Koreans who shine in 2010

Politics In the June 2 local elections, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling Grand National Party was reelected as governor of Gyeonggi Province, defeating Rhyu Si-min, the opposition? unified candidate and a close confidant of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. Since then, Kim, with the image of a hard-working administrator, has enjoyed solid support in his province, emerging as a potential candidate for the next presidency. As governor, he has pushed for an ambitious project to build an underground high-speed train, the GTX, short for Great Train Express. The express train, once completed by 2017, will link satellite cities and the capital, running up to 200 kilometers per hour. Sohn Hak-kyu, a former Gyeonggi Province governor, was elected as chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Oct. 3 in a victory that could pave the way for an upset in the 2012 presidential election. It was a remarkable win for Sohn as he only joined the liberal DP four years ago after leaving the conservative Grand National Party. Since taking over the DP? leadership, he has enjoyed growing popularity for his policies on promoting the interests of the working- and middle-class. He has sided with environmental and religious groups to oppose the Lee Myung-bak administration? four-river refurbishment project. City Liberal novelist Lee Oi-soo emerged as one of the most popular icons on Twitter, boasting more than 400,000 followers. The 64-year-old novelist, favored among the younger generation for his eccentric behavior and satirical language in his publications, posted a series of controversial remarks on Twitter, making news all year round. Lee was at the center of a controversy in October over BBQ Chicken and other fried chicken franchises, which were suspected of falsifying the origins of some of the items on their menus. The novelist apologized through Twitter over his promotional activities for BBQ Chicken as he tweeted a message promoting the franchise four times a month in exchange for receiving 10 million won, which he declared was used to support underprivileged children in rural areas. A 68-year-old grandmother who got her driver? license on her 960th attempt became an instant national celebrity on May 7, with all media outlets praising her determination and persistence. Cha Sa-soon, who sells vegetables at a traditional market in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, received her driver? license, four years and six months after she started taking the written exam. She passed the test in November last year by just making the cut-off line of 60 points, after 949 failures. A baby Malayan Sun Bear that escaped from its cage at a zoo in Seoul on Dec. 6 became Korea? most beloved celebrity after having eluded hundreds of police officers and zoo staff for nine days. Culture K-pop girl groups reached new heights in 2010, breaking into the Japanese music scene and injecting energy in the revival of ?allyu?(Korean wave). Girls' Generation's "Gee" and "Hoot" both reached the No. 2 positions on the Oricon charts, making the 9-member band the first non-Japanese Asian group to do so, and the second foreign female group in 30 years. In the entertainment field, musical director Park Kolleen garnered many fans after her guest appearance on the KBS show "Qualifications of a Man," and the ever-charming personality has also published an autobiographical book. The 17-year-old singer IU expanded her audience base with a more soulful R&B aura this year ?a duet with a 2AM member has led to more star collaborations such as with veteran musician Yoon Jong-shin. Jang Hyuk is the new actor to watch out for as he wowed viewers with his leading role in KBS??lave Hunters?(Chuno), which was followed by a Chinese drama and next year? SBS production "Midas." "Bread, Love and Dreams" (Korean title "King of Baking Kim Tak-gu") spotlighted the talents of Yoon Si-yoon, who quickly became the face of the pastry mega-corporation Dunkin' Donuts. Sports Figure skater Kim Yu-na was highlighted among Korean athletes this year as she demonstrated exceptional talent and strong mentality to win the Olympic title by overcoming the weight of an entire nation? expectations put on her slim shoulders. The 20-year not only won Korea? first gold medal in the women? event in the Vancouver Winter Games but also set a new world record by earning 228.56 points. South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong also exhibited the determined and hard working mindset of the country? young athletes in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa against football giant Argentina on June 17. South Korean striker Ji So-yun has emerged as the athlete to watch in women? football, leading the Under-20 squad to take third place in the FIFA World Cup on Aug. 1. Ji is expected to become a huge star as she begins playing for Kobe INAC of Japan in the next season. Swimmer Park Tae-hwan managed a second-straight gold medal triple at the Asiad in Guangzhou in November by topping the podium in the men? 400-, 200-, and 100-meter freestyle. The 21-year old? milestone followed victories in the 200-, 400-, and 1,500-meter freestyle in the 2006 Asian Games, as he bounced back from a disappointing performance in the world championships last year. The star athlete is now aiming for victory in the London 2012 Olympics, where he will attempt to bring home another Olympic gold following his success in the 400-meter freestyle in 2008. Business The outgoing 2010 has seen ups and downs among the leaders of Korea Inc. Among them Lee Jae-yong, the only son of Samsung Group leader Lee Jun-hee, and Lee Bu-jin, the elder of the senior Lee's two daughters, were put on the front line of the conglomerate's management. Jae-yong has been promoted to president and will work in his previous capacity of chief operating officer at Samsung Electronics, the group's flagship. Bu-jin was promoted two notches to president, a move that surprised industry watchers. There is a consensus that the two? promotions are the first step in Samsung? generational shift in management but it remains to be seen whether it means the senior Lee will become detached from key decisions affecting Korea's largest conglomerate. A change in LG, Samsung's rival, means a significant shift, highlighted by the promotion of Koo Bon-joon to head the troubled LG Electronics. Koo, the younger brother of Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, replaced the hired gun Nam Yong as LG Electronics CEO after it has suffered from a series of poor-performing quarters, mainly because of a late start in the smartphone business. Now, industry watchers expect that LG Electronics will turn around from the second quarter of next year at the latest. However, outshining all these corporate changes is the rise of SaKong Il, who indisputably made the biggest contribution except for President Lee Myung-bakk for the successful hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit. The summit put Korea on the global financial map, with Seoul, led by SaKong, playing a pivotal trouble-shooting role in the entanglement of financial rivalries pitting big powers against each other. Thanks to his role, SaKong was named as a potential candidate for the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund, a job that has only been occupied by Europeans in a post-World War II arrangement with the United States.