Shin Min-jun's bid for a historic back-to-back title in the LG Cup ends in a forfeit loss to China's Wang Xinghao in the final match of the championship.

*This content was translated by AI.

Shin Min-jun, 9-dan, ranked third in the Korean rankings, saw his bid for a historic back-to-back LG Cup title end in the final match.

On the 16th, Shin Min-jun suffered a forfeit loss as White after 183 moves against Wang Xinghao, 9-dan, in the final match of the third game of the finals of the 31st LG Cup Chosun Ilbo Kio King Tournament held at Wang's Zhi Mi in the Hanok Hotel, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, finishing with an overall record of one win and two losses to take the runner-up position.

Unlike the first two games, which were split by half-point margins, the match saw immediate fighting in the center from the opening. During the close contest, Shin Min-jun aggressively cut off his opponent's stones somewhat recklessly, but Wang Xinghao skillfully countered and seized the initiative. Aware of the shifting balance, Shin Min-jun staked his game on an attack against the large group on the upper side, but was blocked by Wang Xinghao's ironclad defense and failed to turn the tide.

Shin Min-jun had taken the first win with a half-point victory as Black after 308 moves in the first final match held on the 14th, but suffered a half-point loss as White after 328 moves in the second match on the 15th, leaving him with regret. In this final match, he was unable to overcome Wang Xinghao's defense, postponing his championship hopes to a future opportunity. He secured the runner-up prize of 100 million won.

Wang Xinghao, ranked fourth in China, lifted the LG Cup trophy for the first time with this victory and claimed a prize of 300 million won. Wang, who won his first major world tournament at the first Beihai Xinye World Go Open last year, defeated Korean No. 1 Shin Jin-seo, 9-dan, in the semifinals of this tournament to reach the finals, and then surpassed Shin Min-jun in the final to achieve his second major world title. He extended his head-to-head record against Shin Min-jun to four wins and two losses.

In a post-match interview, Wang Xinghao said, "The opening formations we had studied appeared from the start, and the game unfolded well, showing good performance. I am very happy to win the LG Cup. Although there were some regrets along the way, I believe I performed better than usual overall. I have no special plans, but I will continue to strive to do my best in every game going forward."

With this victory, China increased its total LG Cup wins to 13. Before the 31st edition, the number of wins by country was: South Korea 15, China 12, Japan 2, and Taiwan 1. Wang Xinghao's win narrowed the gap between China and South Korea.

The upcoming award ceremony is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. on the 17th in the Joie Seminar Room on the first floor of the Chosun Ilbo Jeongdong Annex, located in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The 31st LG Cup Chosun Ilbo Kio King Tournament, hosted by Chosun Ilbo and sponsored by LG, offers a prize of 300 million won for the champion and 100 million won for the runner-up. The main tournament time limit was set at three hours per player, with five 40-second byo-yomi periods.

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*This content was translated by AI.