SOUTH KOREA 12th May 2010

The SCAE’s Korean chapter now has four champions to represent the country at the London World Championships, thanks to very popular contests held in Seoul in late March, National Coordinator Song Lee reports.

In all, 63 baristas competed for the Korean national championships (barista, latte art and Cezve/Ibrik), while 84 cuppers took part in the Cup Tasters Championship.

At the end of the championships, Jae-Hyuk Ahn (pictured) was the Korean Barista champion, and will represent Korea in the World Barista Championship. He will be joined in London by Hyun-Sun Choi, who took first place in the Latte Art Championship, by Dae-Ung Kim, who was the winner of the Cezve/Ibrik Championship, and by Kyeong Jin, the Korean Cup Tasters champion.

The competitions were run using the Aurelia 2GR machine, and the Mahlkönig K302S grinder.

The host organisation and superintendent for the event was the Korea Coffee Education Society. Song Lee was chairman of the Championship Committee, and the head judges were Sung-Il Choi and Hoon-Song.