Therefore, the Hansung Baduk Association was established in November, 1945. Its initial aims were the following:
First, to abolish Sunjang Baduk and to promote modern Baduk.
Second, to form a central Baduk organization like Japan's Baduk Association.
Third, to focus on popularizing Baduk. The larger the base of players, the more great players emerge from that base.
In accordance with these aims, the board of trustees was filled with young graduates of 6 famous universities, all of them familiar with modern Baduk.
In its first 23 years, the Hansung Baduk Association moved from one building to another 16 times. These were truly stormy days for the Association. Finally, its home in Kwanchul-dong in Jongro was built.
The survival of Baduk through the stormy June 25 War [this refers to what we in the U.S. call "the Korean War," from 1950 to 1953; June 25, 1950 is the date North Korea invaded South Korea-- editor] should be considered a miracle. I lost the use of my left arm during my participation in that war, but I thought that having the use of my right arm only wouldn't hamper me much in playing Baduk. Maybe it was my mission from heaven to promote Baduk, so that even though shot through the arm, I did not die.
I do not cry often. But I remember three occasions when I did.
The first of these was when I played in Japan, with thousands of Japanese around me, but no Korean fans.
The second was when a Baduk stone was found in a lump of ash of the ruins of the Baduk Association building, which was destroyed during the war. (Baduk stones were not produced in Korea at that time.)
On the third occasion, it was tears of happiness during the celebration of the founding of the Korean Baduk Association.
The name of the association has changed 5 times; Hansung to Chosun, to Daehan, to Korean Baduk Association Corporation, and finally to Korean Baduk Association. But this was only for the purposes of further development; the same spirit prevailed through all of these changes.
Currently used Baduk terms are specified in the "Wikigaeron," which was published in January, 1955, and some other rules were agreed upon at the same time. The number of Baduk fans is now over ten million, and Korea holds the top positions in the international Baduk world, thanks to the genius of such fabulous players as Kim In, Cho Hoon-hyun, Seo Bong-soo, Yoo Chang-hyuk, Lee Chang-ho and Cho Chi-hoon 9-dan.
Now, what more is there for me to wish for? That so many hidden people should be remembered and appreciated who played central roles in the growth of Korean Baduk to the great heights it has reached today.

-- by Cho Nam-chul 9-dan