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Lessons from a master and his disciple

Published: 15 Apr. 2025, 00:05

Lee Hoo-nam

The author is a senior culture reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo.

There may be no shortcut to learning, but when it comes to tests, there is often a method. As someone shaped by Korea’s exam-driven education system, I know that success required more than understanding concepts. To score well, students had to study test patterns, solve past questions and anticipate likely problems. Most exams have fixed formats and time limits. If the questions are predictable and the answers clear, preparation becomes a tactical exercise.

But learning doesn’t always work that way.

The film "The Match" offers a very different perspective. Based on the real-life relationship between legendary Go player Cho Hun-hyun and his protégé Lee Chang-ho, the film captures a mentorship defined not by answers, but by the search for them. Cho, portrayed by Lee Byung-hun, was already a world champion when a young Lee — played by Kim Kang-hoon and later Yoo Ah-in — began living and training under his roof.

Though both were masters of Go, they could not have been more different in temperament and philosophy. Their games reflected their personalities. Cho played with aggression and flair, while Lee was patient and methodical. Their relationship also challenged conventional ideas of teaching. One line in the film stands out: “Go is about trying to find an answer when there is none.”

A scene from the film The Match. On the left is an actor Lee Byung-hun as Cho Hun-hyun, and on the right is Kim Kang-hoon as a young Lee Chang-ho. [BY4M STUDIO]

That quote appears in Cho’s book, "The Thinking of a Master" (2015), where he recounts his own teacher, Segoe Kensaku, saying, “Do you think I can give you the answer? Go has no answer. You must find it yourself.” Cho writes that while giving an answer might seem helpful, it ultimately deprives students of the chance to think and grow. “True understanding,” he says, “comes only through the process of thinking on your own.”

Lee Chang-ho echoed this in his own memoir. He described how Cho did not hand him solutions, but let him try different moves on his own. Only afterward did they review the game and reflect. This guidance helped him not just win, but understand.

Such a teaching method is difficult to accept — especially in a world that values quick solutions. Yet, today’s society faces many problems with no clear precedent. Perhaps that is why we cling to past answers, even when they no longer fit.

The lesson from Cho and Lee is simple but profound: in uncertain times, teaching must go beyond delivering answers. It must prepare us to think through the unknown.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.