Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Korea's Got Talent and Korea's Susan Boyle

So, Korea's Susan Boyle (I think he's Korea's Paul Potts) got second place in "Korea's got talent" (hat tip: I Am Koream)

Here's his emotionally manipulative original viral thingy:


He was beaten by this amazing popper: Ju Min Jeong.
I'm very impressed by her, frankly.


Congratulations to both.
However, Choi Sang-bong has his own English wikipedia page. Ju Min-jeong doesn't. As of this writing. So who's the real winner?

And Korea's Susan Boyle joins the list of "Korea's X" things, along with... (these are from Brian in Jeollanamdo)


Korea's Madonna - Uhm Jung-hwa
*Korea's Madonna - Gwangyang's own Chae-yeon
Korea's Madonna - Bada
Korea's Usher - Rain
Korea's Justin Timberlake - Rain
Korea's Beyonce - Gwangyang's own Kim Ok-bin
Korea's Michael Jackson - Seo Taiji
Korea's Angelina Jolie - Kim Hye-soo
Korea's Naples - Tongyeong
Korea's Hawaii - Jeju
Korea's Manhattan - Yeouido
Korea's Grand Canyon - Bulyeongsa Valley (LMFAO, thanks Michael).
Korean Alps - mountains in Gangwon-do
Korea's 9/11 - The Namdaemun arson 
Korea's Bangalore - Daejeon 
Korean Harry Potter - Woochi
Korea's Lady Gaga - CL
Korea's Moses Red Sea Miracle - Jindo Sea-Parting Festival
Korea's Gandhi - Cho Man-sik
Korea's Mariah Carey - Lena Park
Korea's Barbie Doll - Han Chae-young

And let's not forget:

Korea's Susan Boyle - Choi Sang-bong.
Korea's times square - uh... Yeongdeungpo Times Square
Korea's NYC Central Park - Ttukseom Seoul Forest
Korea's Seine/Thames River (another) (Han river)
Korean Opera - pansoori
Korean Pizza - Jeon
Korea's Manhattan - Yeouido
Korea's Hawaii - Jeju Island

Additions from readers and contacts:
Korea's Silicon Valley - Daejeon
but upon googling "Korea's silicon valley" it turns out
Korea's Silicon Valley - is ALSO Bundang
Korea's Naples - Tongyeong - confirmed by another person.
Korea's Grand Canyon - Buleyongsa


Korea's butthole - Gumi (this one might have been a joke, though ㅋㅋㅋ)

I know there are many more... please tell me who/what/where I've missed in the comments. Bonus points for links.

As you may have gathered, I'm not a huge fan of comparing everything in Korea to something more famous somewhere else. It just makes Dream Forest look like a pale imitation, to compare it to somewhere more famous, and maybe better, from somewhere else.

However, I'll also say this: I went to Toronto's Eaton Center while I was in Canada this summer, and there are at least four shopping centers in Seoul alone that smack that mall like a chubby bunny.

Star City - Keondae
Yeongdeungpo Times Square - Yeongdeungpo
Enter 6 - Wangshimni
Lotte World + Lotte Adventure - Jamsil
And the mother of them all: Coex - Samseong

and once it gets going and the areas around it fill with apartments and the mall fills with shops, Garden 5 in Songpa will beat out Eaton Center, too. Unless Eaton Center had a jimjilbang I missed.

So Eaton Center Toronto, you are henceforward to be known as Toronto's Korea's Times Square. Or Toronto's Korea's Mall of America. You choose.

Maybe Choi Sung Bong will get his own star on Korea's Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

6 comments:

JIW said...

I liked seeing this show even if I didn't know what they were saying most of the time. I like how everyone was more genuine then the real show back home. Plus you could tell the hard work people put in to their acts. Sung Boh's story is just so heartbreaking it makes you wonder about other people in his situation. Ihope this some how has an affect and teenage orphans get a better chance.

BuckyHermit said...

When describing my hometown to people in Korea, I heard at least one person refer to Vancouver as "Canada's Busan."

Anonymous said...

It bothers me that people rave about someone simply because they can't get their thick skulls around the fact that talent and looks don't always go together.

Susan Boyle is a decent amateur singer, but nothing special. The only reason she became popular as that people were shocked (because of their own stupidity, as I said) that someone as ugly as her could actually sing fairly well, and wasn't afraid to get up on stage in front of a large crowd... and Simon Cowell.

Let me be clear: I'm criticising the prejudices of the general public, not Susan herself.

Anonymous said...

In defense of the Eaton Center, bear in mind that place was built in the 1960s.

Roboseyo said...

I'm just having a little fun at my home country's expense, Anon. It's fun to put the shoe on the other foot. http://roboseyo.blogspot.com/2008/05/american-kim-geon-mo.html

Jason said...

It is funny that I just found this now. I was saying that Ulsan was Korea's Detroit, but with better weather.