Japanese Media Column: "Sad History, Korea Is So Dear"
"Risking Lives to Play" 1986 Wheelchair Powerhouse Famous
Cho Chikun 9-dan (68), who holds the record for the most titles (76) in the history of Japanese Go and is called the "living legend" of the Japanese Go world, has revealed the reason why he has maintained his Korean nationality despite numerous offers to naturalize, drawing attention.
In a recent column titled "My Resume" serialized in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Cho 9-dan confessed, "Korea, which bore a sad history among the great powers, is so dear to me that I never felt like changing my nationality." He added, "My late wife and children all have Japanese nationality," and said, "It might have been natural for me to naturalize as well," but expressed these feelings.
Although affiliated with the Nihon Ki-in, Cho 9-dan has maintained his Korean nationality and has consistently been active under his Korean name. Born in Busan in 1956, he went to Japan to study Go at the age of six, and in 1968, at age 11, he became the youngest male professional Go player to join the Nihon Ki-in. Since then, he has made history in Japanese Go by setting records such as the most titles won and the most official match victories in the history of the Nihon Ki-in.
He said, "I was advised to naturalize several times by the Nihon Ki-in and others I was involved with." At the same time, he expressed "gratitude to Japan, which gave me honor and wealth," and stated that the grave where he will be buried after his death will be in Japan. However, he added, "When I die, I would appreciate it if a piece of my bone could be scattered in the sea in front of my hometown, Busan."
Previously, the Japanese government awarded Cho 9-dan the Purple Ribbon Medal (紫綬褒章) in 2019, an honor given to those who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in academic, research, or artistic fields. At that time, he expressed, "I felt special emotions," and said, "If this encourages Koreans living in Japan, I would be happy."
Cho Chikun 9-dan is known as a Go player best described by the term "fighting spirit." The 1986 "wheelchair match" is known as a symbolic game in Cho 9-dan's Go career. Despite suffering serious injuries requiring three months of recovery from a traffic accident, he appeared at the match in a wheelchair. His words at the time, "I will play with my life on the line," are still remembered.
Having achieved 1,600 wins last year, Cho 9-dan is said to continue his active career steadily. In a recent interview with the Asahi Shimbun, he said, "I still study Go every day. Losing miserably in a match is painful," but also added, "I think that the absence of painful times might itself be the real pain."
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