Park Ji-sung is the Korean soccer (or football depending one what area of the world you live in) player who plays for Manchester United making avid fans of this particular English team of just about every Korean. However, in the World Cup Park Ji-sung plays proudly for his native Korea. He is, in the minds of just about every Korean, a hero or maybe a god. He and Kim Yuna could take over Korea in a military coup and rule as King and Queen without a hiccup they are worshiped so spiritedly. Koreans speak their names either in reverence barely allowing the names of the beloveds to touch their lips, the sound is as light as a feather hitting the floor or in an all out scream once a goal has been scored. While watching the World Cup game #1 against Greece, his name was chanted for nearly five minutes like a battle call.
But despite this apotheosis, Park Ji-sung is considered ugly by nearly all Koreans. Were it not for his magnificent talent, his looks might get him in trouble. Shockingly I have heard these phrases and others like them uttered many times, "if it weren't for his looks," or "He is just so ugly." I look at Park Ji-sung and see an average looking Korean guy. I wouldn't necessarily describe him as a modern day Fabio (not that I find him attractive either) but I don't think he looks like the scum floating on a stagnant pond on whih Koreans seem to concur whole-heartedly.
Unfortunately the World Cup is finished for Korea as it is for the United States, and there will be few chances that you will see pictures of him flashing across your TV set unless you are an avid Manchester United fan. Therefore, I have decided to take a poll. I want to know if Koreans standard of beauty/handsomeness is comparable to ours, or if they have drastic differences like I hypothesis. Please, (if you wish to participate) look to the right of the screen and take the short poll.
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