[Opinion] Korean Baduk at the Center of the World

(Note: Baduk is a chess-like game, also known as Go.)

The Chinese baduk magazine “Wigichunji” recently interviewed Lee Chang-ho ninth-dan. When asked the question, “Who is a genius in the world of baduk?” Lee answered, “First is the teacher Woochingwian, and then the teacher Cho Hoon-hyun.” The magazine then asked, “Don’t you deserve to be on the list after being the world’s number-one player for 10 years?” He answered, “I am a hard worker.” During a baduk game commentary, Cho Hoon-hyun ninth dan recalled Lee when Lee was his pupil. “I could hear baduk stones being laid out all night long from his room. How difficult must it have been for a lonely elementary student to study baduk far away from home? Sometimes, the sound of baduk stones would stop after midnight, and when I opened the door I could see him sleeping with his head on the baduk-pan.”

Five years ago, when unbeatable women baduk player Lui Nai-wei, ninth dan, and her baduk-player husband left China and were wandering, Japanese women baduk players refused to let her play in Japan, because they were afraid she would win all the prize money. However, the Korean teenage rookie women baduk players persuaded men to let Lui play so the women could improve their abilities by playing against her. Hence, the Lui couple settled in Korea. Two years later, Korean women players overcame Lui and recovered the Korean Women’s Baduk Title, and moved on to become the world’s top players.

How difficult is it to become a professional baduk player in Korea? Teenager Park Young-hoon, who won the Fujitsu World Baduk Title, became a pro after failing eight times. Korean baduk became the strongest in the world through such tales of competition, challenge and assiduity.

Do you know what a great achievement is it to beat Japan, which claims to be the sacred place of baduk, and China, which has a population of 1.3 billion? If Korea’s economy only did half as well as its baduk players, wouldn’t Korea’s per-capita GDP already be over $50,000?

Now, let’s suppose the government wants to “evenly develop” Korean baduk. It would establish the Ministry of Baduk and name a politician as its head. The players would create a union and strike, demanding the participation of the union in the Baduk Association management and the withdrawal of Korean troops planned to be deployed to Iraq. The Research Student League, the minor league for players who want to become pros, will be abolished, because it ranks and divides players, while scholarships and special-entrance opportunities will be awarded to poor players, rather than outstanding players. In addition, for balanced regional development, the Korean Baduk Association will be moved to Choongbuk, Jincheon, and the chance to become a pro and advance a dan will be distributed evenly to regions. If this does actually happen, five years from now, will not Korea’s baduk be relegated to some dark corner of the world?

Guest Editorialist Kim Young-bong, Choongang University Professor of Economics kimyb@cau.ac.kr