Football king of Korea

There were many in Seoul's World Cup stadium for whom the game was something that could only be judged in relation to Park (Ji Sung). It would be hard to exaggerate his level of fame in South Korea. When United came here two years ago, he was voted man of the match, despite the fact that he did not play. This time, however, he was given 15 minutes which should be enough to guarantee him the Korean footballer of the year award. Every time the big screen in the sold-out stadium pictured him on the bench, the 64,000 in the stadium erupted. When he got up from the bench to stretch his legs, they gave him a standing ovation. "The guys on the bench were asking if I was the king of Korea," Park said. "They wondered how I could possibly lead a normal life here."

--- guardian.co.uk ---