Yeon-do’s father, Song Young-seop, moved from Mapo, Seoul to Hongseong because he wanted his son to grow up in a healthy environment. As a result, Yoon Do encountered billiards in the 6th grade of elementary school and developed his skills in a short period of time to become ‘Hongsung’s billiard genius’. Dad and Yundo are popping up in the billiards room. (Photo = Yondo’s father)
⑦ Hongseong Hongdong Middle School 3 ‘billiards player’ Yoon Do and his father Song Young-seop;
Moved from Mapo-gu to Hongdong in March 2016.
Suzy started billiards in 6th grade and scored 40 points in 3 years
Players like Kim Heung-Jik, Jo Myung-Woo, and Lee Mi-Rae who are currently at the top of Korean billiards grew up listening to the calls of professionals and adults from a young age. Since my youth, I have been taking professional lessons to learn billiards in a systematic way. This was possible thanks to my father’s enthusiasm and strong support behind him. These are models of success for young players these days. Parents’ thoughts are no different. If a child is good at billiards and enjoys it, we actively encourage him to develop into a billiards player. Kim Jeon-yeon (Busan Donghra High School 1st) Kim Do-hyeon (Buchon Sangdong High School 1st) Kim Dae-hyeon (Siheung Daheng Middle School 2) Yang Seung-mo (Incheon Yesong Middle School) House 3) Lee Hwan-hee (Gumi) Geumo Elementary School 6) Kim Min-joon (Iksan Busong Middle School 1) Pyeong Joon-hyeok () etc. Mire is a loving father or ‘billiard father’ behind players who dream of becoming leading players in Korean billiards. ‘We will introduce them to their story. The seventh song of ‘Billiard Genius’ is the story of Song Yun-do (Hongdong Middle School 3) from Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province and his father Song Young-seop.
In March 2016, when she entered elementary school, Song Eun-do’s family moved from Mapo-gu, Seoul to Hongseong (Hongdong-myeon), South Chungcheong Province. His father, Song Young-seop (52), a lawyer, headed to Hongseong hoping that his son would grow up in a healthy environment. Dad had trouble commuting to Seoul every day for the first two years, but seeing Yoon-do running around the fields made him think it was a good decision to move.
Moving from Seoul to Hongseong was another opportunity for Yundo. Yundo was a boy who entered his favorite field from an early age. His father said that his likes and dislikes are very clear: “(Yondo) is a genius in the areas he likes and a fool in the areas he doesn’t like.” I watched my favorite movies over 100 times to memorize all the lines, and instead of taking piano lessons that I hated, I preferred walking around the rice fields.
Enlarge the photo Yundo is very versatile, playing soccer and badminton and being a vocalist in the school band. Yoon Do (far left) is singing at the Hong Dong-jung Band’s performance. (Photo = Hongdong Middle School)
Then, by chance, I went to the billiards room with my father and found the game interesting. 3-Ball 21 Points My father has been playing billiards for about 10 years since he was a college student and after a break 10 years ago he was enjoying billiards with his friends as a hobby.
Someday in March 2021. My father, Song Young-seop, used to play billiards with his friends in a billiard room in downtown Hongseong. “I took Yundo, a 6th grader, with me. “I gave him four balls and let him play by himself on an empty table, and I was amazed to see him rolling balls for three or four hours.”
That was Yundo’s first contact with billiards. Moving from Seoul to Hongseong was a great opportunity for Yundo.
What is life in Hongseong like for Yundo?
“I’ve lived in Hongdong since the first grade of elementary school, so it’s hard to compare it to Seoul. Still, being here, I can play billiards. I’m very happy because I don’t have to go to an academy, I don’t have to worry about studying or taking exams, and most importantly, I can do whatever I want. If I was in Seoul, I wouldn’t be able to do this. But the billiards room is far away.
My relationship with billiards started the first day I went to a billiard hall with my father.
In the year In 2023, he won 3 gold medals in the National Billiards Tournament while in junior high school.
‘All-rounder’ from football, badminton, band to vocalist
When Yundo became interested in billiards, his father made him learn from Lee Seok Man, the owner of Hollywood Billiards Hall in Hongseong, for 7 months (May to December 2021). I skipped the 4th pitch and immediately started the 3rd game. Yundo learned the basics quickly.
Enlarge the photo Yundo, who will graduate from middle school this year, plans to attend Bangtong High School to focus on billiards. Billiards for practicing yondo. (Photo = Yondo’s father)
After that, during my vacation, I took lessons from Han Sang-mo in my first year of junior high school, and Choi Jong-bok (PBA) in my second year of junior high school. In my third year of junior high school, I developed my practical skills mainly by playing games without taking classes. Seeing that my father always attends lessons 4 times a week for 2 hours a day, he thought, ‘There is something different from yondo billiards.’
He started playing billiards in the 6th grade of primary school, but his skills grew quickly. I raised my score to 40 points in 3 years. This is the birth of ‘Hongsung Billiards Genius’.
According to his father, Yundo has many talents. When I was in the 6th grade of primary school, I participated in the provincial sports tournament as a football player and recently I participated in the school badminton tournament and won. I formed a band with my middle school friends and performed at school festivals. Yundo is said to be in charge of vocals.
An avid billiards player, Yundo quickly noticed his prowess in tournaments. After becoming a billiards player in middle school, he took second place in the middle school division of the 2022 Jeongup National Billiards Championship, which he participated in for the first time. This was just the beginning. In the year In 2023, he won three gold medals as a sophomore in junior high school. Won three tournaments: Namwon National Billiards Championship (July), Gyeongnam Goseong-Shigu Cup (August) and Korea Sports Council President’s Cup (November).
In the year In 2024, he was included in the general division, reaching the 64th and 128th rounds of the Taebaek Mountain Cup (July) and the Gyeongnam Goseong-gun Cup (September).
Enlarge the photo Yundo playing in a national billiards tournament. (Photo = Korea Billiards Federation)
Yoon-do’s role model is Korea’s best striker Cho Jae-ho. I love the refreshing shot without hesitation. Regarding the reason for the fast intervals, Jo Jae-ho said, “If the display time is fast, you can hit the beats you’ve practiced without hesitation.”
This year (2025), Yondo is entering high school, and chooses Bantong High School to focus on billiards. It’s a shame that I won’t be able to play with my friends in the countryside like I used to, but I plan to make deep friendships with billiard players instead.
When I’m about to enter college, I focus more on billiards practice these days. However, it is not easy because it is rural. I go to Billiards Billiards Club in Chenan, Edgar Billiards Club in Hongseong, and 3949 Billiards Club in Yesan, and the distance I travel is up to 60 km. I practice billiards like this 5 days a week. It is the father’s responsibility to take the child to the club or train station at night.
Hongseong Yesan Chenan… Practice billiards 60 kilometers away.
Advantages of a thick bush shot… “I hope to become a player who enjoys billiards.”
Starting this year, I plan to attend Bantong High School to focus on billiards.
Lately, Dad has been hearing a lot from people around him that Yun-do should go to a big city to further develop his billiards skills. This is because there are many talented players in the city. In fact, this is a source of stress for the father.
Enlarge the photo Father Song Young-seop said he hopes Eun-do will become a billiards player who enjoys playing billiards with his teammates and seniors and juniors without fear of losing. Dad and Yondo on the bench. (Photo = Yondo’s father)
Enlarge the photo He first started playing billiards in the 6th grade of elementary school and quickly developed his skills and was able to reach 40 points in 3 years. In the year In 2023, I won three national competitions (middle school) when I was in middle school. The photo was taken in It was Yeon Do who won the ‘Korea Sports Council President’s Cup National Billiards Championship’ held in Yangon, Gangwon-do in 2023. (Photo = Korea Billiards Federation)
However, my father’s choice was Hongseong. Even if Yundo is a future billiards player, I don’t want him to be a good billiards player. I hope to have a long-term relationship with my true friends, with whom I can share my feelings and find joy in life through various activities. So his father Yun-do hopes that he will enjoy not only billiards but also band, soccer and badminton. That’s why I think it’s much better than the big city where I live now. So, when he came home from billiards practice, my father would always ask, “Did you enjoy playing?” he asks.
As a billiards player, Dad knows Yundo’s strengths and weaknesses very well. Trying to understand the characteristics of the ball and find creative solutions is a strength, but keeping calm in difficult moments is something that needs to be improved.
Yoon’s thoughts are similar to his father’s. “I’m very confident with shots that use a good push in the thick, but when the opportunity comes to attack, sometimes I’m afraid of what I might do if I don’t succeed. I’m trying to be as positive as possible.
“I hope to be a player who enjoys playing billiards with his teammates, seniors and juniors, who is not afraid to lose and enjoys the moments of victory and can look around.” Dad said he hopes Yundo becomes a billiards player like that.
Yundo also added, “Even though I am a billiards player by profession, my dream is to be a ‘billiards player who enjoys billiards’.” He said.
‘Billiard Player’ Yoon Do is living the dream in Hongseong. [황국성 MK빌리어드뉴스 기자]
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