There is a strong ‘housewife knight’ sensation in the world of baduk. ‘Ajumma professionals’ in their 30s and 40s who are past their prime are producing surprising results every day, overcoming adverse conditions such as pregnancy, childcare, and housework.
The leader in most wins in the Women’s Baduk League this year is 39-year-old Lee Min-jin, 8th dan. She is recording 6 wins (as of the 11th) among knights who are about 20 years younger than her. In the world of Baduk, where the age handicap is exceptionally large, it is a rare sight to see the oldest leaguer go undefeated alone.
Lee Min-jin said, “I’m gritting my teeth to not be a nuisance to her team.” That kind of fighting spirit is leading his team, Seogwipo Chilsimri, to the lead. Lee Min-jin, who has been married for 12 years, is currently staying abroad, risking her withdrawal last week to support her husband and her 10-year-old daughter.
Kim Hye-min, 37, 9th dan, mother of her two children, says her grades these days are better than when she was solo. Last year she finished runner-up in the Women’s Noodle Tournament, and this year she has perfect attendance in the Women’s League, where she has been a mainstay with 5 wins and 4 losses. She is trusted by her team so much that she is appointed captain of POSCO Future M.
Kim Soo-jin (36), 6th dan, hit the final home run in the women’s league earlier this month. She completely defeated superstar Choi Jeong, 9th dan, who has been ranked first among women for 118 consecutive months. After defeating No. 3 Oh Yu-jin in the women’s rankings two weeks ago, she is on a roll with three wins in three matches this season. His status as a team candidate (Chapter 4) is incredible. She got married in 2019 and she has one three-year-old daughter.
Kwon Hyo-jin, a 41-year-old housewife and driver of the 8th Dan, is currently reading the night shift as a women’s league coach (Bukwang Pharmaceuticals) and a Legend League player. She served as captain of the Uiseong Garlic team, where she took first place (3 wins) both individually and as a team. Her only daughter, Ak Ji-woo (14), is also passionate about supporting her. Jiwoo, a student at Suncheon Baduk Middle School, dreams of becoming the third generation professional player, following her maternal grandfather (Kwon Gap-yong) and her father (Weryang · 岳 亮).
Lee Ji-hyeon (44), a 5th dan player, also works as a player and coach. With 2 wins and 1 loss in the Legend League, he chased down traditional powerhouses such as Yoo Chang-hyuk and Choi Gyu-byeong (3 wins) and helped his team (Uiseong Garlic) take the lead. The Seogwipo Chilsimni team of the women’s league, under her leadership, is looking to move from being tied for the lead to winning the title.
Jo Hye-yeon (38), 9th dan, a key player in the women’s league H2 DREAM team, is said to have “reached her second prime.” Her momentum is fierce, as she recently reached the semifinals of the Women’s Noodle Tournament and competed with Choi Jeong to advance to the finals. Kim Eun-seon (35, H2 DREAM), 5th dan, and Lee Young-ju (33, Suncheon Bay National Garden), 4th dan, are also housewives who scold their younger colleagues for being rude.메이저놀이터
However, it is not easy to simultaneously be a housewife and a working mother and be a professional engineer. Yunyoung Kim (34), a 4th dan, developed facial nerve paralysis shortly after giving birth to her second child last June. After being diagnosed as needing at least 3 months of recuperation, I withdrew from the women’s league.
Among the 81 female professionals in Korea, 35.8% (29 people) are married. There were 31 head-to-head matches in this year’s women’s league, and the married team was ahead with 19 wins and 12 losses (61.3%). Regarding the explosion of ‘ajumma power’, Kwon Hyo-jin, 8th Dan, said, “It is a phenomenon created by a combination of earnestness and experience,” and was confident that “the struggle of housewife drivers will continue.”