[Stones and Stories] No Stone on the Go Board Is Meaningless

The history of a single game of Go is rich and profound. Looking back on the path taken, there are brilliant moves that turn the tide and decisive plays that secure victory, but there are also moves that leave behind regret and disappointment. Once the game ends, the stones left on the board are evaluated from a different perspective.

However, the situation at the final destination does not reveal everything. In a world of binary outcomes, much remains unseen. Someone will win, and someone will lose, but if we focus only on the result, the story becomes one-dimensional. It becomes difficult to truly grasp the breath of dramatic stories comparable to history itself. Only those who can properly reflect on the journey can embrace the meaning of these hidden stories.

No stone placed on the Go board is meaningless.

Even a stone that seems insignificant on the board may once have served as part of a defensive wall or provided the clue for a decisive move. To become a true master, one must be able to recognize the contribution of such stones. This is something both the winner and the loser must remember. When you think only from your own perspective, your vision narrows. You end up missing the 'moment of connection' that should never be forgotten.

Just as reviewing a game of Go requires a period of reflection, how much more should this be the case for a presidential election? Even as the world becomes consumed by the election results, celebrating or despairing, someone must strive to embrace the countless stories and the breath of millions, even tens of millions, of people woven into those results. We must consider what led them to make such choices...

There are countless unnamed supporters who, with earnestness, tried to add even one more vote, and who traveled tirelessly to reach voters. Only by reading the meaning of such earnestness can we truly understand the intentions behind the people's choice. It is through this process that one can truly feel the weight of history and be reborn as a genuine leader.

On the day after the 21st presidential election, June 4, Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, visited the stage set up in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, after his victory was confirmed. After delivering his victory acceptance speech, he greeted his wife, Kim Hye Kyung. 2025.6.4 Photo by Kim Hyun Min

It takes time to read the stories of the people's hearts. Wishing to finish quickly does not make it so. In fact, the longer the period of tempering, the more deeply one can internalize the stories of the people. Only by going through such a process can one develop the character to persevere until the day the people's aspirations are realized, without easily falling into despair or giving up.

Observers, too, must learn to wait through this period of tempering. If you hastily judge or evaluate based on a single action or word, it becomes difficult to truly understand the sincerity of those striving to grasp the breath of these stories.

In this sense, the winner, the loser, and even the observers may each be facing their own new game after the match has ended. The harmony of the stones, each placed with its own story, weaves yet another precious history, like the warp and weft of a tapestry.