▲ 2023 Asian Peace Student Baduk Competition

"It was fun to make friends in Yangyang, Korea while playing K-baduk"

The 2023 Asian Peace Student Baduk Competition, which will determine the strongest of Asian students, was held in Yangyang-gun, which is taking off as a global platform base on the 2nd and 3rd.

The competition, the ninth of its kind this year, opened at 2 p.m. on the 2nd at Yangyang-gun Indoor Gymnasium with officials including Kim Jin-ha, Yangyang County Governor, Kang Joon-yeol, Vice Chairman of the Korea Baduk Association, Oh Se-man, chairman of Yangyang-gun Council, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor Jin Jong-ho, and Sokcho Yangyang Education Center Lee Kyu-hyung, and 500 kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students.

The opening ceremony was followed by a welcoming speech by Yangyang County Governor Kim Jin-ha and a large company by Kang Joon-yeol, vice chairman of the Korea Baduk Association, following the opening declaration by Lee Jang-seop, chairman of the Yangyang County Baduk Association, and led by Lim Byung-man, chairman of the referee's committee.

Players from six Asian countries, including Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, participated in the first day of the competition, showing off each other's skills at the stadium in Yangyang-gun.

In particular, children from five Asian countries joined hands of their parents, smiled awkwardly after entering the stadium for a while, and immediately exchanged pleasant greetings with their friends and focused on the match. Parents also cheered for their children in the stands on the second floor.

The second day of the tournament was then held on the 3rd, and participants in each category showed their skills they had honed and prayed for peace by strengthening their friendship through Go.

"It was really nice to come to Korea and see a tour map on the east coast with Go," said a Posh child from Bangkok, Thailand. "I was happy to make memories with my friends and I want to come back if I have a chance."

Hosted by the Yangyang-gun Sports Council and the Yangyang-gun Baduk Association and organized by the Asian Baduk Federation, the Korea Youth Baduk Federation, and the Gangwon-do Baduk Association, the competition competed in eight categories and awarded prizes, prize money, and trophies.

Kim Jin-ha, head of Yangyang County (head of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Mayor and County Council), said, "I hope that the Peace Baduk Competition will serve as an opportunity for Asian students to remember the Republic of Korea, the East Coast of Gangwon State, and Yangyang County, and build friendships with their friends," and welcomed, "We will support children and teenagers growing up in the future with the right values." Representative Jin Jong-ho of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Council said, "We will focus our efforts on supporting various education so that teenagers who participated in the competition can build more peace and friendship with Go."

Those who participated in the 9th Asian Peace Student Baduk Competition held in Yangyang County, the largest ever, arrived at Incheon International Airport on the 1st and moved to Yangyang County to enjoy the view of the east coast by touring major tourist attractions such as Naksansa Temple with their parents on the morning of the 2nd. The Thai team, which had a large team of 17 players from elementary, middle, and high schools, showed off their strong teamwork and showed off their energetic energy.

The 9th Asian Peace Student Baduk Competition, first hosted by Yangyang County, was the first international competition since COVID-19, and was evaluated to have played a major role in revitalizing the local economy. In this regard, it is analyzed that about 500 athletes and parents from six countries, including Korea, stayed in accommodation facilities in Yangyang, including Eulji Human Resources Development Institute and Centummark Hotel, from the 1st to the 4th, and used restaurant streets, driving a total of 500 million won in sales.

Kim Yeon-sik, chairman of the Yangyang-gun Sports Council, said, "This competition is the largest of the international competitions hosted by Yangyang-gun, including COVID-19, and it has been very helpful in revitalizing the off-season local economy, so we will actively promote sports marketing as well as attracting various competitions to build a global platform in the future."

Lee Jang-seop, president of the Yangyang-gun Baduk Association, said, "The 9th Asian Peace Student Baduk Competition spread Gangwon State, the East Coast Seorak area, and our Yangyang-gun, and at the same time, the educational effect of brain development was great for the participating students. We will do our best to increase the brand value of global Yangyang-gun based on continuous attraction of the competition and revitalization of links."