Starting at 9 years old is very late for professional players! You must be very talented and passionate 👍

I am really excited and looking forward to the continued story of how you progressed as a Go player after becoming a pro at 17. It would be great to hear more about how you first started earning money as a professional go player. The Go student insei is essentially a completely foreign concept in the US, and nothing quite like it exists for a board game here, it amazes me how so many students try to dedicate their lives to the game so early on. In the world of chess, only the top few players in the world can ever hope to make a living playing the game. Can you describe in more detail how most professional go players make a living, is it mostly teaching the game of Go, or is it possible for quite a few players to live off of tournament income? Thank you!

I was very anxious that boyfriend story ended with you pushing him from the rooftop xD glad it went well

I think you could have had any boy you want regardless of whether or not you became a professional, Yeonwoo.

Thanks for sharing, beautiful story! So difficult to become pro! Kids, sleep more at night though :'D

Incredible story, thanks for sharing!

This is becoming my favorite KZfaq channel. Thank you for sharing.

You are my favorit pro player now! Hope i can become good too one day, at the moment im only 1kyu-1dan -.- Hope to fine more time someday to play more!

Thank you for the story, it really makes pro-baduk players more human. In my mind, to be pro you need to be a super talented robot who just eat sleep baduk. :)

This is so emotional. My plan was to study Lee-Sedol's games for the rest of the day, but I think now I will have to just cry myself to sleep. The story of the sacrifices Yeonwoo made really touched me deep within my Baduk playing soul.

Beautiful narration and beautiful story

Did you know that 1 dislike is? Your boy Friend hahaha

You could choose any boy, he said.

Thanks for sharing!

When we see your chirpy voice, fun nature, and implausibly young looks (you still look 15!) it is fascinating to learn how massively hard you studied. Very few in the West would apply themselves as you did, as you were expected to. I am duly impressed.

Thank you for sharing! Early life is fearless. Your dedication is awesome, inspiring for those wanting to shape their life.

Very nice story, glad to see a lot of hard studying was rewarded with a pro career :) I've seen the story that Haylee made 3 years ago on how she became pro, it was similar in the sense you both lost in the final game once and had to study one more year to reach your goal, good on you for not quitting!

I really enjoy this video, because you're so funny!

Thanks for coming to Singapore as well!

you are an inspiration :)

Ouu, so touching story😭 It's so brave to make such a difficult life decisions especially if you are a kid. I have enjoy to learning English lately. Besides GO is my favourite game. There are the reasons why your videos interest and helpful so much for me)) Thank you for your strong fun energy.))

Nice!

Speech level: quite fine

Now I know how to become a go pro! Watch out go world 🤠

Just left South Korea :( I had a lot of fun learning under Blackie and Diana :D Good luck on your future games, and thank you for the amazing videos.

No Boys + No Soccer + Lots of Crying + Shaved Head = Pro Baduk Player Got it.

Great story, thank you for sharing ! Would love to have your thoughts on how to study pro games effectively when you obviously can't underdstand every move they make.

I watched the video again: great, touching story! I wonder: do you improve once you are a professional? I guess, to do so, or even only maintaining your level, would mean to go on studying very hard, still, I can imagine other obligations take your time too.

Thanks for your videos! Any chance you would explain how to play (against) two-space pincer from komoku (3-4, 6-4)? Now many player use it, but not so many (including me) know how to counter that: how properly aproach, react to kick and reduce it. Thanks!

Inspirational story. Have you already been contacted by Hollywood? It was almost painful to hear about your childhood absorbing smoke and staying with go board for hours. Admirable dedication to your goal! Also impressed how your parents allowed to drop the school. Did you ask them what they thought that moment, years after?

I really appreciate your willingness to teach Go for benefit of others in KZfaq. This particular video is useful for me as it satisfies my curiosity regarding how an insei studies Go. However, I have some questions that I would like to ask: How many hours did you spend on Life and Death problems everyday? If so, how many problems did you normally answer?

Wow, interesting. Can you show sometime some examples of non joseki playing style?

Do you have any kifu from before you became pro? Would be cool to see you review one of your old games :]

i am from zurich but visited seoul for a business trip ... went there to a baduk place in a park (old men sitting outside and played with them and enjoyed the atmosphere a lot) ... i asked myself if this one could have been the same.

Thank you for sharing your very interesting story. Maybe it's rude of me, but since you said "quitted" many times, I will go ahead and mention that the past tense of "quit" is "quit." :) Please forgive me if you already knew this.

Shaving hair will make you more focus, but making your others not focus. :'))

Sounds like the chances to become a pro is as good as winning in lottery. But the start fee is way higher. How many new pros (men/women) are there per year? And what do people do, who "just" became insei or not even that, but still studied their whole days in youth without any school degrees?

Meanwhile in the west, it takes like 4-5 years of study just to reach 1Dan amateur, if you're lucky.. I don;t understand how this is possible.. :( Guess I gotta shave my head..

When will you come to the US Go Congress?

Hi, Yeongwoo, one question. I am basically bald, am I automatically stronger? xD

Thx for sharing, very interesting! It´s good that you persevered to reach your goal. One question: can you tell us how strong you were at the various stages of your journey? (for example estimate in EGF or Tygem rank)

You wanted to be like Go Seigen?

I am nearly 16 but I want to be professional in europe. Do you think it’s possible?

A girl has priorities...

How are your first boyfriend doing? Do you contact with him? ^^

I think it was odd that your teacher asked you to break up with your boyfriend. "you can get any guy when you're a pro" hah. Yes but you won't know they love you for you then :( whereas the sweet guy probably did. Priorities are hard to establish.

I just watched how Haylee became a professional Go player and noticed name of her second opponent "Yeanwoo". Is this the game with you? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sL6TbMp3v67TZZs.html

It is too difficult to be pro.

Thanks for sharing !