He was born in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. He turned professional in 1986 at the young age of 11.[2][3] By the early 1990s, he started winning titles that his teacher, Cho, had previously won. In 1992, Lee won his first international title, the 3rd Tong Yang Cup.[4] Lee has won all of the international Go tournaments at least twice, excluding the World Oza and Ing Cup, which are held every two and four years respectively. In 2006, Lee won the Wangwi title for the eleventh consecutive year.[5]
Over the years, Lee's style of play has been broken down. Even Cho Chikun said that Lee Sedol would eventually pass Chang-ho because Chang-ho's style is no longer guaranteed due to the new generation of players.[citation needed] When asked if Lee's era was over, his teacher Cho Hunhyun simply replied, "No". He continued, saying that Lee Sedol is just someone who has finally fit the description of a rival for Chang-ho. He also said that both will battle many times and in the coming years the "smoke will settle" and one of them will come out on top.
South Korea
