Photo: CFP

 
TheMKsports first meeting of the Korea Baduk Association (KBA) Operations Committee in 2025 was held in Seoul on Monday, where the committee approved revisions to contentious non-game rules, including the "captured stone custody rule" that sparked controversy during the 29th LG Cup finals. The provision stating that "cumulative rule violations would result in automatic forfeiture" has been abolished, CCTV reported. 

Previously, the KBA's rules stipulated: not placing captured stones on the Go bowl lid resulted in a two-point penalty for the first offense and two warnings will lead to a forfeit.

The KBA will immediately inform and coordinate with the Chinese Weiqi Association regarding this decision to ensure the smooth operation of upcoming international tournaments. The KBA also plans to actively collaborate with China, Japan, and other countries to create standardized rules in future world-class Go competitions, according to the report.

The decision came after a controversy erupted during the third game of the LG Cup finals in January when Chinese Go player Ke Jie was penalized for not placing a captured stone on the container lid. He requested a rematch, but was denied, leading to his withdrawal from the match.

Ke had also been penalized during the second game without placing them on the container lid. He lost that game to South Korea's Byun Sang-il. 

In late January, South Korea's Go association issued an apology in a statement regarding the disputed rules that prompted Chinese Go player Ke Jie to withdraw from the LG Cup finals, the Xinhua News Agency reported.  

The winner of the LG Cup, governed by South Korea's Go rules, was determined in an unprecedented manner due to a violation regarding where to place captured stones.

The KBA acknowledged that the rules, revised in November, had been pre-notified but said Chinese players may not have had sufficient time to adapt, according to the report.

Expressing hope that the incident would not damage the trust between South Korea and China, the KBA called for the issues to be resolved smoothly. The association also pledged to hold discussions with Chinese and Japanese Go associations to establish unified rules for the game, known as weiqi in China and baduk in South Korea, Xinhua reported.