![South Korea [KOR]](/assets/images/flags/1x1/kr.svg "South Korea [KOR]"){kind=small}
Jinhwan Kim, widely known by his nickname “ChunBae,” is a professional poker player from South Korea who has become a prominent fixture in the Asian live tournament circuit, particularly in Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
With nearly $200,000 in total live tournament earnings, Jinhwan Kim is a consistent performer who has successfully navigated a wide range of fields in East Asia. His career-best cash of KRW 53,710,000 (~USD 40,384), according to The Hendon Mob, was achieved in March 2024, when he claimed 1st place in the Universal Poker Play (UPP) Blood Hunter Main Event in Gyeongju.
Other significant career highlights include:
- VND 890,600,000 (~USD 33,896) for a 1st-place victory in the High Roller Single Day event at the 2026 Grand Loyal Poker Championships (GLPC III) in Hanoi.
- KRW 4,200,000 (~USD 3,101) for a 5th-place finish in the 2nd KOWSC x PFGT Main Event in Seongnam-si.
- TWD 117,600 (~USD 3,892) for a 6th-place finish in the High Roller Double Stack Turbo at the 2025 Zodiac Series of Poker II in Taipei.
- KRW 2,700,000 (~USD 1,924) for a 9th-place final table appearance at the 2025 Super Cup in Incheon.
Biography & Poker Background
Originally from South Korea, Jinhwan Kim has built a reputation as a highly active “grinder” within the regional Asian circuit. Known frequently by his moniker “ChunBae,” he is a regular face at major festivals including the Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT), the Asian Poker Tour (APT), and various high-profile series across Vietnam and his home country. His ascent in the South Korean All Time Money List, where he currently ranks in the top 200, is the result of a steady accumulation of cashes across both local “main events” and high-roller side events.
Play Style & Strategy
Jinhwan Kim is known for an adaptive and high-pressure tournament strategy, particularly effective in the fast-paced environment of turbo and high-roller formats. His results indicate a strong proficiency in No Limit Hold’em, with a specialized ability to navigate “Single Day” events and high-speed structures where ICM pressure and short-stack mastery are paramount. Kim’s consistency in reaching final tables across different countries demonstrates a versatile tactical approach that exploits the diverse tendencies of the East Asian player pool.
My relationship with cards started thanks to my father. I was still in elementary school when he first taught me how to play Rummy, and I still remember the long evenings spent playing cards with my family. During the poker boom, I was still underage, but the televised tournaments immediately captured my attention. I became fascinated with the game and started learning different poker formats whenever I had the chance. Later in life, as an adult, I was fortunate enough to spend four years playing poker professionally. During that time, I mainly focused on Heads-Up Sit and Go games, where I found the format that suited me best. Even though my professional career was relatively short, poker remains something I’m grateful to have experienced as a major part of my life. Today, I play mostly as a hobby, while writing has become my main focus. That said, my enthusiasm for writing about poker is just as strong as my passion for playing the game once was.
