Yes, Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) has done it again. It has been named the Best Airport Worldwide for the fifth consecutive year. And with this award it has become the first ever airport to win this top award for five consecutive years in a row.
The Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI) based its ranking on the survey given out to 250,000 passengers who ranked the airports in 34 different categories, which include cleanliness of facilities, security inspections, transportation services, waiting times and visa and customs services.
Here’s another first, to add another feather to the Korean cap. South Korean mountain climber, Oh Eun-sun, became the first woman to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks. She climbed Annapurna, the tenth highest peak in the world and the final mountain she needed to break the record, on April 27th.
President Lee Myung-bak invited her recently to the presidential office, to congratulate her on her great achievement, and added that her accomplishment had raised the global status of the Korean nation.
In the entertainment sector, we have singer and actor Rain who has been nominated for the Biggest Badass Star award at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, which will be held in the U.S. on June 6. Rain, who was nominated for his performance in the Hollywood action flick “Ninja Assassin,” joins other nominees like Angelina Jolie, Channing Tatum, Sam Washington and Chris Fine in the category.
The MTV Movie Awards nominates stars in 12 categories, with the winners being selected by netizen votes. Voting continues through June fifth on the awards’ Web site(movieawards.mtv.com). The film “The Hangover” has garnered six nominations, the most in any movie, followed by “Avatar” and the second installment of the Twilight series “New Moon,” both of which have been nominated in five categories. For the results of this award, we have to wait until June 6 but I won’t be surprised if Rain wins.
Well, looks like Korea will be happily welcoming home their ladies badminton team who will be bringing home the much coveted Uber Cup with them. Congratulations Korea, you’ve done it again!
Korea has stopped China from claiming their seventh consecutive Uber Cup title and in doing so created one of the biggest upsets in women’s badminton history.
Korea won with a 3-1 victory that saw China's world #1 Wang Yihan sensationally lose in straight sets to Korea’s Bae Seung Hee, ranked #16. Bae managed to out-class her Chinese opponent with her wonderful strategy. The Uber Cup debutante had done her homework well, analyzing Wang's game play on video before the match. She said she realized pushing the ball long would be her best chance of winning.
Wang, crowned world player of the year on Sunday, was uncharacteristically indecisive at the net and on four occasions let the shuttle fly over her head, expecting it to go long only to see it land inside. She made crucial mistakes over and over and her defense was simply lacking. So Bae’s strategy was really working.
Bae kept her cool to pip Wang 23-21 in a tense first set before pressuring her opponent into a series of errors to seal the game with a 21-11 win at the Kuala Lumpur Putra Stadium.
In this post on Korean winners I must not forget to include the Korean skating queen, Kim Yu-na though the news maybe a bit stale by now. What’s important is that she’s a winner too!
With the gold medal win by an Asian woman in the Olympic figure skating competition, a power shift in the sport dominated by Europe and North America, has now been shifted to Asia. All eyes are on Korea now, all because of Kim Yu-na and the Korean team at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics where they were placed fifth, winning 14 medals out of which were 6 golds.
Kim Yu-na could play a key role in the chase for yet another top Olympic prize - the bid to host the 2018 Winter Games in Korea. From what I hear, Pyeongchang in the Gangwong province is making its third consecutive bid after narrow defeats in the votes for the 2010 and 2014 Games. Other bidders are Munich and Annecy, France.
But we shall have to wait until June, when the International Olympic Committee officially approves the list of finalist candidates. The actual voting will be carried out by the International Olympic Committee in July 2011, in Durban, South Africa. So, good luck Korea, I hope you’ll be 3rd time lucky!
You know, all this Korean winning streak has formed a question in my mind, “Is there nothing that the Koreans cannot do?” I may not have the answer to this but I do know one thing. What is the key to success for the Koreans? From what I can see the Koreans’ strength lies in their dedication and motivation in everything they do! They aspire to be the best and they do it not for personal glory but more so for national pride. I think the rest of us can learn a thing or two from the Koreans. I love Korea!
Special thanks and appreciation to the following
Photos and articles © courtesy:
YONHAP
http://www.badzine.info/index.php/features/photos.html
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Dm_detail.htm?No=72584
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