Seoul, South Korea – A team of six young South Korean bridge players, representing Jeollabuk-do Bridge Association, departed for Shanghai, China on December 27th to compete in the 2025 Pacific-Asia Intercity Secondary Schools Bridge Invitational Championship.

The team, which includes Park Hyun-jun (17, U Seok High School), Song Chan-hyeok (14, Wansan Middle School), and Lee Ju-ho (14, Geonyeong Middle School) from Jeollabuk-do, and Jeong Seung-jun, Shin Si-yeol, and Lee Chang-hoon from Sejong, will be competing against teams from across the Pacific-Asia region.

The team is led by head coach Kwon Seung-il, with Kim Kyung-yong serving as coach and Lee Bok-hee as captain.

Prior to their departure, the team received encouragement from prominent figures in the South Korean bridge community, including Kim Hye-young, president of the Korean Bridge Association, Jeon Seong-ho, president of the Jeollabuk-do Bridge Association, and Oh Hye-min, president of the Seoul Bridge Association.

“It’s remarkable that these young players, who have only been playing bridge for about six months, have already qualified for an international competition,” said Kim Hye-young, president of the Korean Bridge Association. “I hope they will showcase their skills and return home with valuable experience.”

Kim added, “While this is the first international competition for our youth team, I believe our experienced coaches will guide them well. It may be challenging, but I hope this will be a valuable learning experience for them.”

Jeon Seong-ho, president of the Jeollabuk-do Bridge Association, expressed his pride in the team’s achievement. “I’m delighted to see these young players competing on the international stage despite their short experience in bridge. I also want to express my gratitude to President Kim Hye-young of the Korean Bridge Association for her unwavering support of our youth team.”

The South Korean youth bridge team is scheduled to return home on January 1st, 2025.