Superbowl MVP Was Born in Korea

Korean-born Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers was named the Most Valuable Player of Superbowl 40, the U.S. National Football League (NFL) championship game and America`s greatest sporting event.

Ward caught five passes for 123 yards with one touchdown yesterday at Ford Field in Detroit, leading the Steelers to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Ward was born in Seoul to a Korean woman, Kim, and an African-American GI on March 8, 1976. He and his family then moved to the United States where Kim and Ward Sr. soon divorced. Raised by his devoted single mother, Ward became an NFL star after enduring many years of hardship.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com