The monthly magazine "Go" of the Korean Chess Academy has played a role in spreading the "gospel" to enthusiasts
The History of Modern Go in Korea - The Transformation and Improvement of the Popular View of Go
After liberation in 1945, the population of Go in Korea was only 2,000 to 3,000 people. Why so few? Go was originally the exclusive property of the idle class and intellectuals, and the Korean Go population started from this foundation, reaching 1 million in the 70s and estimated to be 5 million in the late 80s, and the growth rate was really amazing. The explosive growth of the Go population has its objective reasons, and subjectively it is not achieved overnight, that is, it is impossible to promote this achievement by relying on a momentary effort alone.
The "uselessness" of the game, that is, the "usefulness" of the inherent nature of Go, the reconciliation of skills and arts, and the help of personality cultivation, if it does not conform to the modern society of the 20th century, Go cannot be diffused and grown.
Ultimately, however, it will take generations to work towards it. How did Mr. Zhao Nanzhe and his colleagues bring back the public's prejudice against Go? That is, go is no longer seen as an unpopular "acrobatic" category, but as a "useful" game?
In the October issue of Chess Magazine in 1967, Mr. Zhao Nanzhe wrote the opening of the magazine titled "New Long-cherished Wish for the Future". Mr. Zhao Nanzhe said in the article: "In the more than 20 years since the liberation of 8.15, the population of Go has exploded by three hundred times to reach today's millions, forming a large group. On the question of further popularization, we leave it to the development of nature for the time being. First of all, we must cultivate a veritable Go 'celebrity'. Secondly, the ordinary chess fan's view of Go, or such as the re-understanding of Go, in short, it is necessary to establish a new atmosphere at the spiritual level. ”
That is, Mr. Zhao Nanzhe equated the importance of changing the public view of Go with the cultivation of "celebrities". Mr. Zhao Nanzhe profoundly believes that if the public's understanding of Go is not changed, it is difficult for Weiqi to be further developed. At that time, the biggest obstacle to the spread of Go was the inability to accurately explain "what Go is" to the public. But without the right subject and channel to give the answer, any effort is useless.
Mr. Zhao Nanzhe first clarified the subject who can give the answer, that is, the professional chess player. In 1964, Korean Go was officially divided into professional and amateur, and the professional chess player system was introduced. That is, professional chess players regulate the scope of chess views and Go attitudes, revealing the essential attributes of Go. Channels, on the other hand, chose newspapers. That is, to publish chess scores and Go stories in newspapers.
Korean newspapers have occasionally published Go since the 1950s, while most newspapers have opened up in the 1960s, even the size of tofu blocks. As a "skill and art", Go was accepted as "positive" by the public when it came out of the "Yashe" and was published in newspapers. Newspapers have become the most effective tool for changing the public's understanding of Go. Newspapers, in themselves, are recognized by the public as positive carriers. That is, the public recognizes newspapers as the source of information for the community, with authoritative and legitimate attributes. When Go is published in newspapers, it has public value, and it is recognized as "positive".
In the August 1967 issue of Chess Circle, the content of the symposium "Korean Chess World, Bright Future" was published. The participants spoke fairly specifically about the power of newspapers.
Kwon Hee-chul (Han chinese writer, Korean celebrity war watch reporter): "Daejeon's "Joongdo Daily" is also publishing 'Magic Hand Solution', and the people who send answers also like to participate in the topic of other columns, making the 'Go column' more and more important." ”
Cho Nam-shi (a famous Korean playwright): "Indeed, the Go column gives readers the awareness to participate in the production of newspaper content. Instead of passively reading the newspapers submitted by the postmans, I hope to interact well and exchange opinions, so the proportion of Go in newspapers is getting bigger and bigger. Now, when I don't publish Go for a day, I always feel that the newspaper is missing something. ”
Choi Sang-doo (Financial Professional): "After Korean chess players returned from winning international amateur competitions in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Kim Sung-so held a welcome party at his mansion to entertain, which also shows that the understanding of Go is changing. ”
In short, newspapers provide a platform for readers to sympathize with Go. This kind of "divine intercourse" even produces a better effect than specifically facing the chessboard. Newspapers recommend Go to the public as a public authority, and readers respond to interact with the newspaper. At the same time, the publication of Go in newspapers has improved the identity attributes of professional chess players. Social awareness is the public's positive or negative perception of minorities. "People who take Go as a profession", society's understanding of a small number of "professional chess players", has changed to the extent of being influenced by newspapers.
On the basis of the influence of the newspaper, the establishment of the professional magazine of Go has played an important role. Founded in 1965, Qiyuan, later renamed Chess Circle, is now a magazine called Go, which played a key role in disseminating the "existence of a professional World of Go" to the public.
Words convey "Providence", the teachings of ancestors, while ancient oral traditions were eventually engraved on rocks, and the authority of words is equivalent to heaven. The newspaper and monthly magazine "Go" portrayed the legitimacy of the World of Go. Professional chess players, on the other hand, set an example by showing the public range of chess. At the end of the 1960s, the number of news games in the Korean chess world reached seven, and the circulation of Go magazine also tripled.
Popular perception is actually the "mobilization of bias." The opinion of the masses is always changing, and as long as the understanding is deepened, it will change. In the mid-1970s, Cho's activity in Japan was, of course, well known to the public through newspapers and magazines. The social value of Go, which improved with the change of public perception, spread rapidly. (To be continued)
(Original text RongZhi Lan Lie compiled)