Techno Goliath

This is a somewhat random post from me, but I felt compelled to share my favorite Korean celebrity of the moment with those of you who aren't here on the peninsula: Choi Hong-Man, a.k.a. "The Techno Goliath." Mr. Choi is a professional K-1 fighter (kickboxer), stands 7' 2", and weighs in at 360 lbs. These statistics would make him a large person anywhere, but he is especially large in Korea, both literally and figuratively. Not only is he successful on the K-1 circuit (a record of 9-2), but he is also a ubiquitous personality on Korean television, like any real-deal Korean celebrity (I believe he even has his own show; if anyone can verify this for me I would be grateful). As I was watching Korean TV last week, I saw him on no less than four local channels: two variety/game shows (including a hilarious guest spot on "6 Girls," which is fast becoming my favorite Korean TV guilty pleasure), a re-broadcasted K-1 match, and an advertisement for some sort of drink. Inevitably, his role on game shows revolves around his physical enormity relative to the the other stars. One of his most memorable appearances, in my opinion, pitted him in wrestling and jousting matches against a variety of opponents (including a couple of Korean Greco-Roman wrestlers), all about 1/3 of his size. However, he is also very charismatic, the archetypal "lovable oaf." Admittedly, my grasp of Korean doesn't allow me to fully appreciate his humor, but some of it needs no translation.

In other news, Ulsan Hyundai (Heavy Industries) fell to Chonbuk Hyundai (Motors) last night in AFC Champions League action, losing 6-4 on aggregate. I was able to catch the Tigers in action last weekend in a match against Jeju-Do, which they drew 2-2. My roomate and I both bought official supporter jerseys, and she ended up catching one of the promotional team balls that was kicked into the stands before the start of the match. Also, we befriended a group of local kids who remembered seeing us the last home match Ulsan had. It seems that even on weekends, I can't escape the hagwon "brats."