Hmm... the Koreans hate the Japanese even more
than the Yankees hate the Red Sox...
[WSJ]
South Korea Wants Its Sumo Wrestlers to Slim Down
Hoping to attract more fans, the traditional sport is getting a makeover;
"bodies like Hercules"
In a new sports ad, a brawny South Korean man stands shirtless in a pair
of shorts. The camera pans six-pack abs and a chiseled jawline.
"It's pleasurable, excitable, your heart rate quickens," the ad's
voiceover says. "Wanna play?"
It's not a promotion for boxing or mixed-martial arts. It's an attempt to
rebrand South Korea's centuries-old take on sumo wrestling.
Lean and mean.
Called ssireum (pronounced "sheed-um"), Korea's traditional wrestling has
fallen on hard times. Many saw the sport as unathletic, and had little
desire to watch beefy men toss each other to the ground. Once a national
pastime that drew two-thirds of Korean households, TV ratings slid under
1% last year, according to the Korean Broadcasting System's sports
channel.
Ssireum's organizers believe they have found a way to pick the sport back
up off the mat: a sexy makeover.
"Drooping flesh, cellulite and sweat makes female viewers want to turn the
camera away," said Lee Seung-sam, secretary general of the Korea Ssireum
Association. "If more players build their bodies like Hercules, I believe
the popularity will go up," he said.
Attendance at ssireum events this year has grown fivefold, driven by a
surge in female fans, according to the association. In November, South
Korea's largest television network introduced a reality show featuring 16
super-fit wrestlers called "Excitement of Ssireum."
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rest:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-wants-its-sumo-wrestlers-to-slim-down-11575223853
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