"Chang FuKang" (16 y.o) from Malaysia and "Rafif Shidqi Fitrah" (17 y.o.) from Indonesia were officially approved at the Nihon Ki-in and will get certified as a professional shodan (1p) by the Nihon Ki-in.
Both of them were an insei at the Nihon Ki-in, Tokyo.
Fukang became an insei from January 2019. He finished the 4th place of Winter 2019 pro exam with over 50% win rate (*9 wins - 5 losses), which qualified him for Foreign National Pro status.
Fitrah became insei from October 2017 and he also finished the Winter 2019 pro exam with over 50% win rate (*9 wins - 5 losses), which qualified him for Foreign National Pro status.
Basically, only top two players (i.e.1st and 2nd places) can pass a Winter pro exam to get qualified. But, we have a special category for those who have foreign nationality.
They are the first players who hold foreign nationality certified as a pro-shodan since Antti Tormanen from Finland in 2016.
They will get formally a certificate of a professional shodan of the Nihon Ki-in in late March 2020 at the Award Ceremony for the year 2019 of the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo!