Seol Hyun-jun, 9th dan, was selected as a wild card for the 2024 Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Baduk Masters.
Sponsor Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance announced that it selected Seol Hyun-jun, 9th dan, as a wild card among those who were eliminated from the integrated preliminary round, considering his ranking and recent performance.
Seol Hyun-jun, 9th dan, was defeated by China’s 7th dan Huang Ming-yu in the third round of the integrated preliminaries held last August, and was unable to advance to the finals, but was able to continue his fight thanks to the sponsor’s choice.
Seol Hyeon-jun, 9th dan, who entered the professional ranks at the 2nd Gifted Entrance Competition in 2013, won his first championship in the 5th Ha Chan-seok Guk Cup in 2017 and was runner-up in the 2020-2023 Crown Haitai Cup. In 2021, he made it to the finals of the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Cup once, and this year, he performed well, including runner-up in the 2nd 5-6 Joint Timing Korea Championships and selection as representative of the Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup, raising his ranking from the top 20 to the top 10.
Seol Hyun-jun, 9th Dan, said, “I am grateful to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance for giving me this great opportunity. I never thought about it, but I feel really happy and honored to be selected as a wild card. “I will work hard as much as I have been given the opportunity to achieve good results,” he said.
With Seol Hyeon-jun, 9th dan, joining as a wild card, all members of the 2024 Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Baduk Masters finals have been decided. In Korea, 5 people, including 9th dan Park Jeong-hwan and Shin Jin-seo, received seeds, and 6 people, including Kang Dong-yoon, Choi Jeong, and 9th dan Kim Eun-ji, passed the integrated preliminary round, making a total of 12 people advance to the finals. China will have 16 players, including defending champion Ding Hao, 9th dan, and Japan will have 2 9th dan players, Ryo Ichiriki and Doramaru Shibano, participating. Taiwan’s 9th dan Xu Haohong advanced to the finals for the third year in a row, and Thailand’s Pongsakan Solnara won the World Group in the integrated preliminary round.
The 2024 Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Baduk Masters will be held directly from the round of 32 on the 12th of next month to the final on the 22nd. At the draw ceremony held on the 11th, 60 Baduk fans were invited to spend time with world-class Baduk stars.
The prize money for the winner of the 2024 Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Baduk Masters, sponsored by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd., is 300 million won, and the prize money for the runner-up is 100 million won. The time limit is 2 hours for each person, with 5 1-minute countdowns.
◇2024 Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Baduk Masters round of 32 list
– Korea (12 people): 9th dan Park Jeong-hwan (early seed), Shin Jin-seo, Byun Sang-il, Shin Min-jun, and Kim Myeong-hoon 9th dan (national seeds), Kang Dong-yoon, Choi Jeong, Kim Eun-ji, Yoo Chang-hyuk, and Choi Myeong-hoon 9th dan, Ahn Jeong-gi 8th dan (above combined) Preliminary finalist), Seol Hyun-jun 9th dan (wild card)
– China (16 people): Ding Hao, Xue Erhao, Xu Jiayang 9th dan (earlier seeds), Li Xuanhao, Gu Zihao 9th dan (national seeds above), Ke Jie, Tang Yifei, Wang Xinghao, Lian Xiao, Sheke ㆍTanxiao 9th dan, Han Yizhou, Chen Zhengxun, Pan Yin, Chen Xian 8th dan, Jin Yucheng 7th dan (all of whom advanced to the integrated preliminary round)
– Japan (2 people): Ryo Ichiriki and Doramaru Shibano, 9th dan (seeds from the countries above)
– Taiwan (1 person): Xu Haohong 9th dan (national seed)
– Thailand (1 person): Pongsakan Solnara (integrated preliminary round finalist)
Source: www.nextdaily.co.kr
