Yeongam County Folk Ssireum Team, Sweeps Two Weight Classes from Halla to Baekdu

Choi Seonghwan, the winner of the Halla Jangsa title (Photo by Yeongam-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The Yeongam-gun Folk Ssireum Team announced on the 28th that they swept the two weight classes of Hallajangsa and Baekdujangsa at the '2020 Hongseong Seollal Jangsa Ssireum Tournament' held at the Hongju Culture and Sports Center in Hongseong-gun, Chungnam Province from the 22nd to the 27th.

Since its establishment in 2017, the Yeongam-gun Folk Ssireum Team has produced a total of 21 champions and won two gold medals at the National Sports Festival, gaining recognition as a prestigious ssireum team in Korea. They have also played a significant role as ambassadors for Yeongam-gun by promoting Yeongam's excellent agricultural and specialty products.

From the first tournament of 2020, the Yeongam-gun Folk Ssireum Team made a fresh start befitting the reputation of the strongest ssireum team, with Choi Seong-hwan in the Halla weight class and Jang Seong-woo in the Baekdu weight class rising to champion status.

In the Halla Jangsa final held on the 25th, Champion Choi Seong-hwan defeated Jeongeup City Hall's Jeong Sang-ho 3-0, earning his 8th Halla Jangsa title, including four times at the Seollal tournament, living up to his nickname "Tteokguk Jangsa." On the same day, O Chang-rok narrowly lost to Jeong Sang-ho in the semifinals but secured 3rd place by defeating Dongjak-gu Office's Nam Won-taek 2-0 in the 3rd-4th place match.

On the 26th, the rising star in the Baekdu weight class, Champion Jang Seong-woo, defeated Jeungpyeong County Office's Kim Jin 3-2 to claim the flower palanquin. Having previously won the Baekdu Jangsa and then the Cheonhajangsa titles at the Yeongwol and Yongin tournaments last year, Jang Seong-woo has now secured a total of four champion titles, reaffirming his status as a new powerhouse in the Baekdu weight class nationwide.

Yoon Seong-min, who reached the quarterfinals that day, lost to Jeungpyeong County Office's Kim Jin and finished in 6th place.

During this Seollal tournament, the promotional effect was enhanced by broadcasting Yeongam's representative agricultural and specialty products, Dalmaji rice and Hwangto sweet potatoes, for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Jeon Dong-pyeong, Yeongam County Governor, who visited the venue to watch the matches and cheered enthusiastically with the ssireum cheering squad, said, "Through the championship of these two players, the Yeongam-gun Folk Ssireum Team has once again proven to be a leading force in Korean ssireum. We will continue to make every effort to ensure that the Yeongam-gun Folk Ssireum Team promotes both Korean ssireum and the name of Yeongam-gun."

Meanwhile, on the 30th, news was delivered from the Korea Ssireum Association about the Excellent Player Awards given annually to players with outstanding achievements. At this awards ceremony, O Chang-rok in the Halla weight class, Jang Seong-woo in the Baekdu weight class, and Champion Choi Jeong-man, who received the Most Valuable Player Award, were selected, further elevating the status of the Yeongam-gun Folk Ssireum Team.

A Yeongam-gun official stated, "This year, as we started with the goal of making it a year of ssireum revival that creates a new history for Korean ssireum, we will actively promote policies aligned with the central government and the Korea Ssireum Association's ssireum revitalization initiatives so that Yeongam-gun can firmly establish itself as the mecca of Korean ssireum. We will also strive to become a ssireum team that engages with Yeongam residents through programs such as visiting ssireum classes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.