Retired Go champion Lee Se-dol, who earned W10b in prize money, admits life after the board 'isn't easy'

Retired professional Go player Lee Se-dol has opened up about how difficult life has been since stepping away from the game.

Lee appears alongside actor Heo Seong-tae on Tuesday's episode of the KBS 2TV variety program "Oktapbang-ui Munje-a," a celebrity quiz show.

During the broadcast, Lee shares stories ranging from his playing days to his life since retirement.

Seven years after leaving the Go world, Lee said the idle life has been harder than expected. "Being unemployed is really tough. It's no walk in the park," he said.

Lee also surprised the cast by revealing that his cumulative prize winnings as a professional player totaled about 10 billion won ($7.45 million).

He also disclosed that his singular focus on Go meant he went 43 years without ever knowing his own blood type.

Lee said he spent his 10 billion won in prize money in an unexpected way, with the details to be revealed during the broadcast.

Born in 1983, Lee turned professional in 1995 and retired in 2019. In March 2016, he faced the AI program AlphaGo in a historic five-game match, winning Game 4 after losing the first three — delivering humanity's first victory against the machine.