Ryu, who had a big hand in Korea entering the team event final, was just too good for China's Tang Peng in the boys singles semi-finals. The margin -- 21-18 21-15 17-21 21-14 -- was not a true reflection of the sway he held over his opponent. In the other semifinal, Wang Hao out-duelled his Chinese teammate Hao Shuai 21-12 16-21 21-16 21-17.

The girls final will be an all-China affair with fourth seeded Li Quang Bing winning a four-game duel against unseeded Taipei girl Pan Li Chun 21-18 15-21 21-16 21-16. In the other semifinal, eighth seeded Zhang Feng dropped a game before beating her compatriot Chen Qing 21-19, 21-19, 16-21, 21-19.

SEUNG ON SONG: Like all Asians he is sharp in the third ball attack and is athome playing close and away from the table. He relishes those quick counters and some of the blinders were a little faster for the eyes to keep track.

Time to meet the new kid on the block, Korea's top-ranked player. His coach Ko Soo Bae is confident that he is World champion material. That is an unenviable position to be in, for South Korea is still to produce a men's World champion. Their best has been the Asian Games gold won by You Nan Ku at Seoul in '88.

At 17, Seung has beaten Kim Tek Soon, the current Asian champion, ranked seventh in the World, and World No 46 Ho Sang Hu in the National championship back home.

Results
Boys singles (QF): Ryu Seung Min (Kor) bt Wen Chih Msuan (Taipei) 21-13, 21-18, 22-20; Tang Pen (Chn) bt Kim Jung Hoon (Kor) 21-18, 21-10, 26-24; Wang Hao (Chn) bt Kishikawa Issei (Jpn) 21-17, 21-11, 21-8; Hao Shuai (Chn) bt Kawaguchi Tsutomu (Jpn) 23-21, 22-20, 21-8.
Girls singles (QF): Zhang Fang (Chn) bt Fujinuma Ai (Jpn) 21-19, 21-12, 21-15; ChenQing (Chn) bt Poulomi Ghatak (Ind) 21-13, 21-3, 21-19; Li Qang Bing (Chn) bt Hiura Reiko (Jpn) 21-19, 21-19, 21-17; Pan Li Chun (Taipei) bt Mouma Das (Ind) 21-10, 21-13, 21-15.