KBS Baduk King

The KBS Baduk King, broadcast by KBS (Korea's national public broadcaster), was South Korea's premier televised Go tournament, running from January 1980 to March 2023. Designed for the studio, it used rapid time controls that produced fast, dramatic games for a broadcast audience. The tournament achieved legendary status in 1988 when a thirteen-year-old Lee Changho won the 8th edition, becoming the youngest Korean title-holder ever. For more than four decades it was the country's answer to Japan's NHK Cup, instrumental in popularizing professional Go with Korean television audiences before the 41st edition closed out the series.