# Kim Yun-ja

Kim Yun-ja (Korean: 김연자; Hanja: 金練子, born May 15, 1963) is a retired female badminton player from South Korea. She is the last player to win All England Open titles in both singles and doubles.
In 1989, Kim married Sung Han-kook, a fellow world-class player who later went on to become the national team head coach. Sung and Kim's daughter Sung Ji-hyun is also a badminton player.

## Career

Kim was one of a Korean finest women's badminton player in early 1980's where she won 2 bronzes in women's singles and 2 silvers in women's doubles at 1982 Asian Games and 1986 Asian Games. Kim also snatched two golds and one silver medals in 1983 and 1985 Asian Championships which two of it in women's doubles and another one in mixed doubles. In the World Championships, Kim won two bronze medals in women's doubles, one at the 1985 IBF World Championships with Yoo Sang-hee, and another at the 1987 IBF World Championships with Chung So-young.

## Post-Retirement

She has long been retired from the sports since 1988 and stay with the sports as a fulltime instructor specifically for badminton in Hansei University. In 1998, She became a professor and working in several universities such as Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Korea National Sports University

## Achievements
### Olympic Games

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1988 (Exhibition) | Seoul National University Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea | Chung So-young | Guan Weizhen Lin Ying | 15–11, 14–17, 15–5 | Gold |

### World Championships

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1985 | Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada | Yoo Sang-hee | Han Aiping Li Lingwei | 10–15, 15–9, 17–18 | Bronze |
| 1987 | Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China | Chung So-young | Guan Weizhen Lin Ying | 15–12, 12–15, 4–15 | Bronze |

### World Cup

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Yoo Sang-hee | Han Aiping Li Lingwei | 14–17, 3–15 | Bronze |
| 1985 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | Yoo Sang-hee | Lin Ying Wu Dixi | 4–15, 5–15 | Silver |
| 1988 | National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | Chung So-young | Guan Weizhen Lin Ying | 3–15, 7–15 | Silver |

### Asian Games

Women' singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1982 | Indraprashtha Stadium, New Delhi, India | Li Lingwei | 5–11, 8–11 | Bronze |
| 1986 | Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea | Han Aiping | 7–11, 9–12 | Bronze |
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1982 | Indraprashtha Stadium, New Delhi, India | Yoo Sang-hee | Hwang Sun-ai Kang Haeng-suk | 13–18, 15–7, 7–15 | Silver |
| 1986 | Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea | Yoo Sang-hee | Lin Ying Guan Weizhen | 9–15, 15–8, 10–15 | Silver |

### Asian Championships

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Netaji Indoor Stadium, Calcutta, India | Yoo Sang-hee | 6–11, 2–11 | Silver |
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Netaji Indoor Stadium, Calcutta, India | Yoo Sang-hee | Fan Ming Guan Weizhen | 15–10, 6–15, 14–17 | Bronze |
| 1985 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Yoo Sang-hee | Hwang Hye-young Chung So-young | 15–5, 15–4 | Gold |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Calcutta, India | Park Joo-bong | Hafid Yusuf Ruth Damayanti | 15–3, 15–2 | Gold |

### IBF World Grand Prix (19 titles, 8 runners-up)

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.
Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1984 | Swedish Open | Fumiko Tookairin | 11–6, 5–11, 10–12 | Runner-Up |
| 1985 | Scandinavian Cup | Kirsten Larsen | 11–4, 11–2 | Winner |
| 1986 | German Open | Helen Troke | 11–1, 8–11, 12–10 | Winner |
| 1986 | All England Open | Qian Ping | 11–6, 12–11 | Winner |
| 1987 | French Open | Lee Young-suk | 11–4, 5–11, 11–0 | Winner |
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Denmark Open | Yoo Sang-hee | | | Winner |
| 1983 | Malaysia Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Jane Webster Nora Perry | 11–15, 15–4, 15–7 | Winner |
| 1983 | India Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Ruth Damyanti Maria Francisca | 15–7, 15–12 | Winner |
| 1984 | Denmark Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Atsuko Tokuda Yoshiko Yonekura | 3–15, 15–5, 15–13 | Winner |
| 1984 | Swedish Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Atsuko Tokuda Yoshiko Yonekura | 15–11, 8–15, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1984 | All England Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Lin Ying Wu Dixi | 8–15, 15–8, 14–17 | Runner-up |
| 1984 | Scandinavian Cup | Yoo Sang-hee | Lin Ying Wu Dixi | 1–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
| 1985 | Japan Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Guan Weizhen Wu Jianqiu | 15–5, 15–3 | Winner |
| 1985 | Denmark Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Gillian Gilks Nora Perry | 15–7, 15–7 | Winner |
| 1985 | Scandinavian Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Maria Bengtsson Christine Magnusson | 8–15, 15–5, 15–1 | Winner |
| 1986 | German Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Hwang Hye-young Chung So-young | 15–10, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1986 | Scandinavian Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Chung Myung-hee Chung So-young | 15–7, 17–14 | Winner |
| 1986 | All England Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Hwang Hye-young Chung So-young | 5–15, 15–6, 8–15 | Runner-up |
| 1986 | China Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Ivana Lie Verawaty Fadjrin | 8–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 1987 | Hong Kong Open | Chung So-young | Ivana Lie Rosiana Tendean | 18–14, 11–15, 15–2 | Winner |
| 1988 | Poona Open | Yoo Sang-hee | Dorte Kjaer Nettie Nielsen | 15–12, 15–2 | Winner |
| 1988 | All England Open | Chung So-young | Chung Myung-hee Hwang Hye-young | 15–8, 9–15 retired | Winner |
| 1988 | French Open | Chung So-young | Chung Myung-hee Hwang Hye-young | 9–15, 13–18 | Runner-up |
| 1988 | Canadian Open | Chung So-young | Eline Coene Erica van Dijck | 4–15, 3–15 | Runner-up |
| 1988 | U.S. Open | Chung So-young | Cho Young-suk Lee Myung-hee | 17–14, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1988 | Malaysia Open | Chung So-young | Guan Weizhen Lin Ying | 6–15, 3–15 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1987 | French Open | Park Joo-bong | Mark Christiansen Erica Van Den Heuvel | 15–10, 15–7 | Winner |