Nongshim Launches 'Baeksansu Cup Senior World Baduk Championship'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Legends who once dominated the world of Go will face off on the board this October. Nongshim announced on the 26th that it will establish a senior international Go team competition following the Shin Ramyun Cup World Baduk Championship, a Korea-China-Japan national team event. The tournament, named the ‘Baeksansu Cup Senior World Baduk Championship,’ is a global competition for professional players aged 50 and above. A big match featuring living legends of the Go world such as Korea’s Cho Hunhyun, China’s Ma Xiaochun, and Japan’s Yoda Norimoto is expected to draw the attention of Go fans worldwide.

The Baeksansu Cup Senior World Baduk Championship will open on October 12 in Beijing, China, coinciding with the opening schedule of the 22nd Shin Ramyun Cup Baduk Tournament (October 12?16). Senior national team professional players from Korea, China, and Japan, selected through each country’s qualifying process, will compete for the championship through the first round in Beijing (opening) and the second round in Busan (final). The tournament will follow the same format as the existing Shin Ramyun Cup, which features a series of consecutive wins alternating between Korea and China. The total prize money for the championship is 180 million KRW, with a consecutive win prize of 5 million KRW. However, if the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues, the tournament’s inauguration may be postponed to the end of the year or next year.

Nongshim stated, “We have prepared this legend match to support the Go community, which has been struggling due to COVID-19, and to offer memories and inspiration to Go enthusiasts worldwide. Through this tournament, we aim to open another ‘Renaissance era’ for world Go.”

Particular attention is expected to focus on the historic showdown among Korea’s national champion ‘Cho Hunhyun 9-dan,’ Japan’s pride in Go ‘Yoda Norimoto 9-dan,’ and China’s Go legend ‘Ma Xiaochun 9-dan.’ It will be intriguing to see if their still-sharp skills from their prime days can be confirmed through this Go battle among the three nations.

Nongshim chose ‘Baeksansu’ as the tournament title to actively promote its new growth engine, the Baeksansu business. Since the Shin Ramyun Cup Baduk Tournament is considered a masterstroke for Nongshim’s business in China, the Baeksansu Cup is also expected to be a great opportunity to introduce Baeksansu to overseas markets, including China. During the Shin Ramyun Cup, Nongshim promotes the Shin Ramyun brand to 1.4 billion Chinese consumers through venue interior decoration, product displays, tasting events, and TV broadcasts.