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Choi Myung-hoon Wins Go Tournament, His First Title in 26 Years

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean Positive tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Choi Myung-hoon defeated Mok Jin-seok to win the 13th Daejoo Cup.
  • This victory marks Choi's first title in 26 years, since his win at the 5th LG Jeongyu Cup in 2000.
  • Choi won by 1.5 points in 276 moves, earning a prize of 15 million won.

The Hankyoreh reports on a significant moment in the Korean Go world: Choi Myung-hoon's victory at the 13th Daejoo Cup, his first major title in 26 years. This win is particularly poignant as it breaks a long streak of losses against his opponent, Mok Jin-seok, and comes after a surprising wildcard entry into the tournament.

I think the reason I won was that I played with a comfortable mind after being eliminated in the preliminaries and being selected as a wildcard.

— Choi Myung-hoonReflecting on his mindset leading to the victory.

Choi's journey to this championship is a testament to perseverance. Having been eliminated in the preliminary rounds, his selection as a wildcard player proved to be a turning point. He expressed relief and joy, attributing his win to a relaxed mindset, stating, "I think the reason I won was that I played with a comfortable mind after being eliminated in the preliminaries and being selected as a wildcard."

The match itself was a hard-fought battle, with Choi ultimately prevailing by a narrow margin of 1.5 points after 276 moves. This victory not only secures him the 15 million won prize but also holds significant personal meaning, marking his second career title and ending a 19-year losing streak against Mok Jin-seok, whom he had previously lost to six consecutive times.

Although it's not a major tournament, I'm happy to have won after 26 years. I think this victory is meaningful in many ways.

— Choi Myung-hoonExpressing his joy and the significance of the win.

From a South Korean perspective, Go (Baduk) remains a culturally significant game, steeped in tradition and intellectual pursuit. Victories like Choi's are celebrated not just for the skill involved but for the narrative of resilience and the breaking of long-standing challenges. The Hankyoreh's coverage emphasizes these human elements, highlighting the emotional weight of the win for Choi and the broader context of his career resurgence within the Korean Go community.

This win breaks my six-game losing streak against Mok Jin-seok, improving my record against him to 8 wins and 19 losses.

— HankyorehDetailing the head-to-head record between the players.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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