Myung-Wan Kim 9P

  "I knew if I stayed around long enough, something like this would happen." This is what was written on Bernard Shaw's epitaph, and also it means something to me. Maybe it's too late to say that ¡®America has to be the center' because it has been 4 years and 7 months for me to stay in America since I came here in June 2008 to promote Go.
  The first time I came to America, I wasn't sure how to effectively promote Go overseas. After thinking about it for a long time, I got an idea, but I didn't think to organize my thoughts and write them down. I kept putting it off, and now I finally decided to write my opinions. I strongly hope that it will cause you to think about the real purpose of promoting Go overseas, and that it will be a trigger to develop a strategy in the long term.

  There are many reasons why America should be the center for foreign countries to promote Go. First of all, ROI (Return on investment) would be the best in America. Nothing is for free, and also promoting Go overseas is kind of like an investment, so it should provide returns later. Korea could benefit by foreign companies promoting Go, by foreign students studying Go in Korea, or by the introduction of Korean culture through the promotion of Go. Actually, my desire is to see major companies like Microsoft and Google hold Go tournaments in my lifetime.

  Secondly, Go is such a bridgehead for communication and exchange in America. Nowadays, the importance of communication is being magnified. Companies invest in better communication with customers and governments do it for communication with citizens. I don't believe there is a better tool for communication than Go as a common language between different countries. Things like languages and race aren't obstacles to communicate through Go. Just one Go board can break down barriers of race and culture. America has already been actively exchanging communications with Korea, and there are many Korean residents in America. However, communication is not enough and they are separated from the main society. So, I anticipate that from now on, Go would help various people communicate and unite each other. 

  Lastly, the environment is the best. For promoting Go overseas, we need to choose a primary country because we cannot promote Go worldwide with our limited budget. Like a properly brought-up daughter is worth ten sons, we should succeed in at least one country. The population of America is over 300 million citizens. People who learn Go in America have high standards of living, and if they play very well, they can get advantages when entering universities. It's really hard to find a better country than America that has such a good environment and prospects to promote Go.  

  Now then, let me tell you what I think the truth is about promoting Go oversea.  Do you know why KBA (Korean Baduk Association) has started to send Go instructors overseas. One reason is because the Korean Go community had a sense of crisis. The population and popularly of Go diminished, and so did the scale of Go tournaments. There were additional factors to make KBA feel a sense of crisis, and finally KBA decided to look for a solution by promoting Go overseas to extend the market.

              
  Support from the Korean Government is also another reason that caused KBA decide to promote Go overseas. There are many sports which enhance the prestige of Korea, but it's needless to say that Go is one of the best sports to expose Korea to the world. MCST (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) has supported KBA to promote Go overseas by letting the world know Korean culture and attracting foreigners to get interested in Korea.
  The last reason is because of KBA's active attitude. By sending Go instructors overseas, and supporting Go products, KBA has aided in promoting go. And so has KABA (Korean Amateur Baduk Association).

              
  The start of promoting Go overseas was smooth. A bond of cooperation – the support of the Korean Government and KBA's participation, seemed to fit very well, but there were still many big problems. Inexperience! Manpower shortage! Lack of preparation! 
  They just sent instructors overseas without solving communication problems in the field. To promote Go overseas, we need to establish a long-term plan. Actually, just one-time events are ineffective except in some special cases. Of course, it's not easy to promote Go overseas staying for only a few years, but we need to select and develop Go instructors who are able to communicate in the field.

              
  As a result, since 5 years ago when KBA started to promote Go overseas till now, I can say we got bad grades. It's true that our start was not good. However, we should research the way and purpose of promoting Go to do better even now.
  There was a tournament named ¡®Hyundai Car Cup Kisei'. Even though they used ¡®Kisei' which is very meaningful and a good name, the scale of the event was too small. And after 2007, support from Hyundai stopped and the event disappeared. Currently, Hyundai officially sponsors NBA (National Basketball Association) and NFL (National Football League) so much that we cannot even imagine the amount.

             
  Of course, we cannot blame Hyundai. NBA and NFL have a huge market and advertising effect is really good. However in the case of Go, there is no advertising as effective as that in the NBA and NFL. Also, the market for Go is very small. We cannot blame the companies because their sponsorship for Go would not reap them very much benefits.

  So, the conclusion is that Go community needs to find a new market itself. Since Korea is too small to do anything more than it has done, we have to look overseas. And America has to be the center. If Hyundai was satisfied with just the Korean market, they couldn't be a world-class company. And no one would doubt America has the most potential in the world.

             
  GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of California, where I have lived, is ranked No.8 in the world, and it's twice as much as Korea. Of course, we should not judge it only by national competitiveness. We need to weigh how much benefits we would get by increasing a foreign population of Go. For that, America is also the best. Economy, culture, art, politics, education, sightseeing, etc; Korea is the country which seems to have the most such exchanges with Korea.  Even some American students of mine went to Korea for the purpose of studying Go.

  This year, one of the first American Go professionals, Gansheng Shi, is going to go to Korea to train with Korean Go professionals. Tygem of Korea sponsored an AGA-(America Go Association) Pro Qualification Tournament last year, and several Japanese and Taiwanese companies have also sponsored American Go tournaments. But actually, this is nothing compared to the potential America could provide.

  In America, any sports that people become interested in can grow rapidly when promoted in the media. Since various people and cultures coexist, people enjoy unusual sports like cliff diving a lot. Go can also be successful. What if an American becomes like Lee Sedol, who is No.1 in the world? The ripple effect would be huge. The most important necessity of promoting Go overseas is to increase the population of Go players and to extend the market for Go. For these investment purposes, we really have to focus on America.

              
  However, I am not saying that we promote Go only for investment. Go has some unique qualities. Especially, playing Go is a most useful way that people can communicate with each other just through a game. And the country where we need this tool the most is America.

  Actually, race segregation is a very serious problem in America. Even Korean immigrants who have lived for a long time in America cannot break through the racial barrier. There is not much opportunity for socializing with different races for them. Difference of cultures and languages, neighborhoods, schools and even churches are contributing factors of race segregation. If it is like this even in America, it seems like it's not possible to communicate with Korea, which is far away from America.

               
  I strongly believe that Go can solve the problem of communication which can be found in America.  Go is a game to use the brain. And it is not necessary to say anything while playing, so all people can enjoy it regardless of age, sex, race or language. If there is just a Go board, we can play it anywhere. In reality, among 500 participants who come to US Go Congress which is held every year, the percentage of Western and Eastern is almost half and half. Men and women of all ages come together to play Go. It is hard for men and women of all ages to enjoy playing together in ball games like Basketball, Baseball, Soccer etc, besides, there are only few static sports.

  Chess and Poker are similar with Go, but Go is much more elegant and interesting. The champion of Chess in the world is a computer, and Poker is meaningless if there is no money at stake. It's as if other brain sports cannot even hold a candle to Go, which the oldest game still is played in its original form. Then, how much are American's interest in Go compared to immigrants? It is very weak yet, but to me, it seems hopeful.  

               
   Last April, a rather large news article on Go was reported in the LA Times. It was about a young Go player named Curtis Tang, and also about the introduction of the Professional Go system of America and the first Pro Qualification Tournament in LA. It might seem like nothing, but it was the first ever news about Go in the LA Times. When Barack Obama, the president of The USA, visited China, he brought a Go board as a gift. And Henry Kissinger, the 56th Secretary of State, mentioned on CNN that America has to learn Go. Doesn't it show you prospects?

              
  Maybe you may ask me "why does it have to be America if your purpose is only for communication and exchange?" Of course, there could be other choices, but the biggest country where various races and Western and Eastern exist together is America. And, one very important factor is that for communication through Go, Koreans have to be included. If it's only for them, we don't need to do something. If the purpose is to promote Korea through Go, eventually it must be connected with Koreans.

  I feel a little bit awkward to keep admiring America even though I live in America. But, I still have many things to say. As long as I have started this, I should see it through.
  In order to promote Go, the environment and conditions in America are the best. There already have been so many volunteers promoting Go spontaneously in 250 different schools.                         The US Go Congress also is managed by only volunteers. Volunteer work is the strongest power and culture moving America, and it must be a great strength for promoting Go. 

  It's also a good thing that there are many elite among people like Go. Recently a Boston University did a study to show the harmful effects of playing computer games compared to playing brain games like Go.  ACGA (American Collegiate Go Association) is producing a Go documentary to promote Go.

  Three American professors who were also Nobel Prize winners -- John Nash, Sheldon Glashow, and Albert Einstein, each enjoyed Go very much. In fact, Einstein was given an honorary Dan Certificate. These factors could help in promoting Go. American colleges give priority to diversity, so being good at Go can be an advantage to enter college.

              
  The first Go professional players of America, Andy Liu and Gansheng Shi, are students of New York University and Toronto University, which are among some of the best universities. Michael Chen  works on Wall Street after graduating from Princeton University also said that Go helped him enter the university, so he wants to help promote Go. Matthew Burrall and Cherry Shen whom I taught have entered UC Berkeley and Wellesley University respectively. And in their applications for admission, they emphasized that they were strong Go players. In addition, most students who play Go very well entered have entered prestigious universities. 

   
  In my experience, 80% of Chinese Americans have their children learn go to give a university and added incentive to grant their child admission.  This is a big advantage. In addition, American children don't need to spend time for learning English, so they have more time and reason to learn Go.

  Speaking of the environment for promoting Go in America, I cannot skip the importance of the pro system which started last year. Whatever the sport, it's hard to develop without a pro system. Stars appear through pro systems, so that the field can prosper. Because Cho, Hunhyeon; Lee, Changho; and Lee, Sedol; were born in Korea, Korean Go has been able to develop until now. From now on, it would be very hard to establish a Go pro system in other western countries except America, and that is the most important reason why America has to be focused on the most.

  I am not saying that we should not promote Go in other countries even though I am saying America has to be the first priority. For example, Vietnam is not a good country to invest in, and the environment for promoting Go also does not look good. However, the exchange between Korea and Vietnam is brisk, and several Go tournaments are made by Lee, Ganguk's efforts. If it was not for Go, there would not be an opportunity for Korean companies and Vietnamese students to communicate with each other. He let Vietnamese know about Korea and promoted a connection of Korean community using the good advantages of Go. I pay tribute to Lee's effort. In that sense, how to promote and the target are as necessary as where to promote.

  Now, promoting Go overseas must not be just teaching Go to foreigners. And we should not just depend on support of the Korean Government and the KBA. In order to promote Go properly and to increase the market for Go, we have to approach with a right sense of direction and effective way. The how to promote and what I hope to accomplish -- I hope to talk about later.