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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Harvard probes mass exam cheating


As many as 125 students at Harvard University are being probed for allegedly cheating in a final exam at the elite institution, administrators said Thursday.

The official university site news.harvard.edu/gazette reported that a large number of undergraduates "may have inappropriately collaborated on answers, or plagiarized classmates' responses, on the final exam for the course."

An initial investigation by the Harvard College Administration Board of more than 250 final exams resulted in cases of alleged cheating involving "nearly half the students in the class."

Neither the course, nor the students were identified in the scandal, which would be one of the biggest at the Ivy League college.

According to the account, the allegations arose when a faculty member noticed "similarities between a number of exams." Anyone found to have cheated could face punishments including a one-year suspension from the college.

Michael Smith, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said it was important to act.

"We take academic integrity very seriously because it goes to the heart of our educational mission," he said in a statement. "Academic dishonesty cannot and will not be tolerated at Harvard."

"These allegations, if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends," Harvard University President Drew Faust said.

"We must deal with this fairly and through a deliberative process."

Harvard, a college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston, is one of the most exclusive universities in the world, with students paying about $63,000 (50,000 euros) per year to attend.

Harvard said the cheating allegations were limited to one class, but that the incident had already prompted reforms.

The College Committee on Academic Integrity is to present "recommendations to reinforce the faculty's expectations of academic honesty," the Harvard news website said.

These could include "new ethics policies," possibly an "honor code" and consultations with outside experts, as well as discussions within student residencies. (AFP)

S. Korea loses to Japan in U-20 Women‘s World Cup


Yeo Min-ji, a Korean striker in the U-20 Women`s World Cup team, chasing the ball at the match with the Japanese team (Yonhap News)

South Korea fell to Japan 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup here Thursday.

At National Stadium in the Japanese capital, midfielders Hanae Shibata grabbed a brace and Yoko Tanaka had another for the victorious host. Jeoun Eun-ha had the lone goal for South Korea.

With Japan holding on to a 2-1 lead, Tanaka scored her team-leading fifth goal of the tournament in the 37th minute for a two-goal cushion that Japan never relinquished.

In a match that was even more lopsided than the score indicates, Japan was craftier and more aggressive on offense, and was more physical on defense.

After a cautious start to the match, the teams traded all four goals in the first half, including three in the first 20 minutes.

In the eighth, Shibata capitalized on Shin Dam-yeong‘s botched attempt to intercept a slow pass, and beat the charging South Korean goalkeeper Jeon Ha-neul for an easy score.

South Korea pulled even seven minutes later, when Jeoun headed in her fourth goal of the tournament after Lee Geum-min set her up with a cross past two defenders.

But Shibata put Japan back up by one in the 19th, converting a Mina Tanaka pass and ringing it off the left post.

South Korea missed two chances to equalize at the half-hour mark. In a scramble following a corner, Choe Yu-ri had her hard shot denied by Sakiko Ikeda in net. Lee Geum-min’s header on the rebound was cleared near the goal line by defensive back Haruka Hamada.

Yoko Tanaka put the game further out of reach in the 37th. Hiraki Takagi charged in on the right wing and drew several SouthKoreans to herself, before finding a wide-open Tanaka in front of a gaping net.

Neither side had serious scoring chances in the second half, though South Korean captain Lee Young-ju in the 51st struck a loose ball from the top of the arc and sailed it wide of the left post.

South Korea remains winless against Japan at the U-20 level, with one draw and five losses.

South Korea had advanced to the quarters by finishing second in Group B with six points, one behind Nigeria. Japan topped Group A with seven points, scoring 10 goals in three group matches.

South Korea was lucky to be competing here at all.

It had initially come up short in the regional qualification last year, finishing fourth at Asia‘s U-19 Women’s Championship where the top three, Japan, North Korea and China, booked their tickets. But in February this year, South Korea grabbed an extra berth that was freed up in Asia, when Japan replaced Uzbekistan as the host and earned an automatic spot.

In the day‘s earlier quarterfinal match, Nigeria beat Mexico 1-0. In the semis, Nigeria will face the winner of the Friday quarterfinal showdown between North Korea and the U.S.

The latest grudge match between the regional rivals came amid their heightened diplomatic tensions over Dokdo, rocky South Korean outcroppings in the East Sea to which Japan has frequently laid claims.

Earlier Thursday, South Korea sent a diplomatic document to Japan to dismiss Tokyo’s latest proposal to take the sovereignty issue of Dokdo to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). SouthKorea has maintained that Dokdo is not a disputed territory legally, historically or geographically. Japan‘s proposal to have the ICJ deal with the Dokdo issue requires South Korean consent.

At the London Olympics earlier this month, the South Korean men’s team defeated Japan 2-0 for the bronze medal, the country‘s first Olympic football medal. The match was played just hours after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak made an unprecedented trip to Dokdo.

In his post-game celebration, South Korean midfielder Park Jong-woo took a placard from a fan in the stands that read, in Korean, “Dokdo Is Our Territory.” He was subsequently barred from the medal ceremony, as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) deemed his action political. He remains under investigation by the two organizations and has yet to collect his bronze medal.

The political backdrop to the match prompted FIFA, the international football governing body, to ask players on both teams to refrain from taking political action. (Yonhap News)

G-Dragon to come back with new single ‘That XX’


Big Bang leader G-Dragon will make a comeback on Sept. 1 with a new single “That XX.” YG Entertainment’s official blog posted a teaser photo of G-Dragon’s new single on Aug. 29, formally announcing his return.

The 24-year-old singer released the music video of another new song “One of a Kind” which received more than 3 million views and 3,000 comments on the day of its release on Aug. 25.

G-Dragon’s teaser photo is also getting much attention from his fans for its “19 and over” sign, indicating that his music is for mature audiences only. Usually, a song is first released and then rated by a ratings body, but it is notable that G-Dragon voluntarily wants his music to be identified as adults-only.

G-Dragon wrote and produced the new album with producer Teddy.

(lhj137@heraldcorp.com)

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Caught up in a Korean Wave


Not since Zorro’s “Z” has a letter evoked more passion in the popular psyche than “K.” The “K” here, of course, stands for Korea, and it has grown to be a top prefix in today’s popular culture from K-pop (music), K-drama and K-movie to K-tech.

Its popularity has made it a coveted prefix for various local arenas other than culture and entertainment too, such as business and politics.

At the recent One Million Youth Gathering 2012 in Putrajaya, K-pop acts were featured to attract young voters, while many politicians have not hesitated to K-pop name drop on their social media network to hip up their image.

In Malaysia, this craze for Korean pop culture, known as the Korean Wave or Hallyu, is thought to have begun with the debut of the Korean hit drama Winter Sonata on TV3 in August 2002.

While the term Hallyu, coined in 1999 by Chinese journalists when China started being flooded by Korean TV dramas and pop music, was not yet widespread then, South Korea had already gripped people’s imagination by becoming the first Asian team to finish in the last four of 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament that June, which it also co-hosted with Japan.

Once captivated by South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan, many Malaysians especially women were quick to fall for the charms of Winter Sonata’s main lead Bae Yong-Joon, elevating the series, along with Bae, to a cult status. (His co-stars Choi Ji-Woo and the late Park Yong-Ha also garnered a big following, but not as big as Bae’s.)

By the time Jewel in the Palace and Autumn in My Heart arrived on Malaysian shores, the Korean drama trend had spread like wildfire, especially with Japan catching the fever in 2003 to drive the Yon-sama (as Bae was tagged in Japan) frenzy higher.

Korean Tourism Organisation Kuala Lumpur managing director Yun Jae-Jin affirms that Winter Sonata helped to promote South Korea and its culture to the world.

Not surprisingly, KTO, the Korean government and many of the republic’s businesses have been quick to ride the rising wave to sell the country and their products globally.

According to Yun, the surge of Hallyu can be divided into three stages the spread of Korean drama series and movies (approximately 2002-2007); K-pop (circa 2008 until now); and the not-so-well-known aspects of Korean culture like computer games, animation, history and traditional arts.

“It’s a long-term effort of branding South Korea and, as you can see, Winter Sonata has been successful while K-pop is now pushing the brand further,” Yun says, highlighting that the Korean government is in the midst of planning for the development of the infrastructure for stage three of Hallyu.

One industry that Winter Sonata has clearly helped to boost is the country’s tourism, particularly to Nami Island near Chuncheong, Gangwon Province, where it was filmed.

Some 90,000 foreign tourists visit Nami Island each year, notes Yun, adding that Malaysia is the fastest growing inbound market for Korea with a 40 per cent growth in 2011 (156,281) and 44 per cent in 2010 (up to 113,675 from 80,104 in 2009).

KTO expects the number of Malaysian travellers to reach 200,000 by the end of this year due to the growing number of Hallyu fans.

Jumping from the Hallyu platform, KTO now hopes to promote other tourist attractions of Korea, particularly its natural wonders, traditional culture, local festivals (Korea has more than 1,000 traditional festivals in a year) and historical sites.

K-pop swing

Although Korean dramas remain popular among Malaysian fans, K-pop has garnered an equal, if not bigger, number of followers over the last few years.

In 2006, TVXQ became the first Korean band to perform in Malaysia, opening the gates for other K-pop stars such as Rain, Super Junior, Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation to showcase their music here.

Nini Yusof, country manager (advertising sales Malaysia) with Universal Networks International (which runs the E! channel, among others) feels this growing interest is reflected in the increasing number of K-pop acts that have performed here. “Now, you can see at least one K-pop act performing here every three months.”

DiGi, which has been hosting various K-pop “parties” with stars like 4Minute, Beast, G.NA and recently Jay Park, is also a proponent of K-pop here.

“K-pop is a music genre that is very close to the hearts of our customers, especially among the youths,” DiGi’s head of marketing services Sulin Lau had said at a press conference promoting K-pop star Jay Park.

In fact, a KTO survey conducted in May last year showed that K-pop has indeed overtaken K-drama as the main purveyor of Hallyu in Malaysia and elsewhere.

The survey revealed that, driven mainly by the Internet and social media network, more than 53.3 per cent of 12,085 fans from 102 countries chose K-pop as the Hallyu aspect that interested them most.

The K-pop influence online was proven when YouTube invited K-pop stars TVXQ and Kara to headline its seventh anniversary concert in California recently. The 22,000 fullhouse reception for the concert reflected how the K-pop fanbase has grown not only in size but also range.

In June last year, the European media was blown away by how a concert in Paris by unknown artists (to them) from a faraway land managed to sell out within minutes. Another date was added, but it was sold out just as fast. The event, recorded as the “official” debut of K-pop on the European stage, was a joint performance by artists attached to leading South Korean management company SM Entertainment, such as Girls’ Generation, Shinee and Super Junior.

To the European media’s further bemusement, the audience, made up largely of teens and 20-somethings from all over Europe, not only shouted out the names of each singer but also sang along with the lyrics in Korean, and copied the dance moves.

Later in the year, the same event was held in the United States to a similar reception while the Internet was abuzz with fan demands from Central America and South America for the concert to be held in their hometown.

That is the power of the Internet, which is now driving K-pop and Hallyu around the world, says Nini, who knows only too well how the Internet is blowing up the Hallyu craze.

Their entertainment news show E!News Asia has had to include Korean entertainment news in the last year. As she puts it, if you claim to be on the pulse of Asian entertainment, then you would need to keep up with Korean entertainment.
Global impact: E!news Asia’s Rooftop prince photo message campaign shows how popular Korean dramas are getting around the world, including in places traditionally not Hallyu crazy.

In April, E!News Asia and Korean TV network SBS invited fans from all over the world to e-mail photos of themselves and messages describing how they were enjoying the SBS drama series Rooftop Prince.

The response they received came from fans from over 40 countries, which included those not normally known as “Hallyu-crazy”. These included Chile, Peru, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, Iran and even Nigeria.

“What amazed the Korean network and its drama production team was that this was the first Korean drama that has not even finished broadcasting in Korea but was already making a big impact around the world. And it is all because of the Internet,” says Nini.

The Internet factor not only opened up the window for a bigger base of fans but also various business ventures (see accompanying story on Korean drama portal maaduu.com.)

Another factor is the expansion of Korean broadcast networks to the region. Due to the Hallyu explosion, Astro began broadcasting KBS World, a South Korean TV channel operated by the Korean Broadcasting System in Malaysia in October 2009.

AC Nielsen figures show that 1.1 million Malaysian viewers, most of them in the Klang Valley, tuned in to KBS World from November to December 2010.

The higher demand for more Korean programmes prompted Astro to launch its second Korean channel in high-definition One HD in October 2010.

Ricky Ow, executive vice president of Sony Pictures Television’s Networks Asia (which runs One HD), says that since Winter Sonata sparked the wave, Korean entertainment has been growing exponentially over the last decade.

“We see the adaptation of Korean movies in Hollywood, we see K-pop topping the charts as far away as Europe and Latin America and even more evident is the fact that Korean dramas have been delivering stronger ratings than local dramas on terrestrial stations,” says Ow.

Power appeal

Many have tried to explain the appeal of K-drama and K-pop, especially the Winter Sonata phenomenon.

Most fans would admit now that they found the 2002 melodrama overly mushy with its convoluted plot and starring an actor with a dodgy fashion sense. Revolving around the love of two high school sweethearts who discover that they might be long-lost siblings, Winter Sonata’s plot was as dated as it was far-fetched.

The inexplicable appeal, however, and the rippling effects it caused, could not be denied.

According to culture critics, one pull is the escapism value.

Winter Sonata was therapeutic, Korean culture critic Lee Young-mi told the Korean daily The Korea Herald, especially after the “collective trauma of the 1997 financial crisis”.

In Malaysia, like many South-East Asian countries, escapism is a major appeal of Korean dramas, not only for those who aspire to a better lifestyle but also for those looking for safe entertainment which has no explicit scenes that you would normally get in shows from the West.

While academics grapple with the psycho-sociological aspects, industry players like Yun put it down to the production standards the Korean drama industry upholds, supported by the huge capital investment poured into it by both the government and corporate sector.

Ow agrees, and cites another “winning formula” which is a big factor a strong cast and a good script.

Whether it’s a Hollywood or Korean production, the winning formula remains the same, he says.

“And what is interesting in Asia, and Korea in particular, is that there are still a lot of good stories to tell, and the strong pull for the audience are that these are stories that the current Asian viewer can easily relate to.”

K-drama content is constantly evolving to appeal to a wider demographic, he notes.

“We have seen a change in content catering to what used to be a largely mature, female demographic (the highly popular tragic dramas in the Winter Sonata era) to a wider demographic such as the young working adults (City Hunter) and the teens (Rooftop Prince).”

As they say, success begets success.

The success of the Hallyu has thus resulted in a higher volume of more sophisticated, quality dramas produced on a bigger scale with a bigger production budget.

“Ultimately, it’s not the topics that matter, but how the stories are told a skill that the Koreans have mastered well, in creating a wide variety of material that resonates with the audience,” says Ow.

Trading boost

Hallyu has also bolstered other areas of Korea’s contemporary culture such as its cosmetics and beauty industry as well as fashion.

Online Korean entertainment portal Maaduu.com chief executive officer Dennis Lee points out that the culture is so widespread in the region that if you go to Bangkok or Jakarta, you will feel that you are in Seoul.

“Everyone’s sporting the same style influenced by the K-pop scene: same clothes, same hairstyle, same cosmetics and, of course, humming (or yelping) the same music.”

Another boost is in trade between South Korea and Malaysia.

South Korea is Malaysia’s sixth largest trading partner, accounting for 4.2% of its global trade, while Malaysia is South Korea’s 12th largest global trading partner. The republic is also the country’s seventh largest export destination, while Malaysia is South Korea’s 21st largest export destination.

The spread of Korean products and businesses to Malaysia can be seen in some ways in the growth of Korea town in Kuala Lumpur.

In Ampang Jaya, Selangor, you can find many restaurants offering authentic Korean fare, grocery stores and mini marts selling all manner of South Korean delights and necessities, as well as tuition centres and Internet cafes bedecked with signage and advertisements in the Korean language.

These places are seeing customers not only among Korean expatriates, whose number has been increasing over the years, but also Malaysians who are interested in all things Korean.

By Hariati Azizan

(The Star)

K-pop stars attract 100,000 in Tokyo


Fans cheer for the signers of S.M. Entertainment at the “SM Town Live World Tour III in Tokyo” concert held during the weekend at Tokyo Dome. (S.M. Entertainment)
A performance featuring K-pop singers who belong to the same entertainment agency has attracted more than 100,000 fans in Tokyo, the organizer said Monday.

The concert was held at Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital on Saturday and Sunday as part of a world concert tour organized by the S.M. Entertainment Agency to capitalize on the rising boom of the Korean pop culture.

During the “SM Town Live World Tour III in Tokyo” concert, the crowd enthusiastically sang along with the singers, waving colorful glow-in-the-dark batons and placards with names of their favorite K-pop singers on them, the agency said.

The show featured all S.M. singers, including Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee and f(x), it said.

Before the Tokyo concert, the S.M. artists performed in the United States in May and Taiwan in June, enrapturing audiences with their powerful dancing and songs.

They are scheduled to perform at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul on Aug. 18, according to the agency.(Yonhap News)

Digital art show celebrates K-pop


S.M. Entertainment to hold an IT exhibition on K-pop singers in collaboration with global firms


S.M. Entertainment, one of the country’s three major entertainment agencies, is hosting the world’s first interactive entertainment exhibition in Seoul next month in collaboration with global firms. The S.M. Art Exhibition will present various types of entertainment content visualized through state-of-the-art IT technology.

Don’t let the title mislead. Despite being called an “art exhibition,” the event is more of a high-tech show rather than an exhibition.

The list of programs and shows includes “Fantasy Tree” ― a 13-meter-high circular installation consisting of 55 Samsung LED screens ― that shows super-sized S.M. Town artists performing in virtual space, “S.M. Motion” that offers the visitors a chance to experience the 360 degree camera technique that was used in the Hollywood movie “Matrix,” and a media show with Hyundai Motors using projection mapping technology. Among the jumbled up offering of IT and entertainment is SHINee’s live performance shown in a 3-D panorama theater. Visitors will also have a chance to make video calls and meet stars, sneak into artists’ secretive daily lives and view props used in concerts.
An artist’s drawing of “Fantasy Tree,” a 13-meter-high circular screen to be on display at the upcoming S.M. Art Exhibition at COEX. (S.M. Entertainment)
SHINee members pose for photo with figure artist Michael Lau (third from right). (S.M. Entertainment)

The only event that sounds like art is its collaboration with figure artist Michael Lau.

“The internationally acclaimed artist used TVXQ and SHINee as motives to his art work and added wit and humor to his creations,” S.M. Entertainment said.

The S.M. Art Exhibition is one of the latest events organized by entertainment agencies experimenting with new business method ― selling their content to big firms or collaborating with them.

YG Entertainment, led by former Seo Taiji member Yang Hyun-seok, is operating global collaboration with Hyundai Card on the branding of artists’ albums and Cheil Industries in the fashion business while JYP, led by singer Park Jin-young, has worked with Samsung Electronics. JYP has been offering its music content to Samsung’s digital devices.

S.M. Entertainment, on the other hand, seems to have taken the lead in its collaborations with big firms. It has become literally an all-in-one enterprise that develops entertainment content, makes it sellable and launches it in the market to finally reach “die-hard” fans or customers, not necessarily with help from big global firms.

As a sideline event, S.M. is holding “S.M. Town Live World Tour III” in Seoul on Aug. 18, a day before the exhibition ends.

“This time, all of our singers, including Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, f(x) and EXO, will present a varied show,” the agency said in a statement. The S.M. Entertainment artists performed in the United States in May and Taiwan last month, drawing attention from the local media. Before the Seoul show, they are scheduled to perform in Tokyo on Aug. 4-5.

S.M.Art Exhibition takes place at COEX, Samseong-dong in Seoul from Aug. 10 to 19. Tickets are 25,000 won and 85,000 won. For ticket purchase, visit www.ticket.auction.co.kr or call 1566-1369.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)

LG’s LTE handset sales top 5 million globally


LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday shipments of smartphones that run on the long-term evolution network have surpassed the 5 million mark, as it seeks to return its struggling mobile business to the black.

Global sales of LTE smartphones topped the 5 million mark, one month after surpassing the 4 million mark in mid-July, the company said in a statement.

The milestone comes 15 months after LG released its first LTE smartphone overseas via Verizon Wireless in the United States.

Since May 2011, the company has expanded sales to 10 countries in Asia, Europe and North America.

In May, the company rolled out the Optimus LTE 2 on its home turf, adding another model to its growing LTE device line-up.

LG has been rushing to grab a bigger stake in the fourth-generation wireless market after slipping behind rivals Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. in the third-generation smartphone race.

In the second quarter, the company tied with China’s ZTE as the world’s eighth-largest smartphone maker, claiming less than 5 percent of the $219 billion global smartphone market, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics.

Samsung and Apple cemented their supremacy as the world’s two top smartphone makers, with their combined shipments accounting for nearly half of the total in the three-month period. (Yonhap News)

Designers chosen to promote Korean fashion abroad


The Ministry of Culture and its affiliate Korea Creative Content Agency announced the names of five designers for its ambitious project aimed at promoting South Korean fashion overseas.

The list of designers for the Concept Korea Fashion Collectives includes Lie Sang-bong, Song Jung-wan, Choi Bo-ko, Kim Hong-bum and Kye Han-hee. The five will hold presentations and other events to promote their works during New York Fashion Week, the ministry said.

Designers are given the opportunity to participate in the upcoming fashion week in September and February next year. Their works will be showcased in a group presentation, the opening ceremony of the Concept Korea event in New York and in individual show rooms for buyers.
Korean designers selected for Concept Korea 2013 (from left) Kim Hong-bum, Son Jung-wan, Lie Sang-bong, Choi Bo-ko and Kye Han-hee pose for photo. (Culture Ministry)

The Concept Korea Spring/Summer 2013 event will be held on Sept. 7 at the Stage Hall of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

The five designers were selected by a group of global advisors including Fern Mallis, founder of New York Fashion Week, Simon Collins, dean of the school of fashion at Parsons, and Carol Song, head buyer at Opening Ceremony, a popular New York retailer.

Most of the events and promotions are supported by the Culture Ministry and Daegu city government who have allocated 1.2 billion won ($1.05 million) for the project this year.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Daegu Metropolitan City, KOCCA, Korea Research Institute for Fashion Industry, the collaborative project was first launched in February 2010.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)

Friday, August 10, 2012

LG chairman offers 500m won to Yang

LG Group said Thursday that its chairman Koo Bon-moo will deliver 500 million won ($444,225) to gymnastics gold medalist Yang Hak-seon as soon as he comes back from London.

The group said that the chairman decided to offer the funding to Yang, a 20-year-old gymnast who won the gold medal in men’s vault on Monday, so he could fully concentrate on sports.

“The funding was given to encourage the gymnast as he still persevered to win the gold with his strong will and training despite his family’s difficult economic conditions,” said LG officials.

“Yang has become an inspiration for securing the top place in gymnastics and bringing home the first gold medal ever in that sports category for South Korea. His love for his parents also contributed among the reasons for offering the support fund.”
Yang Hak-seon

Yang scored 16.533 points on average after two attempts, beating Russia’s Denis Ablyazin who came in second with his average of 16.399 points.

In an interview held after the performance, he said he wanted to buy a house for his parents who live in a temporary house made of vinyl.

Donations, which included Korean instant noodles and an apartment, started flooding in after the release of the interview.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldm.com)

S. Korea beats Japan for bronze in men's football





The South Korean men's football team celebrates after defeating Japan on Friday to win the bronze medal at 2012 London Olympics. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)



South Korea beat Japan 2-0 to claim the bronze medal in men's football at the London Olympics Friday.

At Millennium Stadium, striker Park Chu-young scored late in the first half and midfielder Koo Ja-cheol added second-half insurance to give South Korea its first Olympic football medal.

In the 38th minute, Park, taking control of the loose ball near center, charged up the middle and danced his way in among three defenders for the opening goal.
South Korean forward Park Chu-young scores the opening goal during the bronze medal match against Japan on Friday. (Yonhap News)

Park Chu-young (right) reacts after scoring the opening goal. (Yonhap News)



Koo, team captain, capitalized on a breakaway chance in the 57th and put a right-foot strike past Shuichi Gonda in the net, despite having defender Daisuke Suzuki all over him.

South Korean captain Koo Ja-cheol scores against Japanese defender Daisuke Suzuki. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)


This was South Korea's ninth Olympic football tournament, and the country had reached the quarters only twice before.

South Korea beat Britain in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals before getting blanked by Brazil 3-0 in the semis.

Park, 27, was one of three "wild card" selections for South Korea. Olympic football tournaments are open to players 23 or younger, but countries are permitted to pick up to three players over the age cap.

Winger Kim Bo-kyung almost made it 3-0 for South Korea in the 60th, but Gonda got his hand on the shot from the arc before the ball rang off the right post.

The sides opened tentatively and Japan threatened first near the half-hour mark. Hiroshi Kiyotake curled a shot from just outside the arc, forcing South Korean goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to make a diving save. In the 37th, Hiroki Sakai's header off a cross went just wide of the left post.

Japan dominated the ball in the second half following Koo's score, but couldn't break through the crowded South Korean zone.

Japan had a goal disallowed with two minutes left, with Kenyu Sugimoto getting a yellow for pushing down Jung as Maya Yoshida headed in a corner into a gaping net.

In a testy game between fierce regional rivals, seven yellow cards were issued, including three to South Koreans in a 12-minute span in the first half.

The bronze medal exempts the footballers from mandatory military service. An Olympic medal of any color grants all male athletes such exemption if they haven't already served in the armed forces.

Earlier this year, Park Chu-young came under fire for postponing the service by acquiring a 10-year residency visa in Monaco last year. He'd played for AS Monaco in the top French league before joining Arsenal in the Premier League.

Korea beats Japan to get Olympic bronze


South Korea beat Japan 2-0 to claim the bronze medal in men's football at the London Olympics Friday.

At Millennium Stadium, striker Park Chu-young scored late in the first half and midfielder Koo Ja-cheol added second-half insurance to give South Korea its first Olympic football medal.

In the 38th minute, Park, taking control of the loose ball near center, charged up the middle and danced his way in among three defenders for the opening goal.

Koo, team captain, capitalized on a breakaway chance in the 57th and put a right-foot strike past Shuichi Gonda in the net, despite having defender Daisuke Suzuki all over him.

This was South Korea's ninth Olympic football tournament, and the country had reached the quarters only twice before.

South Korea beat Britain in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals before getting blanked by Brazil 3-0 in the semis.

Park, 27, was one of three "wild card" selections for South Korea. Olympic football tournaments are open to players 23 or younger, but countries are permitted to pick up to three players over the age cap.

Winger Kim Bo-kyung almost made it 3-0 for South Korea in the 60th, but Gonda got his hand on the shot from the arc before the ball rang off the right post.

The sides opened tentatively and Japan threatened first near the half-hour mark. Hiroshi Kiyotake curled a shot from just outside the arc, forcing South Korean goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to make a diving save. In the 37th, Hiroki Sakai's header off a cross went just wide of the left post.

Japan dominated the ball in the second half following Koo's score, but couldn't break through the crowded South Korean zone.
Japan had a goal disallowed with two minutes left, with Kenyu Sugimoto getting a yellow for pushing down Jung as Maya Yoshida headed in a corner into a gaping net.

In a testy game between fierce regional rivals, seven yellow cards were issued, including three to South Koreans in a 12-minute span in the first half.

The bronze medal exempts the footballers from mandatory military service. An Olympic medal of any color grants all male athletes such exemption if they haven't already served in the armed forces.

Earlier this year, Park Chu-young came under fire for postponing the service by acquiring a 10-year residency visa in Monaco last year. He'd played for AS Monaco in the top French league before joining Arsenal in the Premier League. (Yonhap)

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Korea ends British soccer’s Olympic dream


(London Olympic Joint Press Corps)
As South Korea defeated Britain in the semifinal of the men’s soccer at the London Olympic Games on Saturday, the British media expressed its frustration on the result.

The Daily Mail reported the Britain’s loss, saying “one of the greatest days British sport has ever known ended with a sadly familiar quarterfinal penalty shoot-out exit to South Korea in Cardiff.”

The Guardian said, “football was politely ushered towards the ‘and in other news’ slot.”

The Telegraph credited Korea for having “great resilience" and ignoring "the graceless booing by many Great Britain fans.”

British fans criticized their team online.

Some of them said called Britain the “laughing stock of the world” about soccer. One Internet user said, “if they had watched the cool precision of some of the South Korean archers, they would have known it was daft to let it go to penalties.”

Great Britain’s Ryan Giggs said Korea’s good preparation made a difference to the result.

“The Korean lads had played 18 games unbeaten so that’s the sort of preparation they’ve had compared to our preparation,” he said.

British coach Stuart Pearce said Korea deserved to reach the semifinal. He also complimented Korean goal keeper Lee Bum-young.

“Their keeper did very well to get a hand to Daniel’s penalty,” Pearce said.

(khnews@heraldm.com)

Football team shocks Britain; fencers get real medal


On an action-packed day for South Korea at the London Olympics, athletes who haven't yet won a medal outshone those who did.

South Korea stunned Britain in men's football in Cardiff, beating the host country 5-4 in a penalty shootout to advance to the semifinals for the first time.

The shocking win came hours after the country's female epee fencing team won the silver medal behind China. Shin A-lam, who famously lost her individual semifinal bout to a German fencer owing to a timekeeping error, was part of the team that gave South Korea its sixth fencing medal of these Olympics.



Korea's players celebrate their victory over Britain following a men's soccer quarterfinal match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff9, Wales, at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Saturday. (Yonhap News)



But the day belonged to the footballers. Ji Dong-won, who plays for the English club Sunderland, opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Aaron Ramsey evened the score seven minutes later with a penalty. Ramsey's second penalty chance in the 40th minute, though, was kept out by goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong.

Lee Bum-young, who replaced Jung in the second half after the starter injured his arm in a collision, was the hero in the shootout. After the first four British shooters found the back of the net, Lee made a crucial diving save on Daniel Sturridge. Ki Sung-yueng stepped up as the fifth South Korean shooter and calmly converted the clinching goal.

Over at the ExCeL Arena in London, fencer Shin finally earned a medal of her own. She teamed up with Jung Hyo-jung, Choi In-jeong and substitute Choi Eun-sook to counter China's Li Na, Sun Yujie and Xu Anqi in the final.

South Korea had a lead early on but the Chinese blew things open midway through the bout. However, there were no tears of disappointment from the Koreans.



Team South Korea celebrates with the national flag winning silver in the women's epee team as part of the fencing event of London 2012 Olympic games, on Saturday at the ExCel center in London. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)



"I am so happy to have won a medal with the rest of the team," Shin said. "No matter what happened to me in that individual competition, we came through as a team."

Shin fell to Britta Heidemann in the individual epee semifinal earlier this week. South Korea protested that Heidemann's clinching hit in extra time came after the time was up, but the appeal was rejected.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also refused to award a joint medal for Shin, though international fencing officials offered her a special medal for her sportsmanship.

Shin said she doesn't know why she should be getting that special prize because "I've done nothing special." She admitted, though, that she was distracted by the hoopla surrounding the aftermath of her defeat.

"I desperately wanted to win a medal in my own name," Shin said. "This experience has really toughened me as a person."

Shin said winning silver in the team event does not erase the painful memories of her semifinal loss.

"This medal and that incident are two different things," she said. "I still think about what I should have done differently before all of that happened."

Earlier Saturday, South Korea edged North Korea in the men's team table tennis event in the second all-Korea table tennis affair in London.

South Korea's Joo Sae-hyuk, Oh Sang-eun and Ryu Seung-min won match 3-1 over North Korea's Kim Hyok-bong, Jang Song-man and Kim Song-nam. South Korea now faces Portugal in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Swimmer Park Tae-hwan finished in fourth place in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle, his third and last competition at these Olympics. He came in at 14 minutes and 50.61 seconds, well behind the champion Sun Yang. The Chinese shattered his own world record by more than three seconds to win the gold at 14:31.02.

Park, who won silver medals in both the 200m and 400m freestyle here, came up just short of becoming the first South Korean to win three medals at a single Summer Olympics. (Yonhap News)