'Go World War' Nongshim Cup to Kick Off in Qingdao, China on the 3rd... Korea Aims for 6th Consecutive Title

Shin Jin-seo, Park Jung-hwan, Kang Dong-yun, An Sung-joon, and Lee Ji-hyun to Represent Korea at the Nongshim Spicy Ramen Cup

Kim Jong-soo, Kim Young-hwan, Yoo Chang-hyuk, and Cho Hun-hyun to Compete in the 'Senior World War' Baek-san-soo Cup

South Korea's national team for the 27th Nongshim Spicy Ramen Cup. From left: Shin Jin-seo, Park Jung-hwan, Kang Dong-yun, An Sung-joon, and Lee Ji-hyun (9-dans). [Courtesy of Korea Baduk Association. Resale and DB prohibited]

The "Go World War" Nongshim Cup, where South Korea, China, and Japan face off in a battle of national pride on the board, is set to begin its 27th tournament.

The 27th Nongshim Spicy Ramen Cup World Go Championship will hold a grand opening ceremony in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, on the 2nd, followed by the first stage (Rounds 1–4) from the 3rd to the 6th.

The second stage (Rounds 5–9) will take place in Busan from November 21–25, and the third stage (Rounds 10–14), where the final champion will be crowned, is scheduled for February 2–6 of next year in Shanghai, China.

Representing Korea in this tournament are undisputed No. 1 ranked Shin Jin-seo (25, 9-dan), along with Park Jung-hwan (32, 2nd), Kang Dong-yun (36, 3rd), Lee Ji-hyun (32, 5th), and An Sung-joon (33, 6th).

Although regular world-stage competitors Shin Min-jun (4th) and Byun Sang-il (8th) are not on the roster, Korea is aiming for a record-breaking 6th consecutive win in this year's Nongshim Cup.

South Korea, which achieved 5 consecutive victories at the 26th Nongshim Spicy Ramen Cup. [Courtesy of Korea Baduk Association. Resale and DB prohibited]

Fueled by the brilliant performance of "iron gate" anchor Shin Jin-seo, Korea has won five years in a row, from the 22nd to the 26th tournaments.

As the final runner for Korea, Shin Jin-seo spearheaded a come-from-behind victory in the 22nd tournament with five consecutive wins, followed by four wins in the 23rd, one win in the 24th, and an unprecedented six-game winning streak to close out the 25th tournament.

Shin Jin-seo also secured Korea's 5th consecutive title in the 26th tournament with two final victories.

With world-class titan Shin Jin-seo defending the gate once again, Korea is aiming for an all-time record of six consecutive championships.

A 6-year winning streak in the Nongshim Cup was previously achieved by the South Korean national team led by Lee Chang-ho (9-dan) during the first through sixth tournaments.

Furthermore, attention is focused on whether Shin Jin-seo, who currently holds an 18-game winning streak following his two initial losses in the tournament, will surpass Lee Chang-ho (19 total wins) and break the record for most career wins (21) currently held by China's Fan Tingyu (9-dan).

Shin Jin-seo (9-dan), currently on an 18-game winning streak in the Nongshim Cup. [Courtesy of Korea Baduk Association. Resale and DB prohibited]

China, competing against Korea, is determined to take revenge with a powerful lineup including Ding Hao, Wang Xinghao, Yang Kaiwen, Tan Xiao, and Li Qincheng (9-dans).

Japan's team is led by the 10th Ing Cup champion, Ryo Ichiriki (9-dan), alongside Yuta Iyama, Toramaru Shibano, and Kyo Kagen (9-dans), as well as Kotaro Fukuoka (7-dan).

The 3rd Nongshim Baek-san-soo Cup, a "Senior Go World War," will also be held in Qingdao.

Hoping to reclaim the championship, Korea has assembled a team consisting of Yoo Chang-hyuk (9-dan, by ranking seed), Kim Jong-soo and Kim Young-hwan (9-dans, through domestic qualifiers), and Cho Hun-hyun (9-dan, wildcard).

Domestic qualifiers for the 3rd Nongshim Baek-san-soo Cup. [Courtesy of Korea Baduk Association. Resale and DB prohibited]

China will field Liu Xiaoguang, Cao Dayuan, Rui Naiwei, and Yu Bin (9-dans), while Japan will feature Koichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Yamashiro, Norimoto Yoda, and Hironari Nakano (9-dans).

The winner's prize for the Nongshim Spicy Ramen Cup is 500 million KRW, while the winner's prize for the Nongshim Baek-san-soo Cup is 180 million KRW.

There is no prize money for the second and third place teams.

Any player who achieves three consecutive wins in the Spicy Ramen Cup receives a bonus of 10 million KRW.

For every additional win thereafter, the player receives an extra 10 million KRW.

The consecutive win bonus for the Baek-san-soo Cup is 5 million KRW.