Park Chan-Ho and Kim Mi-Hyun

Why sports draws attention from the people is because it gives hope and is touching as well. The scenes of sports challenging the limit of human's capability and overcoming difficulties help the people alleviate their stress coming from daily lives. Sports had played the role of a cool shower under the scorching heat under a choking social atmosphere caused by the layoff, ``honorable retirement,'' and reduced income in 1998, the first year of the IMF bailout program.

Pak Seri who won four LPGA championships, impressing the people with her ``white ankles'' that made a shocking contrast with her ``black legs'' during her U.S. Open Championships made the people happy and encouraged them. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Park Chan-Ho was no exception in cheering up the people under the difficult situation by winning 15 games in the Major League.

At that time, people used to exchange greetings, saying, ``Seeing Pak Seri and Park Chan-Ho is the reason why I am living.'' The people did not think that it was not too much for the government to honor them with medals. Sports stars were helpful to creating a social consensus among the people to tide over the then currency crisis, dubbed ``IMF crisis.''

Now, the nation is on the verge of ``graduating'' from the bailout program of the IMF. In other words, now is not the time when the performances of sports stars are supposed to exercise a great influence on society. Yet, Park's 17th win of the season and ``Super Peanut'' Kim Mi-Hyun's first LPGA victory are considered meaningful.

Of course, the victories of Park and Kim are not usual. Park's 17th win is a new record set up by an Asian pitcher in the Major League. He broke the record of 16 wins established by Japan's Hideo Nomo in 1996. KIm's triumph in the Safeway Championship is of significance in that it came in a sudden death playoff contested by Koreans. In particular, Kim survived a double bogey and a triple bogey in the final round to capture the trophy.

However, the people are happy with the ``joy of the winners'' apparently because of the current living conditions. It is obvious that the nation is now faced with various difficult problems such as typhoon damage, medical doctors' strike, high oil prices, never-ending crash of stock market, illegal loan scandal involving Hanvit Bank to name a few.

There must be many people who felt relaxed for a moment, though, upon hearing the news of Park and Kim. The people will be happy if the Korean delegation to the Sydney Olympics will attain good results in the remaining games.