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"The reason behind the success of Korean female golfers is due to the complex application of Korean factors like the unique work ethic that considers excess study at university entrance time natural and the 'All In' culture that stakes everything on a huge objective, like the bar exam."
62-year-old sociology professor Shin Eui-hang of the University of South Carolina has become the subject of conversation after he published a thesis in a U.S. academic journal scientifically explaining why Korean female golfers are doing so well on the U.S. LPGA Tour. Together with his assistant Edward Adam Nam, Shin ran his thesis, entitled, "Culture, Gender Roles, and Sport: The Case of Korean Players on the LPGA Tour" in the August edition of the "Journal of Sports and Social Issues," published by the University of Illinois.
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Korean female golfers. From left: Park Se-ri, Grace Park and Michelle Wie
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Shin said, "After the legendary success of Pak Se-ri, I have frequently been asked by U.S. colleagues as to the reasons behind the success of Korean female golfers, so I have analyzed the reasons at the levels of sports sociology and comparative cultural research."
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Professor Shin Eui-hang
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Among the factors Shin attributed to the success of female Korean golfers were 1) the Korean "Golf Boom" that began in the 1980s; 2) the toughness of Korean women; 3) the close father-daughter relationship in Korea in which fathers are quite indulgent of their daughters; and 4) excellent hand-eye coordination that is a product of a culture in which women traditionally sew and people use chopsticks.
Shin also said, "Korea had placed limits on women's participation in politics, economics, education, religious, law and medicine... Because of this, Korean parents who had pushed their daughter toward violin, piano, ballet and other arts turned their attention to golf."
Shin, who has spent the last year as an exchange professor at Yonsei University and is returning to the U.S. this month, said, "In order for Korean female golfers to become a true central axis in the U.S. LGPA Tour, they need to build friendlier relations with other golfer on the tour."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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