Shortly after badminton ace An Se-young's victory late Sunday night, Lee wrote on Facebook that the national anthem was played three times in Hangzhou, China, saying he was "very proud" of her and other players and calling 2025 "the year of South Korean badminton."
The world No. 1 in women's singles became the first female badminton player to achieve 11 wins in a single season, tying the 2019 record set by former Japanese player Kento Momota.
With 73 victories out of 77 matches, she earned a total of US$1,003,175 (about 1.49 billion won), surpassing $1 million for the first time.
Meanwhile, in men's doubles, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho also claimed victory, achieving 11 wins in a single season, setting a new record and becoming the first South Korean men's doubles pair to achieve the feat in 37 years.
Lee lauded Seo's winning tally, which rises to 12 when including the Thailand Masters earlier this year, calling it the most individual titles won in a single season in world badminton history.
In women's doubles, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na beat Japan to win their second straight title at the tournament.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.