韩国领先的十件事(下)

10thingsSouthKoreadoesbetterthananywhere else(II)韩国领先的十件事（下）10 things South Korea does better than anywhere else(I)回顾6. Female golfersThe Economist posed a million-dollar question earlier this year.Why are Korean women so good at golf?The rankings are staggering.Of the top 100 female golfers in the world, 38 are Korean. Of the top 10, four areKorean.Inbee Park, 25, is the top-ranked player in womens golf and was the youngestplayer to win the U.S. Womens Open.In January, Lydia Ko, 14, set the record for the youngest woman to ever win aprofessional golf tournament.Chalk it up to crazy Korean competitiveness or to the Tiger Mom/Dad theory(golferSe-RiPaksfatheris infamousformakingher sleepalonein a cemeteryevery night to steel her nerves), but the phenomenon certainly begs study.WidelythoughttobearesponsetoKoreandominationofthesport,theU.S.-based LPGA passed a requirement in 2008 mandating that its members mustlearn to speak English, or face suspension.7. StarcraftOne countrys hopeless nerds are among anothers highest earning celebrities.Starcraft is actually a legitimate career in South Korea, with pro gamers raking inhundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings in addition to endorsements.Sincethegamelaunchedin 1998,nearlyhalfofall gameshavebeensoldinSouth Korea, where boys, girls, men and women drop by for a night of gaming ingiant video game parlors.There are cable channels devoted solely to the games, and the culture has led toapproximately14%ofKoreansbetweenages9 and12 sufferingfromInternetaddiction, according to the National Information Agency.To try to crack down, the government passed a ban dubbed the shutdown lawor Cinderella law two years ago, prohibiting anyone 16 and younger from gamewebsites. The ban has been widely ignored.8. Flight attendantsFlightattendantsfromairlinesaroundtheworldcometoKoreanairlinestraining centers to learn proper airborne charm.Ask anyone whos ever flown a Korean airline and dare them to say the serviceisnt the best theyve ever had.Itsnotjustthesweetsmilesthatgreeteverylittlerequest,butthealmostcomical looks of suicidal despair when they somehow run out of bibimbap in therow before yours.9. Blind datesWhens your next sogeting (blind date)?Thats one of the most frequently asked questions of any Korean single.The standard answer is the epic horror story that was the last blind date, ofteninvolving a crippling Oedipus complex or intolerable physical flaw.Followed immediately by a chirpy, Why, do you know someone you can set meup with?Due to the high volume of blind dates, when Korean make up their minds, theymove quickly.According to data compiled by South Koreas largest matchmaking Duo, the average length of time of a relationship from the (blind) marriage is approximately 10.2 months for working people, with an average of 62 dates per couple.company,firstdatetoIn a survey conducted by Duo, working singles interested in marriage say theytypically go on two blind dates a week.They should know. Of the top four matchmaking companies in Korea (there are2,500 companies in the country), Duo has a 63.2% marketshare.10. Plastic surgeryWhetheritsa lanternjaw,wideforeheadorlongteeth,theresnofeaturedoctors cant beautify in the Asian capital for cosmetic surgery.Russians,Chinese,Mongoliansand JapaneseflocktoSouthKoreaonplasticsurgerymedicaltours,notonlyfortheskillofthesurgeons,butforthegooddeals.An average not excellent face-lift in the United States will set you backabout$10,000,SeoulNationalUniversityHospitalplasticsurgeonKwonSeung-taiktoldCNN.But inKoreayoucangetthesame servicefor$2,000 or$3,000.【 The end 】