Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Get to Know South Korea

With the final segment of the First Round games in the World Cup, we are getting some tickets punched for the second round.  We already learned about Uruguay; let's learn about their challenger, South Korea!


Once upon a time, there wasn't a North Korea, or a South Korea--there was just Korea.  And that country has a wonderful, magical history.  


1.  According to the Age of Empires, for example, the 16th Century Korean Admiral, Yi Sun-sin invented one of the most important naval warfare crafts in history, commonly referred to as The Turtle.  


(Age of Empires III: Complete Collection)


2.  The Korean country was effectively split after World War II, and thus, after some war and such, South Korea was Born!  


3.  See how I passed right over the US-Korean War?  Just like every history book in America does.  It wasn't heroic like WWII; it wasn't a culture changer like Vietnam, so it doesn't count, even though it wrecked Korea for generations and to this current day.   Want to learn more about that war?  Watch M*A*S*H, and you'll learn that the American forces were staffed mainly by skinny, overly verbose drunks who were far too sensitive to be fighting in an Asian theater.  The part of "Korean soldier" was played by whatever Asian was handy.  Hawkeye makes you think, though.


4.  Famous Korean-American nerds include Frank Cho, Jim Lee, Greg Pak, John Cho, and Grace Park.


Soccer related:


























previous entry:  Uruguay.

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