Korea National Cup Champion: Malaysia's Lee Wee Liew

Malaysia’s Lee Wee Liew has done it. A regular on the Asian Poker Tour, Liew has made numerous deep runs and final-table appearances on the circuit, and previously claimed an APT title at APT Manila in the ₱50,000 Short Deck - Triple Chance 6 Max, earning a Baby Lion Trophy.

Now, after battling through a total field of 474 entries (262 unique) in the Korea National Cup, with KRW 358,344,000 (~USD 264,460) up for grabs, Liew has claimed his second APT title and a Silver Lion Silhouette Trophy at A Les Casino, Jeju Shinhwa World, taking home KRW 70,334,000 (~USD 51,900), the second-largest score of his career.

Zhiyi Wang of China made a strong effort to chip away at Liew’s colossal stack in hopes of winning the Korea National Cup at the same venue for a second time. However, with Liew holding an almost 4:1 chip lead, the deficit proved difficult to overcome.

Wang ultimately settled for runner-up honors and KRW 44,250,000 (~USD 32,655), while his compatriot Furui Wang secured third place and KRW 31,690,000 (~USD 23,390).

Final Table Results

A Breakthrough Worth the Weight

For Lee Wee Liew, the Korea National Cup victory was more than just another tournament win. Still visibly elated after lifting the trophy, the Malaysian described the result as a breakthrough moment in his APT journey.

“I won a small trophy back when I played in a smaller tournament, but this one feels like my true breakthrough.” Liew said. “This is my first trophy from a mid-sized event. Everything I won before was from smaller side events. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, even more than the previous one. It feels super cool, though it’s surprisingly heavy!”

Liew entered the final table as the chip leader, but he admitted he didn’t feel his advantage was as commanding as it may have appeared. As the final table unfolded, however, his momentum continued to build.

Liew Enjoying the Moment

One hand in particular stood out to him: eliminating two player with quads. “It felt amazing!” he recalled. That wasn’t the only memorable moment of the tournament. On Day 1, Liew had also hit a royal flush, giving him the feeling that everything was finally coming together.

Waiting for him heads-up was Zhiyi Wang, who was chasing a second consecutive Korea National Cup title. Liew, however, was unaware of Wang’s previous victory when they entered the final duel. “I actually didn’t know that, but I’m glad I stopped him from getting his second consecutive title!” he said. “He played very solidly and didn’t make many mistakes.”

With the biggest title of his APT career secured, Liew was quick to look beyond the trophy and credit the people who helped him get there. He saved his final words for his friends and coaches who guided his development, taught him how to play, and continued to encourage him as they watched his progress.

Liew with Friends

“I’d like to express my gratitude. I want to thank my friends and my coach who guided me, taught me how to play, and kept inspiring me as they saw my progress. They motivated me to work even harder and keep learning. Thank you so much to all my friends and coaches! Thank you, everyone!”

Reaching the Final Table

Out of the total field of 474 entries (262 unique), 67 players returned to the felt today, all guaranteed a minimum cash prize of KRW 1,380,000 (USD 1,020). It only took four hours before the field was whittled down to just 16 players. Liew was already near the top of the chip counts and continued to strengthen his position, bulldozing his way through the field.

Kevin Moon

With quite a number of short stacks in the field, it only took an hour for the bubble to burst with American Kevin Moon being the unfortunate player to fall short of the final nine. His pocket eights were cracked by Furui Wang's ace-king, sending Wang into the final table with the third-largest stack.

The Road to the Lion

Once the final table was reached, it took just an hour for the tournament to reach its conclusion.

Coming into the final table as one of the shorter stacks, China’s Huang Hongbiao was the first to hit the rail. His pocket sevens were cracked by fellow Chinese player Furui Wang, who paired his ace-eight offsuit on the river. Hongbiao collected KRW 6,370,000 (~USD 4,700) for his ninth-place finish.

He was soon followed by China’s Hongkun Wang, who attempted to steal the blinds from the button with ten-seven offsuit. Liew called from the small blind, holding ace-ten and dominated Wang. Hongkun Wang was outkicked and took home KRW 8,040,000 (~USD 5,935) for eighth place.

Gary Moon

The double elimination of American Gary Moon and Bo Edengren further propelled Liew into the lead. Liew’s pocket nines caught quads on the flop giving neither Edengren nor Moon a chance. This hand cemented Liew's commanding chip lead making it a milestone to his victory. Edengren and Moon collected KRW 15,320,000 (~USD 11,300) and KRW 11,530,000 (~USD 8,510), finishing in seventh and six place, respectively.

Waking up with pocket fives, the Malaysian champion three-bet China’s Zu You Wang’s raise, forcing the Chinese player to shove with ace-ten offsuit. Unable to connect with the board, Zu You Wang was eliminated in fifth place, taking home KRW 19,610,000 (~USD 14,470).

Zu You Wang in Fifth Place

China’s Bei Shi, short-stacked and holding seven-four offsuit, was forced to make a move. Liew’s ace-high was enough to send Shi to the rail in fourth place for KRW 24,960,000 (~USD 18,420).

With 61% of the chips in play, there was little left for Lee Wee Liew to do. Liew announced all-in with nine-six suited. Holding ace-four suited, Furui Wang made the call for his tournament life.

Liew caught a pair on the flop and held from there, sending Furui Wang to the rail in third place. It was still the second-largest cash of Furui Wang’s career, earning him KRW 31,690,000 (~USD 23,390).

Third Place Furui Wang

And just like that only two players were left.

After several limped pots and chips changing hands, Zhiyi Wang finally chose his spot. Holding king-six, he moved all-in, and Liew called with pocket threes. None of Wang’s overcards arrived and Liew’s pocket pair held to secure the title. Wang took home KRW 44,250,000 (~USD 32,655) for runner-up, his second-largest career cash.

Breakthrough Win for Liew

With that, the Korea National Cup found a new champion in Lee Wee Liew, adding another chapter to his APT record and a new name to the event’s list of champions.

Congratulations to all the players.

Stay tuned for more live updates as APT Jeju 2026 continues with more thrilling poker events.