth straight month. Though she slipped one spot to 19th overall, she remains the highest-ranked female player in Korea.

The chase behind her is tight. Choi Jeong (9-dan) stayed second and Oh Yu-jin (9-dan) held third. Japan-born Nakamura Sumire (6-dan) rode an 11-2 record in 13 games to climb to fourth, while Kim Chae-young (9-dan) dropped one spot to fifth.

The numbers are clear: Shin Jin-seo’s prolonged reign in the men’s game and Kim Eun-ji’s rapid rise in the women’s game have become the backbone of Korean Go.

Photo = Provided by the Korea Baduk Association