[Sudam (手談)] Nongshim Cup Korean Baduk... Shin Jinseo to Create 'Reply 1988 Miracle'

The October forecast for Korean Baduk is clear skies followed by clouds. When the Korean team won the gold medal in the men's Baduk team event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games at the Chinese Go Institute on the 3rd, it was a festive atmosphere. However, the situation reversed completely in just half a month. This is due to the sad news from China.

Korean 9-dan Byeon Sang-il lost by half a point with white after 246 moves to Chinese 9-dan Xie Erhao in the third match of the main round of the 25th Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup World Baduk Championship on the 19th. Unable to overcome the pressure of the byo-yomi, it ended in a disappointing defeat. Byeon Sang-il is Korea's leading player who won a major world title by winning the Chunlan Cup in July, making this result all the more regrettable.

Korea had already suffered a loss when 8-dan Seol Hyeon-jun was defeated by resignation in the first match of the main round, and then Byeon Sang-il also fell. Korea’s early slump in this tournament feels unusual. The Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup features five players each from Korea, China, and Japan competing in a win-streak format to determine the champion country.

On the 3rd, at the Zhejiang branch of the Chinese Weiqi Association in China, Shin Jinseo of Korea is playing against Yang Dingxin of China in the men's team final of the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games Go competition.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Until now, the Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup has been virtually Korea’s exclusive stage. The record of fifteen overall championships proves this. The winners of the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th tournaments were all Korea.

However, in the 25th tournament, two of Korea’s five players have already been eliminated. Now only three remain: 9-dan Won Seong-jin, 9-dan Park Jeong-hwan, and 9-dan Shin Jin-seo. It is true that Korea had a somewhat shaky start, but it is still too early to be discouraged. The possibility of a comeback victory remains.

In fact, Korea experienced a similar situation in the 10th Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup held in 2008-2009, where two players were eliminated early but Korea ultimately won the championship. 8-dan Kang Dong-yoon changed the momentum with a 5-1 record. 9-dan Lee Sedol secured the victory with two wins. Kang Dong-yoon, who played third for Korea at that time, was the hero of the comeback victory.

The third Korean player in the 25th Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup is Won Seong-jin. He will compete in the fifth match of the main round on the 30th of next month. If Won Seong-jin secures the first win, Korea will create an opportunity for a turnaround. Of course, the situation is not easy. Competitors such as China and Japan are sharpening their blades in this tournament. China sees this as a chance to wash away the humiliation of the Asian Games. Japan is also filled with dreams of reclaiming the Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup after nearly 20 years.

What is Korea’s comeback card against China and Japan? The two ironclad gatekeepers waiting behind Won Seong-jin: Park Jeong-hwan, ranked 2nd in the world by the Baduk statistics site ‘Go Ratings,’ and Shin Jin-seo, ranked 1st. If the worst-case scenario occurs where Park Jeong-hwan falls after Won Seong-jin, all the pressure will fall on Shin Jin-seo.

Four of Korea’s five players may be eliminated early, but the final championship could still be won by Korea?a comeback story. Doesn’t this scene look familiar? It is a famous scene from the drama “Reply 1988,” based on a true story. In the so-called “Shanghai Battle” of the 6th Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup (2004-2005), 9-dan Lee Chang-ho accomplished that difficult feat.

At that time, the world’s strongest Lee Chang-ho was in Korea; now, Shin Jin-seo is by our side. Shin Jin-seo is recognized as the strongest player in the world Baduk community. It is said that he has the skill to recreate the “Second Lee Chang-ho” legend. The reason the Shanghai Battle became a drama subject is because it was an inspiring story that made the impossible possible.

Because Shin Jin-seo remains, Korea is still a strong favorite to win the 25th Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup.