Koryo Group Chairman Go Yeong-man Defeats 9-dan Cho Ki-han in a Stunning Upset... The Go World in Shock
An unprecedented upset has rocked the Go world. Go Yeong-man, the 76-year-old Chairman of the Koryo Group and an honorary 6-dan amateur player, defeated 31-year-old professional 9-dan Cho Ki-han in a handicapped match, achieving a stunning victory after 137 moves.
This match was more than just a friendly game. If Chairman Go Yeong-man won, he would be officially recognized as a professional Go player by the Korean Go Association, while 9-dan Cho Ki-han stood to earn a substantial victory bonus of 2 billion won. This was a high-stakes game with no room for either side to hold back.
Given that 9-dan Cho Ki-han was undoubtedly playing with his utmost skill, the shock of this result has been even greater. Known as a legend in the Go world with seven international championships to his name, no one expected him to lose.
After the match, 9-dan Cho remarked, “I suppose I may have let my guard down a bit, thinking I was up against an amateur,” but he also admitted, “It’s clear that the Chairman’s skill level is on par with a professional player.”
(abridged)
Experts in the Go world expressed disbelief over the outcome, with one commenting, “It was like watching Master Han Gyeong-young at his prime through Chairman Go Yeong-man’s moves.” Another added, “It’s undeniable skill.” The President of the Korean Go Association shared his thoughts, saying, “This is an impressive example of new life being breathed into the Go community.”
Meanwhile, conspiracy theories have started circulating on Go community boards, suggesting, “Chairman Go Yeong-man must have used illegal Go AI,” or “He must be possessed by the spirit of the Go King.” People have claimed that it’s impossible for an amateur to defeat a professional, sparking suspicions that he may have used some form of cheating. The police have initiated an investigation into these claims. Go Yeong-man’s representatives dismissed these rumors as groundless and issued a warning, stating they would take appropriate measures against anyone spreading false information.
Reporter Kim Hyeong-min, Pyongyang Daily
November 3rd, Tuesday.
The world was buzzing.
The reason was none other than our Chairman, Go Yeong-man.
It was only natural, given the shocking incident where an amateur defeated a 9-dan professional player.
“Our Chairman is truly impressive, stirring up the entire country over Go.”
Even people who don’t know much about Go have a vague idea of the massive skill gap between professionals and amateurs. The shock of this story was spreading even more because of this understanding. It was even featured on the main news, which says a lot.
“But what’s this about him being possessed by a ghost?”
Astute observation.
“Seriously, talking about that without concern for their life? This is South Korea, a country with defamation laws that punish even factual statements. Where do they think they are?”
And their opponent is none other than Chairman Go Yeong-man... This is beyond anything I could handle. Farewell.
While I offered my respects to the unknown commenter, Soo-ah approached me.
“Master, here are the secretary candidates from Prestige. I did a preliminary selection, but I thought you’d prefer to personally choose the team leaders.”
“Oh.”
The secretarial staff to be assigned to Prestige would number about a hundred. Of course, that means a hundred secretaries, not counting the numerous assistants working under them who would handle the practical tasks.
“There are four team leaders, right?”
“Yes. Each for Protocol, Security, Strategy, and Operations. Each team has one team leader and two deputy leaders. Protocol standards require one team leader to always stay by your side.”
“...The names all sound similar. What’s the difference?”
“Protocol is—”
“No, no. I wasn’t really asking, just talking to myself.”
Soo-ah closed her mouth again and folded her hands and legs neatly. Her crossed legs caught my eye today.
‘...I should prepare a spot for our Ah-ram (the female protagonist) too.’
“Leave the Protocol Team leader position vacant for now. I’ll assign Seo Ah-ram to it after her training.”
“Yes.”
“As for the rest...”
I went through each file one by one, carefully reviewing them. Every candidate was highly qualified, with strong resumes, attractive looks, and ideal physiques, making it all the more important to be thorough.
For the two deputy leaders under the Protocol Team, I chose two tall, model-like women with long legs. For the Security Team leader and deputies, I selected candidates with muscular, healthy brown skin. For the Strategy and Operations Teams, I prioritized skills and assigned the candidates accordingly.
It wasn’t especially meaningful; I just wanted to pick based on their images.
“Alright, go with this.”
“Yes.”
“The entire secretarial staff is one hundred, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Hm... So the team should be complete by this Saturday?”
“Most likely, yes.”
“Then let’s visit Prestige headquarters on Saturday. We’ll check in on Ah-ram’s progress, reward the secretaries a bit too. Put together an envelope with cash: 3,000 for team leaders, 2,000 for deputy leaders, and 1,000 each for the regular secretaries.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Give 500 each to the staff under them.”
“Yes.”
Loyalty, after all, is bought with money. Throwing out cash from the start makes them recognize, ‘Ah, this is my master,’ and they bow their heads accordingly.
“How far along is the artificial island?”
“It’s nearly there, currently near Baengnyeong Island.”
“Oh... then we can start planning the prison site acquisition and construction, right?”
“Yes. There might be a minor delay transferring the ownership to a special correctional entity, but it shouldn’t be a major issue.”
The prison project is finally falling into place. Now we just need to get it approved.
“When the island arrives, call in the engineers, get their advice, and draft the prison construction plan.”
“Yes, Master.”
“As soon as the plan’s complete, submit it for review and start construction without waiting for approval. It’ll get approved anyway.”
Would they really have the guts not to approve it? Especially knowing who’s behind it?
“Let’s talk with Koryo Militaris and Koryo Medical in advance about setting up on the island. Those two companies need to be there if we’re going to freely utilize the inmates.”
“Then perhaps adding a chemical unit would be wise?”
“Good point. Once the secretary team is established, discuss it with them and create a strategy.”
“Yes.”
Now, let’s see where we’re at with...
“How much land have we acquired for the Namdong Complex?”
“...Apologies, we’re still identifying the landowners.”
“In your opinion, how much will it cost to purchase all of it?”
Previously, I’d been briefed that it would cost roughly 28 billion won, based on 1 million won per pyeong, which seemed like an absurd amount.
“Honestly, would 10 billion even be necessary? The land is essentially worthless wasteland, and to utilize it, we’ll have to evict the squatters currently occupying it. Anything above that would be too much...”
“Hmm.”
My goal is to purchase all the land in the Namdong Complex, then negotiate with Namdong District for various benefits and support. But discussing this with the district would inevitably cause word to leak out. Landowners would then likely seize the opportunity to raise prices.
Therefore, I need to secure all the land before negotiating with Namdong District. Muyeol Financial’s review is expected to take about two months, so ideally, we’ll wrap this up by then.
‘Maybe I should trust Soo-ah with this.’
She has a lot on her plate, but things should get easier once the secretary team is in place.
Soo-ah is my first and most trusted asset, not to mention my first experience, so I should treat her accordingly. And by “treat,” I mean financially compensate her.
‘It’s been almost three months since we met; maybe it’s time for a big reward.’
If I just hand it over, as Min-ji once warned, she might get spoiled. I don’t want that.
“Chief Lim Soo-ah.”
“Yes, yes?”
She straightened up at the unfamiliar title.
“The budget you suggested—10 billion. Make it work within that.”
“....”
“And as soon as possible.”
“A-All right.”
She stammered a bit. She hadn’t expected I’d approve that budget so readily.
“If you manage to spend less than that, you can keep the difference.”
“!!!”
“I don’t care about the methods. Just bring me all the land deeds for the Namdong Complex.”
“A-Are you serious, Master?”
“Are you doubting me?”
“No, no, I’m sorry! I’ll give it my best!!”
“Start next week. We’ve still got things to finish this week. Begin in earnest once the secretarial team is up and running.”
“Yes!!”
Her reply was lively. She seemed confident.
‘Since I told her not to hold back... maybe she’ll just kill and take it?’
Thinking back to when she’d cleanly dispatched a prosecutor without hesitation and her readiness to eliminate her team if necessary, it wouldn’t be surprising if she did just that. Show up, kill the owner without haggling, and bring back the deeds with a thumbprint.
Of course, normally, such actions would cause an uproar. Only an entity like Koryo Group could pull something like that off.
“Have you tracked the Nokonoko Girls’ movements?”
“Yes, everything’s ready.”
“Good. So... tonight, then?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“I won’t disappoint you, Master.”
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After a grueling schedule, the members of Nokonoko Girls slumped into the van, completely exhausted. Nearly a month of intense work had drained even these young, energetic girls.
“I’m so tired...”
“I feel like I’m dying...”
“I just want to sleep for five hours straight...”
Although they were close friends who often gossiped about various topics, lately, even their conversations had waned. Resting, or even just grabbing a minute of sleep, had become more important.
But there was one topic they couldn’t ignore.
“So... is this really the last week?”
At this blunt question from a member in the gyaru style, the others raised their heads.
“Our families are so happy right now... Honestly, leaving for the States now just doesn’t feel right...”
Her tone was hesitant, but the meaning was clear.
She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay and keep riding this wave.
It made sense. The success they were experiencing might never come again in their lives. Was it really right to abandon it all and run?
Even if they debuted in the U.S., language barriers, cultural tastes, and various other challenges would await. There was certainly no guarantee of the same level of success.
“Couldn’t we just... you know, offer ourselves up and keep going here?”