Chinese Weiqi Association to skip this year's LG Cup

(ECNS) — The Chinese Weiqi Association will not send a team to this year's LG Cup World Baduk Championship, scheduled to begin in May, a spokesperson for the association said Wednesday.

The decision follows a controversial incident during the deciding game of the 29th LG Cup final in January. Chinese player Ke Jie was penalized a second time for failing to place a captured stone into the lid of the bowl.

The timing of the referee's intervention also drew criticism. Ke refused to accept the ruling and forfeited the match, resulting in South Korean player Byun Sang-il being declared the champion.

Following the match, the Chinese Weiqi Association issued a statement saying the referee's intervention came at an inappropriate time, disrupting normal progress of the game and excessively interfering with the player, making it impossible for the match to proceed.

"After appealing to the event organizer, the Korea Baduk Association, and receiving no resolution regarding a rematch, the Chinese Weiqi Association does not accept the result of the third game," the statement read.

The spokesperson added that the association had maintained continuous communication with LG Cup organizers following the incident. While China's position has remained unchanged, the event organizers have yet to issue a public or direct response to its statement and key concerns.

After careful deliberation, the Chinese Weiqi Association decided not to field a team for this year's LG Cup. It was emphasized that the decision would not affect China's participation in other international Go tournaments hosted by South Korea this year or in the future.

(By Zhao Li)