Kim Myung-hoon, 9 dan, will face Shin Jin-seo, 9 dan, for the Maxim Coffee Cup.

Kim Myung-hoon, 9th dan, won the black bull’s eye against Bae Sang-il, 9th dan, in 157 moves in the second round of the 25th Maxim Coffee Cup semifinals held at Go TV Studio of the Korea Baduk Association on the 1st.

Kim Myung-hoon, a ninth dan in March 2022, made his Maxim Coffee Cup debut through an electric competition. Kim, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals, defeated Lee Chang-seok, Na Hyun, and Won Sung-jin, advanced to the semifinals, and beat even Bae Sang-il to win a ticket to the finals.

Kim Myung-hoon, 9th dan, who reached the first final of the Maxim Coffee Cup, said, “I think there is still the final king, so I will aim to win a game. I think I will have a chance if it becomes one-on-one,” adding, “I will play the final with Shin Jin-seo 9th dan in a long time, so I can’t remember when it was. As it’s been a long time, I think I can prepare for the final in a good mood.”

Shin Jin-seo, 9 dan, and Kim Myung-hoon, 9 dan, will face off for the second time in eight years and four months since the final of the Let’s Run Park Cup Open Tournament in 2015. In 2015, Shin Jin-seo, 9 dan, won his first championship in the mixed race with a 2-1 victory. Shin Jin-seo, 9 dan, is leading with 10 wins and 3 losses, including 6 consecutive wins.

The third round will start with the first round to be held at Go TV Studio on Wednesday, while the second round will take place at Gonjiam Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province on Saturday. If the match is tied one-on-one, the final round will take place at Go TV Studio on Sunday.

The prize money for the 25th Maxim Coffee Cup, sponsored by Dongseo Food and sponsored by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, is 50 million won (44,940 U.S. dollars) and the prize money for the runner-up is 20 million won (20,000 dollars). The time limit is 10 minutes and 30 seconds for each team. The first and third finals will be broadcast live on Go TV at 7 p.m. and the second finals at 2 p.m. 안전놀이터