[Stones and Stories] "Gatekeeper of Iron" Nie Weiping, 9-dan

The "Gatekeeper of Iron" has passed away. This refers to Chinese professional Go player Nie Weiping, 9-dan. For Korean Go fans, he is more familiar as Seob Wi-pyeong.

On January 18, sorrow and regret filled the funeral hall in Beijing, China. It was a time to prepare for a farewell to an era. Legends of Go came to bid him farewell. Nie Weiping's friend of 50 years, Cho Hunhyun, 9-dan, was also present. "Let’s meet again in the next life and play another game of Go," Cho Hunhyun said in an interview with Chinese media, unable to hide his complicated feelings.

Nie Weiping was one of the players who symbolized the golden age of global Go in the 1980s. In China, he was honored with the title "Qisheng" (Master of Go) and treated as a hero. In particular, his 11 consecutive victories in the China-Japan Super Go Series remain legendary to this day.

The final match of the 1st Ing Cup is an unforgettable memory for us as well. After a fierce battle, Cho Hunhyun defeated Nie Weiping and brought victory to Korea. It was a space where joy and lament coexisted. Joy was fleeting, and the result was merely a single piece of the story. The movements of the players’ hands, the sound of the stones, and the subtle tremble at the corner of the eye all held stories within them.

In this way, Go records connections. The silent conversation of hands transcends the barriers of time and space, linking people together. It even overcomes ideological walls. The harmony of black and white stones holds the hope of coexistence. In the moment when one is captivated by the paradoxical stillness and dynamism of Go, a new path in life unfolds before one’s eyes. By surrendering to the flow of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, one gains the leisure to reflect on life. The composure to face results with detachment is also cultivated. That is why the absence of someone who shared this subtle beauty with the world feels so painful.

Every era eventually comes to an end. Like the changing seasons, spring follows winter. In this way, another era begins. Even as the great figures of Go depart, they leave behind new growth. Perhaps they wanted to say that disappearance is not the end, but a process of continuation. Nie Weiping dedicated himself to nurturing the next generation to lead the revival of Go. Outstanding players such as Chang Hao, 9-dan, and Gu Li, 9-dan, who represent China, grew up under his guidance.

The lessons of Go are reflected in our politics as well. Only those who embrace the philosophy of continuity can truly walk with their era. The more a politician has experienced the support of the public, the more they must prepare for tomorrow from their position of leadership. The more one tries to cling to power, the more it slips away. The sweetness that power emits is nothing more than a passing breeze. You may hold it for a moment, but you can never keep it forever.

Only when one knows how to share the weight of power does a new path in life open up. How beautiful it is to devote oneself to nurturing someone who will carry on one’s political philosophy. If only politicians would set aside their desire to retain control and instead empower new growth to flourish, but the reality of our politics remains disappointing.

Since 2000, there have been seven general elections, with around 2,000 new members of the National Assembly earning their badges. How many of them remain in the public’s memory? Most simply feel the weight of the National Assembly badge for a brief moment before quietly disappearing.

Obsessed with maintaining power, politicians inevitably find their steps growing heavier. When hesitation in making decisions becomes a pattern, they drift further from the flow of the times. In the space of a politician forgotten by the public, only hollow wishes linger.