I have never been a sports fan, despite the fact that both my mother and my father were very athletic.
But I have to tell you, that being here in the crowds, even watching Korea lose twice, has been almost as good as sex.
The Korean people are wonderful, friendly, and open.  As I have been walking around in my red "Be the Reds" T Shirt and, clearly, not Korean, I have experienced a warmth it seems I have never known from a People.
I think I am now a soccer fan forever.  (Natural - it was, after all, my father's favorite sport - and he was really, really good at it.)
I certainly love Korea and the People of the Han.
I certainly hope the link I pasted works.  Reading it brought me to tears.
P.S. (this is the edit) I think Mr. Wahl is in the same hotel I am.  I have not seen him, but I have seen plenty of other Westerners in "Be the Reds" shirts.

-- Modified on 6/29/2002 4:08:08 PM

I was fortunate enough to spend a month & 1/2 there in "83". I was there at the time for military excersises. I was in the Army as a heavy equipment operator so my work took my to the rual areas and small villages outside the main cities.

My experiences there were much as you described. The warmth of the people there is unbelievable. I was a stranger out there in the middle of nowhere (or it seemed that way to me) yet in the evening the villagers came and brought me little treats of whatever they had and to extend their greetings. I do not know any of those people but I knew if I ran into any trouble at all I would have to do is just knock on any door and I would be welcomed as family.

Truly a wonderful people.
-Glen

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/grant_wahl/news/2002/06/24/wahl_insider/index.html

-- Modified on 6/29/2002 7:12:18 PM

Korea is a cool place. Visited there in the early nineties.

Very friendly decent folk. They are like the Irish of Asia.