[Voices of the MZ Generation Column] Life and the Power of Connections as Seen in the Movie "Seungbu"

In an Era Where Self-Reliance is the Norm
Good Connections Often Bring Conflict
But Ultimately Create a Valuable Life

Recently, the movie "Seungbu," which depicts the lives of Go players Cho Hunhyun and Lee Changho, was released. As many people know, the two had a master-disciple relationship. At the time, Cho Hunhyun, an absolute master holding the world’s strongest title, took Lee Changho into his household as a live-in disciple. Surprisingly, Lee Changho defeated his master Cho Hunhyun while still in his teens and became the world’s top Go player, becoming a monumental figure in Go history. "Seungbu" sharply reveals the inner conflicts the two must have experienced at the moment when Lee Changho, taken into the household, ultimately surpasses his master.

The film contains not only a simple Go story but also various life lessons worth reflecting on. In particular, it emphasizes that Go is a "battle with oneself" and mentions three enemies that ruin Go, which correspond to points to be cautious about in life. These are recklessness, complacency, and impatience.

In today’s era, where there is great interest in financial investment, these can also be seen as cautions in investing. By guarding against recklessness, complacency, and impatience, having one’s own principles, following one’s own pace, and living with a calm attitude is wisdom not only necessary for Go but for life in general.

In the movie, Cho Hunhyun says that "physical strength" is key to this. He takes Lee Changho along to exercise and hike together as an important training process. One might think Go is just sitting and using the mind, but this part shows that physical strength is as important as in other sports. Physical strength is also important in life. Whether doing one’s work, living each day with joy, or trying to love properly, one often realizes that physical strength is essential.

Following the importance of solid physical strength and inner self, what the movie made me think about most deeply was the importance of "in-yeon" (fateful connections). Perhaps Lee Changho could have become the world’s top Go player even if he had not met Cho Hunhyun. However, it is also highly likely that he would not have, for various reasons. If you search the world, there are probably many "Go prodigies" like Lee Changho. But many of them will end their lives as farmers, office workers, or soldiers in countries with no connection to Go before entering the path of Go. We do not know what talents hidden inside us remain unexpressed.

Lee Changho’s becoming a world-class Go player was partly due to his talent, but the "power of in-yeon" in meeting an exquisitely good master cannot be ignored. Meeting a good master is comparable to encountering a noble person in martial arts stories. However, most people do not meet such good masters. Likewise, not every master is a good master to all disciples. The compatibility between master and disciple is so perfect it can be called divine luck, and when that happens, history is made. But few people receive such divine luck.

Nevertheless, we must remain open to the connections that can change our lives. In an increasingly lonely era, self-reliance and disconnection from others have become common sense. However, a small connection can cause a great ripple, changing both my life and the other person’s life in ways we cannot know. Of course, forming connections is not easy. Even Cho Hunhyun and Lee Changho experienced many inner conflicts within their precious connection. Yet, in the end, good connections create valuable lives and make history. The connections before us can also be such.

Jung Jiwoo, Lawyer & Cultural Critic