The Taeguk Warriors punish the time-wasting Qataris in a critical World Cup qualifying match.

by STEVE HAN

Son Heung-min’s tap in at the 96th minute pushed South Korea closer to clinching an eighth consecutive appearance at the World Cup, as it edged Qatar 2-1 on Tuesday in Seoul.

Six minutes into stoppage time, Lee Dong-gook’s arching shot hit the crossbar and fell right in front of a wide-open Son, who was in the right place at the right time to apply the finish with a simple toe poke, capturing a dramatic win at home.

Korea is still second in Group A behind Uzbekistan, but it created some much needed breathing room as it’s now three points ahead of third-place Iran. The top two teams in the group will go to Brazil for next year’s World Cup.

“It was a dramatic victory,” Korea head coach Choi Kang-hee said. “Our players kept going right until the end and were rewarded with victory. We know what we have to do to get to the World Cup and our desire to get there is strong.” Continue Reading »

The South Korean national soccer team will host Qatar in the Asian Football Confederation’s World Cup qualifying phase in Seoul on Tuesday.

Halfway through the qualifying rounds, the Taegeuk Warriors’ berth to next year’s World Cup in Brazil is still far from secured, as they’re currently second in Group A behind Uzbekistan. Although the Koreans have a game in hand, they’re only ahead of Iran and Qatar on goal differential although all three teams have seven points. The slim margin makes the match against Qatar a must-win affair for the Koreans if they are to avoid putting their chances of qualifying in jeopardy.

Korea is still favored to finish in one of Group A’s top-two spots and earn automatic qualification, as three of their remaining four matches are at home where they haven’t lost a World Cup qualifying match since 2005. But losing to Qatar could push the Koreans down to as low as fourth-place in the group.

The squad of 23 players, selected by head coach Choi Kang-hee, includes all of Korea’s Europe-based players except Park Chu-young of Spain’s Celta Vigo. Continue Reading »

Today is Pepero Day in South Korea
Giant Robot

The calendar says 11/11/11, which means one thing in South Korea: Pepero Day. They call it Pepero Day because these skinny, chocolate covered biscuits resemble the numbers that make up the date 11/11. It’s huge holiday over there, with markets and convenient stores decked out with fancy displays and gift baskets of these snacks, a knock off of the more familiar Pocky brand. The concept is that you gift boxes of these confectionary treats to your significant other as a symbol of your affection.

Jonathan Gold’s 99 Essential L.A. Restaurants 2011
L.A. Weekly

I like trucks, taco tables and pop-ups as much as the next guy, but I was really hoping to find evidence pointing to a resurgence in fine dining, powered by exposure to complex cooking on food television, and the vast numbers of people coming out of training programs like Cordon Bleu or the CIA. Alas, I did not.

Instead, when I looked at the new heroes of cooking in America, I kept seeing Lukshon’s Sang Yoon, Kogi’s Roy Choi and ramen-slinging David Chang of New York’s Momofuku: Asian-born guys classically trained in European techniques, working in great American kitchens, who decided to redirect their imagination toward street food. Their dishes have a directness of flavor, and their high-low juxtapositions still have the ability to shock, even in a world where pandan leaf and calamansi lime have become nearly as common as salt and pepper.

Danji’s Hooni Kim Hits Tori Shin Early for the Good Stuff
Eater NY

Chef Hooni Kim of Danji praises Upper East Side yakitori staple Tori Shin.

“I get my yakitori fix at Tori Shin. It’s usually filled with Japanese businessmen and the decor, service, etc give it a real authentic feel. I like to watch the grill chefs twirl the skewers so rhythmically it looks like they’re playing an instrument. My favorites are the following skewers: skin, gizzard, and wing. If you get there early enough you can try the specials which include knee bone, cartilage, hearts, and livers.”

Theater review: ‘The Language Archive’ at East West Players
Los Angeles Times

The play, which won the 2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and premiered at South Coast Repertory last year, depends considerably on its actors’s charms. Happily, director Jessica Kubzansky’s cast mines the comedy and pathos of Cho’s appealing characters: Chang exudes a youthful buoyancy, and Mashita’s smaller roles are played with brisk, delightful discipline. Yu’s droll, relationship-challenged George sells the play’s quicksilver emotional shifts, keeping us invested in his journey. “We are the only two speakers of [our] language,” a desperate George explains to his wife, referring to that unique dialect of private jokes and shorthand that develops within a relationship over time. Forget the linguistics of lost cultures — it takes two for pillow talk.

The play’s preciousness can diminish its dramatic power, and this production doesn’t always find the edges. Cho tends to tell us things about feelings when we’d rather see them played out. Still, “The Language Archive” poignantly anatomizes the speeches and silence of love, requited and not.

Family of woman killed by falling 70-foot tree explores lawsuit
Los Angeles Times

The father of a woman who was killed when a nearly 70-foot eucalyptus tree fell on her car in a Costa Mesa intersection has hired a Beverly Hills lawyer to explore filing a lawsuit.

Haeyoon Miller, 29, was sitting at a red light near Newport Harbor High School when the tree, planted in a median, crashed onto her blue Hyundai.

According to witnesses, emergency crews were able to lift the tree but then it slipped back onto the car.

Flushing clinics in Medicare sweep
Queens Chronicle

Four Queens residents have been charged in federal court with submitting about $11.7 million in fraudulent Medicare claims from two medical clinics in Flushing.

An indictment charges that Ho Yon Kim, 85, of Flushing; Hoy Yat Kam, 57 of Flushing; Elaine Kim, 50, of Bayside; Gilbert Kim, 59, of Bayside; Peter Lu, 36, of Manhattan and John Knox, 54, of the Bronx submitted $11.7 million in false claims through the URI Medical Center, believed to be on Farrington Street in Flushing, and Sarang Medical PC believed to be on 38th Ave.

South Korea beats UAE 2-0 in World Cup qualifier
Yahoo Sports

World Cup regular South Korea was closer to booking a spot in Asia’s fourth and final round of qualifiers for Brazil 2014 with a hard-fought 2-0 win over United Arab Emirates on Friday.

Lee Keun-ho and captain Park Chu-young scored late second-half goals to keep the unbeaten Koreans on top of Group B after four matches.

South Korea beat UAE 2-1 at home a month ago, but didn’t expect as hard a match as it got on Friday.

Whistler Fest to honor quartet
Variety

The Whistler Film Festival will honor actors Patton Oswalt, Andy Serkis, Jay Baruchel and director Jennifer Yuh Nelson during its 11th edition, running Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
…
Nelson, director of DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda 2,” will be honored with the WFF’s first Trailblazer in Animation award, which will be presented by Gaydos on Dec. 3. Nelson is the first woman to solo-direct an animated film from a major studio.

Beyond tangerines and palm trees: Jeju’s unique culture
Yonhap News

Every culture, by definition, is unique, and especially so is that of Jeju Island, a volcanic tourist attraction off the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula.

Jeju’s culture has developed over thousands of years as a result of its people’s relationship with nature, animistic religion and mythology.

The first place in the world to receive UNESCO designations in all three natural science categories, Jeju has its cultural foundation in the animistic belief among its people that the island is home to 18,000 gods.

Healthy Alternatives to Binge-Drinking a New Trend at Office Gatherings
Chosun Ilbo

Getting pass-out-drunk on heady combinations of beer and soju is almost expected by Korean companies whenever work get-togethers are organized, but many corporations are bucking the trend by refocusing such events on healthier pursuits.

One company that handles publicity for food and beverage and apparels makers in Seoul found that its booze-drinking sessions were leaving its employees drained and unproductive. This prompted it to embark on a high-octane evening trip that let them vent their stress in other ways, such as by screaming their way through hair-rising roller-coaster rides.

“We often work overtime in the evening and the workers get really stressed out,” said the head of the company. “But when we are forced to attend company dinners, staff often complain that they get even more tired, so we decided to replace such gatherings with trips to an amusement park.”

Jeju – The Island
Vimeo

Kim Jong-un ‘Masterminded Attacks on S.Korea’
Chosun Ilbo

A North Korean document supports the conclusion that North Korea attacked the Navy corvette Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island last year to whip up domestic support for the succession of leader Kim Jong-il’s son, Jong-un.

The document, which the Chosun Ilbo obtained from a source in China on Tuesday, claims that Kim junior was deeply involved in both attacks. Titled “Lecture Materials,” the document was apparently drawn up for military propaganda officers early this year.

Hollywood Blockbuster About DMZ in Pipeline
Chosun Ilbo

A multi-million-dollar blockbuster is being produced featuring Seoul and the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas. The Seoul city government said on Monday that CJ Entertainment and Di Bonaventura Pictures have agreed to work jointly on a science fiction movie called “DMZ Project” and are now in the second stage of writing the scenario for the flick.

Korean Author Debuts in English With Popular Novel
AP via ABC News

Here’s an article about Korean novelist Kyung-Sook Shin, whose book Please Look After Mom is the first Korean novel to make the New York Times bestseller list.

On a recent day in New York, Shin discussed, through her translator, the popularity of the novel and its universal themes of mother and child, and the gradual realization that all our moms actually have a life outside the family and are women with thoughts and desires.

N. Korea Kim’s sister ‘treated in Russia’
AFP via Google News

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is believed to have received medical treatment in Russia after disappearing from public view for two months, according to a report.

Kim Kyong-Hui, a key influence on the communist leader’s youngest son and heir apparent Kim Jong-Un, was spotted by South Korean tourists at Moscow airport early last month walking with a stoop, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Let us be the first to welcome our new Korean overlords
Jalopnik

Automobile blog Jalopnik discusses Korea’s rapidly-growing presence in the U.S. car market.

Through the first seven months of 2011, Hyundai and Kia have sold more vehicles to Americans than all European automakers combined, and are growing faster than any other automaker. Here’s how South Korea’s automakers have the rest of the world on the run.

Korea Face Rocky Road to World Cup Finals
Chosun Ilbo

The road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is going to be tougher for the Korean national soccer team as changes to the group-stage format mean it must either overcome several strong opponents from the Middle East or square off against Australia or Japan in the early group matches.

The legend that is Lee
ESPN.com

Here is a long profile on Lee Young-pyo, the recently retired South Korean soccer superstar.

Now 34, Lee was still a student in 1999 when he was first called to the South Korean national team to face Mexico at the Olympic Stadium, just across the Han River, still swollen from the previous week when the worst rain for a century caused chaos in the capital. It was the first of 127 appearances that spanned 12 years and three World Cups and, he says, one of his proudest moments. As you can imagine in a career that also included stints with PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund there are others.

Chino Hills woman dies in freeway crash
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Calif.)

A 43-year-old Chino Hills woman died Sunday after the vehicle she was traveling in crossed an open center divider for unknown reasons on the northbound 15 Freeway and was struck by another vehicle headed south.

Paramedics pronounced Jae Hyun Cho dead at the scene on the freeway about six miles north of Mountain Pass (Baily Road) and 14 miles from Primm, Nev., after the 9:50 a.m. crash, according to a San Bernardino County coroner’s news release. Cho’s husband, Danny Cho. drove the 2005 Toyota 4-runner where she was the front passenger.

The library where you can borrow a person
CNNGo

Inspired by a quirky idea that started out in 2000 in Denmark at the Roskilde Festival, a group of young people have organized Singapore’s first Human Library.

The ‘books’ include an alternative healing practitioner, members of the Singapore Contemporary Young Artists, a member of the Singapore Association for the Deaf, a poet, parkour enthusiasts, as well as a rural development social worker.

Wonder Girls Cover B.O.B. and Bruno Mars
Billboard.com

Thousands and thousands and thousands of you came to Billboard.com in recent weeks to vote on which song Korean pop sensations Wonder Girls should play for their Mashup Monday cover. It was close, but B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ hip-hop/R&B-tinged “Nothin’ On You” won with 47% of the vote, narrowly beating out poppy Miley Cyrus’ “Party In The U.S.A.” which got 43%.

‘Hangover II’ Star Ken Jeong Becomes a Billion-Dollar Star
The Hollywood Reporter

“The times, they are a-changin’,” says Ken Jeong, the unlikely star whose movies Transformers: Dark of the Moon and The Hangover Part II collectively broke the billion-dollar mark this week in global grosses. His new comedy Zookeeper is expected to add another $20 million domestically when it opens this weekend.

“Ken is one of the most fearless comic actors I’ve ever worked with,” Hangover director Todd Phillips tells The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s such a danger to him. Anything can happen when you see him in a movie, and audiences feel that. I’d envisioned Mr. Chow as an older character, but I saw a YouTube video Ken made and said, ‘We’ve got to see this guy.’ In the script, we had him in slacks with no shoes or shirt. Ken said, ‘Y’know, maybe it would be funny if I did it naked.’ We slipped a nudity waiver under his door, ‘cause we were shooting it the next day. Ken will do anything. It’s one of the all-time great comic entrances.”

5 Amazing LA Korean Spots and What to Order
PopSugar

Here are five Korean restaurants in Los Angeles that “Kimchi Chronicles” host Marja Vongerichten recommends.

Saving his best for laughs
Los Angeles Times

No joke: American stand-up comic Joe Wong used to be Xi Huang, a Chinese biochemist. He decided he’d rather tickle funny bones than decode genes.

FIFA bans two North Korean women for failing dope test
CNN

World football’s governing body FIFA announced Thursday that two players from the North Korea side have been provisionally suspended from the Women’s World Cup after failing dope tests.

Haute Korean Moves Into Chanterelle Space This Fall
New York Magazine’s GrubStreet

Jung Sik Yim is the chef behind Jung Sik Dang, a Seoul restaurant known for “unusual flavor combinations, high-end ingredients, and a white-tablecloth mind-set.”

Now reps for Yim have confirmed that the 55-seat outpost planned for Tribeca — to be called Jung Sik — will be a similar experience, and will open in the fall.

Starving North Korea faces suspicious donors
Los Angeles Times

Humanitarian groups warn that about 6 million North Koreans face severe food shortages but international donors say they want better oversight before giving more, alleging that most aid is diverted by the regime.

Couple arrested on suspicion of extorting Chinese immigrants
Los Angeles Times

A Hacienda Heights man who operated an illegal nightclub and allegedly extorted members of the San Gabriel Valley’s Chinese community has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty, child endangerment and drug and illegal weapons possession, authorities said Friday.

Sheng Hui Chen, 38, and his wife, Yulan Hu, 31, of Hacienda Heights, both Chinese nationals who entered the United States on tourist visas, were arrested and charged after an investigation that began with allegations of extortion and illegal weapon possession, said Sgt. Steve Kim of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

South Koreans Balk at Saturdays Without School
BusinessWeek

Chung Eunjung, a mother of two sons in Seoul, says South Korea’s plan to give children extra playtime by ending Saturday classes means only one thing: more private tutoring.

On June 14, President Lee Myung Bak’s government announced it would recommend that Korea’s schools end the Saturday classes, a feature of school life since the 1950s. Most schools now hold classes for four hours on two Saturdays a month. President Lee wants Koreans to consume more, and he hopes to wean the school system off its obsession with standardized tests. He figures giving kids and families the weekend off would help achieve both goals.

Judging penis size by comparing index, ring fingers
Los Angeles Times

A new South Korean urology study found a correlation between index finger to ring finger ratio and penis size.

Penis length cannot be determined by how big his hands or feet are — those and other supposed indicators have been widely discredited for years. But now a team of Korean researchers has produced what may be a more reliable guide: the ratio of the length of his index finger to that of his ring finger. The lower that ratio, the longer the penis may be, the researchers wrote Monday in the Asian Journal of Andrology.

Check out the new video for David Choi’s “By My Side” after the jump: Continue Reading »

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