The “2026 World Young Barista Championship (WYBC) Korea National Selection,” hosted by the Acts29 Foundation and the Asia Speciality Coffee Association (ASCA), was successfully held from June 4 to 7 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
The event was organised to discover young and teenage baristas who will lead the future of the coffee industry and to select the national representatives of South Korea to compete on the world stage.
It drew passionate attention from contestants from all over the country, domestic and international coffee experts, judges, organisers, sponsors, and visitors.
In particular, this competition was praised as a meaningful stage that went beyond a simple technical contest to support the growth and challenging spirit of young baristas, discovering next-generation leaders who will guide the global coffee industry.
In the Youth Division (Young Adults), Song Yun-geon took the championship title, receiving high praise for outstanding technical skills, stable performance management, and excellent expressiveness.
He was followed by Choi Seung-hyeok in second place and Yoo Yeo-na in third place.
In the Teenage Division, Kim Do-hee was crowned champion after showcasing immense potential and a highly polished performance. Gong Ji-hyo secured second place, and Jang Su-hyeon finished third.
Alongside the national selection, the event operated as a large-scale coffee festival looking into the future of the domestic coffee industry.
It simultaneously hosted various events, including the Master of Unplugged, the Vietnam World Latte Art Korea National Selection, and the World Young Barista Championship Teenage Competition.
Over the four-day event, numerous coffee professionals participated to share the values of competition, networking, education, and growth.
Despite the fierce competition, the contestants cheered each other on, displaying a healthy future for coffee culture.
Paul Bae, Chairman of ASCA and the Acts29 Foundation, stated in his closing remarks: “This competition was not just an event to pick winners, but a place to discover the dreams and potential of young baristas.
Every single competitor who poured their heart out on stage is a champion, and their spirit of challenge is the greatest hope brightening the future of the coffee industry.”
He added, “We will continue to support more youth and teenagers to challenge themselves on the world stage, and we aim to grow the World Young Barista Championship into an international platform that nurtures global coffee talent.”
The competition’s organising committee expressed gratitude to the judges, committee members, sponsors, and partner organisations who dedicated themselves to the success of the event.
They stated that they will continue to contribute to cultivating international-level coffee talent through fair and professional competition management.
Meanwhile, the World Young Barista Championship (WYBC) is an international coffee competition platform established to provide opportunities for growth and challenge to young baristas around the world.
It supports the dreams and visions of youth through coffee while contributing to the development of global coffee culture.
Song Yun-geon, who was selected through this Korean national trial, will represent South Korea at the World Young Barista Championship to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 14 at Resorts World Awana’s signature event—Coffee In The Clouds 2.0.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which successfully gathered renowned coffee brands, car clubs, and pilates studios into one vibrant lifestyle festival that welcomed over 3,000 visitors to Resorts World Awana, this year’s edition is set to be even bigger and truly international.
With KiS Coffee Co. as the official Event Organiser, and iMedia Asia as the Co-Organiser and Official Media Partner for Malaysia, the championship will headline an expanded festival featuring a massive international coffee bazaar, family-oriented activities like breathtaking hot air balloon rides, a full-day marketplace showcasing local and international coffee vendors, rejuvenating pilates sessions, and much more.
On this spectacular global stage, Song will compete against top baristas from around the world.
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