Teenage Japanese "Go" player Nakamura Sumire says she has decided to shift her base of professional activity to South Korea as she finds it necessary for her to study the game in a more competitive environment.

The 14-year-old junior high school student told a news conference on Monday that she began considering moving to South Korea around June this year. She said she believes playing in South Korea would help her become more competitive as the country has many strong players of the traditional board game and puts an emphasis on international competitions.

Nakamura applied to South Korea's Go association to play in the country as a visiting player starting next year. Her application was approved on Thursday last week at the association's board of directors meeting.

Nakamura will start competing in South Korea in March and will not be able to take part in title games in Japan in principle.

She turned professional at the age of 10, becoming the youngest player to ever do so at that time, and in February this year, she won the Women's Kisei title to become the youngest holder of a major female title in Japan.

Speaking about the four years after turning professional, Nakamura said she has had a variety of experiences which helped her grow, and found the time important.

Asked about what kind of player she wants to become after starting her career in South Korea, she replied she hopes to be a strong player who will be respected. She added that she aims to compete in a South Korean league of top-level Go players.