[Stones and Stories] Korea's First Go Car Parade

"Winning the championship has made me respect my teacher even more."

On September 6, 1989, a young-faced Go player continued a broadcast interview amid a welcoming crowd at Gimpo Airport. The protagonist was Lee Changho. Lee Changho, who would later become the world's strongest Go player, was inspired by his teacher. That teacher is Cho Hunhyun, the living legend of Korean Go.

That day, Gimpo Airport was overflowing with people celebrating Cho Hunhyun's triumphant return. His victory at the 1st Ing Chang-ki Cup World Go Championship was seen not only as a major event in the Go community but also as a national celebration. It was the first car parade in the history of Korean Go.

9-dan Cho Hunhyun held a car parade from Gimpo Airport to the Korea Baduk Association in Jongno 2-ga, Seoul, after winning the 1st Ing Chang-ki Cup World Baduk Championship on September 6, 1989.
[Photo by Korea Baduk Association]

Cho Hunhyun rode in a convertible from Gimpo Airport to the Korea Baduk Association in Jongno 2-ga, Seoul. Interestingly, the car parade that day produced what is now known as a legendary "snapshot." Cho Hunhyun, dressed in a suit and holding a bouquet, rode in a convertible adorned with a banner. The banner displayed the characters "Hwan" at the beginning and "Young" at the end, with the phrase "Well done, Cho Hunhyun" in the middle.

However, the photo taken by the press only showed part of the banner. Only the characters from "Hwan" to "Well done" were captured in the photo. This resulted in an awkward combination of words next to Cho Hunhyun's smiling face, reading "Hwan Janghada" ("Hwan Well done"). Thanks to this amusing mishap, the car parade became even more memorable and further cemented the Ing Cup victory in people's minds.

The Ing Cup was established by Ing Chang-ki, a Taiwanese tycoon, who offered a prize of $400,000?a world-class sum at the time. Held every four years, it earned the nickname "the Olympics of Go."

Ing Chang-ki may have hoped for Chinese or Taiwanese players to excel, but in the early years, Korean players dominated. From the 1st to the 4th tournament, Korean players swept the championships.

China finally claimed the Ing Cup in 2005 through Chang Hao, a 9-dan player. Since then, Chinese players have maintained their dominance. Korea has not won the Ing Cup since Choi Cheolhan's victory in 2009.

On August 23, at the Sunke Pavilion in Changning District, Shanghai, China, Shin Jinseo, who defeated China's strong player Xie Ke in the second game of the best-of-three final of the 9th Ing Cup World Go Championship, is posing with the trophy.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ing Cup faced a series of complications and was unable to crown a champion for seven years after 2016. The 9th tournament was scheduled to begin in April 2020, but due to the direct impact of COVID-19, the main tournament only started online five months later. By January 2021, the finalists were determined, but the final match was postponed indefinitely, reflecting the organizers' desire for an in-person match.

The champion was finally decided three years after the tournament began, on August 23 of this year. In the final of the 9th Ing Cup held at the Sunke Pavilion in Changning District, Shanghai, China, Xie Ke, a 9-dan player representing China, was unable to overcome Korea's Shin Jinseo, a 9-dan player.

Shin Jinseo brought the Ing Cup trophy back to Korea, but the domestic response was different from that of 1989. The significance of the victory has been reduced to merely a celebratory event within the Go community. Despite Shin Jinseo's remarkable achievement, which deserves full recognition and praise, it is questionable whether he is receiving the honor he deserves.

Cho Hunhyun's victory in 1989 served as motivation for the young Lee Changho to become the world's strongest player. The latest Ing Cup victory can do the same. It is an excellent opportunity to inspire young aspiring Go players who dream of becoming the next Shin Jinseo. The problem is that the excitement over the Ing Cup victory has faded too quickly. This is all the more regrettable, as it reflects the current status of Korean Go.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.