Sixteen rising stars who are expected to invigorate the Korean Go scene have officially started their professional journeys, following a joint induction ceremony.

On September 1, the Korea Baduk Association held its official certification event for its newest cohort of professional players at its headquarters on Majang-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The ceremony celebrated the 16 individuals who successfully passed the recent pro test, officially recognizing them as certified professionals for 2025.

The event saw the attendance of 12 male players—Kang Kyung-hyun, Kim Dan-yoo, Kim Dong-wook, Kim Dong-han, Kim Sang-young, Kim Si-hwang, Park Dae-hyun, Park Jong-wook, Park Tae-jun, Song Min-hyuk, Yoo Shin-seong, and Lim Ji-ho—as well as two female players, Lee Woo-joo and Jeon Yoo-jin.

Lee Nam-kyung and Choi Min-seo, who are currently competing in the 8th Wu Qingyuan Cup World Women’s Go Tournament in China, are set to receive their certificates at a later date.

Yang Jae-ho, Secretary General of the Korea Baduk Association, encouraged the new inductees, stating, "I hope you will achieve the goals you set for yourself with the confidence that you can accomplish anything in your Go career going forward."

With the addition of these 16 new professionals, the total number of certified Go players under the Korea Baduk Association has risen to 448, comprising 359 men and 89 women.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News