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The Banyan Tree Hotel located in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. At 9 a.m. on the 28th, during a severe cold spell that brought temperatures down to -9°C, the hotel’s banquet hall was already filled with people. Attendees, having removed their heavy coats, settled into their seats at the card tables, and a sense of quiet tension and anticipation started to emerge. This was the moment the 8th “Banyan Cup Bridge Tournament” commenced.

This annual bridge event is a national competition organized each year since 2018 by the Korea Contract Bridge League (led by President Kim Hye-young). This year, 42 teams and 178 players joined, making it the biggest edition ever. Due to an increase in registrations, 17 teams had to wait with reserve entries but were unable to take part because of space constraints.

President Kim Hye-young outlined the objective of the tournament, stating, “I was greatly impressed by the late Chairman Chung Ju-young, who annually hosted the ‘Hyundai Group New Year’s Greeting’ event at the start of each year, inviting diplomatic envoys and foreign business representatives to exchange New Year’s greetings and promote interactions,” and continued, “I believed that such a bridge also required a platform where members could support one another and engage at the beginning of the year.”

This perspective was evident in the association’s approach to operations. By establishing team selection standards according to how often participants attended association clubs, club activities saw a natural rise. “With the Banyan Cup becoming the most looked-forward-to event of the year, member involvement in clubs has greatly increased, which has positively contributed to growing membership,” stated the association.

The tournament this year was split into 26 tables for the intermediate group (Section A) and 16 tables for the novice group (Section B). Participants came from across the nation, such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, Sejong, Gangwon, Jeollabuk, Ulsan, and Busan.

The novice category (Section B) was claimed by the Sejong team. The team included members from the youth national team: Shin Si-yul from Sejong Saeum Middle School, Lee Jeong-chan from Sejong Duru High School, and Kim Kyung-yong, head of the Sejong Bridge Association. “This outcome is significant as it shows young athletes and adult leaders achieving success together,” was the comment.

In the middle section (Section A), ‘Team Best,’ coached by Kim Yoon-kyung, a 38-year bridge expert and current member of the women’s national team, won the title. ‘Team Seoul,’ with President Kim Hye-young actively involved, took second place following a tight competition.

The Banyan Cup has evolved into a significant event that has helped broaden the reach of bridge in Korea, moving it beyond just a competitive tournament. As reported by the Korea Contract Bridge League, the number of association members grew from 400 to 3,000 in 2025. Additionally, the number of club participations increased by about 25%, rising from 12,000 instances in 2024 to 15,000 instances.

The organization is especially concentrating on fostering bridge among young people. At present, approximately 20 elementary and middle schools across the country offer bridge as a standard or after-school activity, with the association’s goal to increase this to more than 100 schools by 2026.

This movement reflects the worries of the global bridge community. The World Bridge Federation (WBF) has recognized the aging group of bridge players as a significant issue and intends to organize the inaugural continental online youth world championships during the upcoming summer break. This is an international initiative designed to increase the number of young participants.