It was not until 2021, ten years after turning pro, that she was finally able to keep a KLPGA card. But she still was not one of the better players on tour, finishing between 29th and 40th on the money list the next few years. During this early period, her biggest fan was her father, but he died young and since then she has dedicated her golf career to him.

Finally in 2024, So Hyun Bae had the breakthrough she had been waiting for. She acheived a top five in April at the Mediheal, but her first win came the following month at the E1 Charity Open. She ended up in a final round battle with Carrie Park, who was also looking for her first win, but though Park took an early advantage, she had four straight bogies on the back nine, allowing Bae to win thanks to two late birdies. Bae was 31 years old before getting her first career win, a rare feat indeed!

She was not done. She won twice more in 2024, finishing 9th on the money list with 817 million won earned. She had 8 top tens on the season.