This article is by An Dae-hun and read by an artificial voice.



His success didn't come by chance. The thick calluses between his thumb and index finger, and the hardened palms resembling a pair of worn gloves, tell the story of relentless effort. Seo Sang-jin trains by pulling heavy ropes - each end weighted with 30 kilograms, sometimes up to 100 - to simulate the resistance of an opponent. "It's grueling," he said. "But it's the only way to build real strength for the table."

But behind the champion is a man with an unexpected day job - Seo works as a civil servant for the Gimhae City Government. Since joining in 2003, he has worked in various departments, from parking enforcement to landscaping. After his recent world championship success, his colleagues filled the city's internal message board with praise: "You've made Korea proud," "Our own arm-wrestling king" and "You're amazing!"

Seo's path to professional arm wrestling was far from ordinary. Despite his rugged appearance, he once prepared for the national civil service exam after majoring in environmental studies. He earned scholarships and professional certifications, including an air-quality engineer license. But after a few years, he gave up the exam to pursue what he truly loved - physical training.

"I grew up idolizing Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Sylvester Stallone," he said. "I just couldn't sit still studying all day." Stallone's films "Rocky" and "Over the Top" - about a boxer and an arm wrestler, respectively - deeply inspired him.

Before arm wrestling, Seo boxed competitively at the Gimhae City Boxing Gym. In 2003, he placed third in MBC's Rookie of the Year tournament - at age 33, unusually old for a fighter. "I wanted to try again two years later, but I couldn't because of the age limit," he said. "That's when I turned to arm wrestling."

He began competing in 2007 at the MBC Lunar New Year Armwrestling Championships, at age 37. "Even in high school, when I was just 55 kilograms, I could beat anyone at arm wrestling," he said proudly. "Technique matters, but raw power wins matches."

Seo even designed his own training tools. One is a pinewood handle he carved himself, which he calls Kubi - meaning "neck" in Japanese, but also "to be the best," as he explains. "With Kubi, I can train different angles for techniques like the toproll and hook, even when I'm alone," he said. He uses handles of various thicknesses to mimic facing different opponents.



Seo now aims to compete again next year - not only in the Grandmaster division but also in the open Senior category, where there are no age limits. His confidence is buoyed by his performance in Bulgaria despite limited preparation following a five-year shoulder injury. "If I train hard, I believe I can win," he said with a shy smile.

Seo's dream extends beyond medals. "I want arm wrestling to become an official sport at the Asian Games and eventually the Olympics," he said. "If that happens, I'll be there - winning gold for Korea."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.