Intro

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Shin Sang-cheol, Chairman of Korea Amateur Baduk Association, also known as KABA. KABA is the only Baduk-related organization that has an exclusive right to negotiate with international sports organizations such as the International Go Federation, which is in charge of Korean Baduk.

At this time of a year, we have hosted the annual Korea Prime Minister Cup International Amateur Baduk Championship, inviting top Baduk players around the world. They have shown great performance and exchanged friendship in this championship. This year, we are celebrating the 11th championship.

This championship is becoming more and more internationalized. This time, we have players from 57 countries, which is more than last year. As you know, there are tensions around the world due to conflicts among countries pursuing their own interest. Against this backdrop, what we are doing here, sharing conversations on Baduk and building friendship, is a great thing that can bring peace to the world

This year’s championship is more meaningful as it is being held in Buan County. As you know, Buan is the hometown of the legendary Korean Baduk player, Cho Nam-cheol. The county is also a beautiful place for sightseeing with Byeonsanbando National Park. It is also famous for good-quality salt. Speaking of salt, Buan has a professional female Baduk team called ‘Buan Gomso Salt Team’.

Allow me to thank you, to the mayor of Buan Kim Jong-gyu, for your love and support for Baduk.

I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone here including players, participants, and staff members. Thank you very much.

It is very good to see Baduk players from all over the world gathering here. First of all, let me express my congratulation on the opening of the 11th Korea Prime Minister Cup International Amateur Baduk Championship here in Buan, the root of Korean Baduk.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to Chairman Kim Jung-haeng of the Korean Olympic Committee, Chairman Shin Sang-cheol of the Korea Amateur Baduk Association, and everyone who worked hard to make this competition possible so that this county can host such a big competition and international Baduk festival.

This province, Jeollabuk-do, is the birthplace of Korean Baduk, where the pioneer of Korean Baduk, Cho Nam-cheol, and 'God of Baduk' Lee Chang-ho were born. Even now, many young children with great potential are growing to be Baduk players and many amateur players are contributing to growth and popularization of Baduk. The province and Buan-gun will continue to make efforts so that the county will keep its reputation and pride as the Mecca of Korean Baduk.

In March, the world paid attention to the match between artificial intelligence AlphaGo and professional Baduk player Lee Se-dol. The victory went to AlphaGo, but we all were inspired by Lee's fighting spirit, bravery, constant efforts, and indomitable will. Baduk is a great sport that requires high concentration and intelligence and a great way to sharpen your mind. I hope that more and more people in the world learn about Baduk and enjoy it and that this competition will contribute to popularization of Baduk.

Dear participants of this competition, I hope that you will display your abilities to the fullest and make great games with sportsmanship. Let me once again thank everyone who made this competition possible. I wish you good luck. Thank you.

Respected baduk players from all over the world!

I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on the opening of the 11th Korea Prime Minister Cup International Amateur Baduk Championship in Buan-Gun, and I welcome all the participants from both Korea and abroad.

Baduk was an ancient oriental culture that has since transformed into a sport that is enjoyed by the world at present. The match between Korea's Lee Sedol and AlphaGo early this year has not only increased the interest of mind sports amongst the citizens of Korea, but also helped to further develop the sport of Baduk.

Baduk has become an official sport of the 2016 National Sports Festival in Korea, and I believe that this will help to increase the number of participants for Baduk in the near future. This tournament will also be a good opportunity to help increase the status of the sport within Korea.

This is the 11th time that the Korea Prime Minister Cup is being held, and it is the battlefield in which the world's top amateur players will compete with one another, contributing to the further development of Baduk. Participants from 57 different countries and territories have attended this event, in their quest to become the next world champion. I have no doubt that this tournament will provide thrilling matches for Korean Baduk fans, whilst promoting the game to the general public.

It is my hope that all the participants will stay safe and healthy during the whole tournament period, and display their best skills in the spirit of fair play whilst creating new bonds of friendship and memories. I also hope that the participants from abroad can get to experience the Korean traditional culture. Moreover, I hope you will all have a chance to explore Buan-Gun, which is a traditional city with a dynamic atmosphere.

Once again, congratulations on the grand opening of the 11th KPMC, and I would like to extend my appreciation to Mr. Sangcheol Shin, President of the Korea Amateur Baduk Association, and all his team members for their hard work and effort in making this event a success.

I wish for the good health and well-being of all the participants. Thank you.

Distinguished players, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, On the occasion of the 11th Korea Prime Minister Cup International Amateur Baduk Championship, I wish to express my unparalleled delight to meet with the representatives and players. On behalf of the Asian Go Federation, I would also like to extend my warm greetings and welcome to the players who traveled all the way from the countries and territories around the world. It is my particular pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations on the successful opening of this championship.

It is widely known that over 100 million people enjoy Baduk in 75 countries across the globe. While the original birthplace of Baduk is Asia, it is fair to say that Baduk is more popular in Europe and the Americas in terms of the number of countries where it is played. The Asian Go Federation, of which I am the President, was founded in 2006 and now has 14 member countries and territories. In 2013, the AGF organized and supervised the Baduk sector of the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Incheon. The ongoing mission of the AGF is to spread Baduk to the entire Asian continent.

While Baduk is similar to warfare, it is a game that fundamentally deals with intelligent capacity. Many world famous figures have enjoyed Baduk. There is a scene in the movie “A Beautiful Mind” that the genius mathematician John Nash playing Baduk. Bill Gates of Microsoft once stated that his childhood dream had been to become a professional Baduk player. The duel between AlphaGo representing artificial intelligence and Lee Se-dol on behalf of human beings has recently drawn public attention. Although Mr. Lee was defeated, a new challenge will soon begin.

This 11th Korea Prime Minister Cup International Amateur Baduk Championship will constitute a significant event fostering international goodwill, friendship, and better communication. I sincerely wish all the contestants the best of luck. I would like to express as well my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have made this championship happen. Thank you.