The United States, Spain and Latin America are not the only countries that have a strong tradition with Bulls.  In Korea, bullfighting  is a one on one bout between one bull and his oppononent.  Some might argue animal abuse, but the article states that it’s normal for bulls to fight amongst themselves for reproductive reasons and more importantly unlike Spanish and Latin American bullfighting, the Korean verison of the sport spares the lives of the bulls.

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The hot buzz in Korean food has been the rising popularity of the Kogi Tack Truck started by Chef Roy Choi and Mark Manguera in Los Angeles.  They are now expanding into Orange County.  You can track them down by going to their website: http://kogibbq.com/

So what’s the most successful independent film in South Korea?  Would you believe it’s a documentary about an aging couple who are waiting for their cow to die?

The movie shattered box-office records here for an independent film, becoming an instant low-budget classic, a fable about love, loyalty and rural Korean values — and also a touching, sometimes funny, tale of a wife’s jealousy over the bond between husband and bovine.

Since the movie’s January premiere, a near-daily invasion of curious visitors has threatened the tranquil life of the illiterate couple. The boldest intruders have barged into the house uninvited.  Read>

Cmdr. Jeffrey J. Kim’s inauguration was held March 28 at the South Korean Navy’s operations command in Busan. Kim, who was made captain of the USS John S. McCain, is the second Korean-American naval officer to skipper an Aegis-equipped destroyer, after Cmdr. Choi Hee-dong, captain of the USS Chafee. Read>

After Kim Yu Na’s dominating performance last night at the World Figure Skating Championship, the skating world is abuzz.  This was the final big event before the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.  This just means there’s going to be increasing pressure heaped on the shoulders of this delicate 18 year old from South Korea until the Olympics.  Fortunately for her, Brian Orser is her coach and he knows a lot about having the weight of your country on your back.  Remember the “Battle of the Brians” from many Olympics ago: Brian Boitano edged out Brian Orser for Olympic gold.  It’s going to be fun watching her get ready for the Olympics.  The NY Daily News article – “A star is born and she’s not an American skater” – is just an example of the excitement brewing across the web about Kim Yu Na.  Read>

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ8LjgZ_meY]

South Korean skater Kim Yu Na wowed the crowd last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  She is competing in the World Figure Skating Championships and had an incredible start to the weekend competition by throwing down the highest short program score in history with a 76.12.

“I’m completely impressed,” said 1992 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi. “Her whole package is captivating to watch. She definitely has a special quality.”

“Her first jump, I said, ‘Wow, she has the power of a man and the grace of a woman,’ ” said 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano.  Read>

At Koreatown Plaza, a mall in the heart of the Korean community here, it is impossible to escape this week’s two hottest stories.

South Korea lost to its archrival, Japan, in the World Baseball Classic on Monday. Now attention has shifted to figure skating, where the South Korean Kim Yu-na is one of the favorites to win the world championships.

In the same city where South Korea and Japan clashed in baseball, there will be a second showdown between the nations. Kim’s biggest rival is Japan’s Mao Asada, the reigning world champion.  Read>

Kpop meets Harvard Square this past week.  The very large girl group from South Korea – Girls Generation/SNSD – dropped by Harvard Law School to teach many of the students how they could forge a future in Kpop.