The largest fan site of the famous South Korean footballer, Ji-Sung

Park, has launched an online forum to deal with its many thousand of daily

visitors- with the excitement of the World Cup building all the time-

at an alarming space. The South Korean football world is growing close

to a frenzy and their hopes rely on Ji-Sung Park even more

Already a hugely popular fan site (the no.1 site in Google, Yahoo and

MSN for any Park-related enquiry one could imagine)- with over 3,000

visitors per day, http://www.ji-sungpark.com has had to think of ways to

cater to the large percentage of its visitors who are from South Korea.

Apart from integrating an online South Korean translator, site owner

Robert Brookes is constantly thinking of new ways to keep his site

visitors. Recent additions and events have included: an online quiz for a

Ji-Sung Park t-shirt, a comprehensive article inventory and a preview of

the World Cup in Germany, focusing on South Korea, some uniquely design

Ji-Sung Park wallpapers available for free download, live video feeds

and perhaps most exciting of all- a charitable auction for a hand-signed

Ji-Sung Park no.13 Manchester United shirt.

But where could the site communicate and interact with its huge

following- being the only true and comprehensive presence of Ji-Sung Park

online? Simple: start up a forum. And that is exactly what site owner and

lifelong Man Utd. fan, Robert Brookes has done:

http://www.ji-sungpark.com/forum/

As Brookes says: ?I want our South Korean guests to feel welcome and

comfortable and not be inhibited by English that isn't perfect. Mine

isn't either!! The point is to chat about Park and his remarkable

achievements- not just in a footballing sense- but also in his attitude and life

story, one of courage, determination and single-mindedness against the

odds.?

Ji-Sung Park himself is already talking up South Korea's chances at the

imminent World Cup in Germany this coming June. Quoted in the Korean

press recently, he said:

?I am certain we can go even beyond the round of 16. We're all

determined to prove to the world that what happened in 2002 was not the product

of luck and home advantage."

The new forum at http://www.ji-sungpark.com/forum/ is taking bets?.

But what of the player himself? So famous that he has had a road named

after him in his native town of Suwon and now playing for the most

famous club in the world?.

Park bench? This was the nickname that was mooted for Ji-Sung Park when

he went to England and Manchester United last summer. Fans of the more

cynical persuasion -- and football fans are not known for lacking that

trait -- felt that the signing of the Korean was as much due to his

ability to sell shirts than what he could do on the field.

United's season is now nearly over and with the team on a great run,

finally putting some pressure on Chelsea, it seems a good time to look at

how the "new engine," as he has been named in the Korean media, is

doing in the northwest of England.

The verdict has to be pretty good. The 24-year-old should be satisfied

with his performance since the season started last August. A look at

the amount of playing time that the player has enjoyed suggests that Park

is a valuable part of the squad, but not yet an automatic starter.

Reporters talk of "first names that the coach writes on the team sheet"

and while Park isn't one of those at United- yet, that title doesn't

belong to many of his teammates either. Perhaps only goalkeeper Van Der

Sar, defenders Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand and striker Wayne Rooney

can be secure in the knowledge that unless they are being rested for a

forthcoming game, they will be starting on the pitch. Even the prolific

Ruud Van Nistelrooy discovered to his apparent amazement that he cannot

assume first team selection every match.

Park lies in between that select group and the backup players. He

always plays some part in the game but is never quite sure of how many

minutes he will spend sitting on the bench (one that is heated at United!)

or on the other, more active, side of the white line.

Out of the Red Devils first 34 games this season, the Korean star has

been available for selection for all but two, due to a knee injury. He

has seen action in 29 matches, a surprising statistic for those,

including Guus Hiddink, who said that his former protege would be wasting his

time at Old Trafford.

"Park will be a waste of time at Manchester," said the PSV coach when

"Ji," as he his known by his new teammates, signed for the two-time

European champions.

"He will spend most of his time on the bench; it was not a wise

decision for him to go. The Brazilian midfielder Kleberson is a good example

for Park, he went to United and was a failure. Park should have stayed

with PSV for another year."

Those comments are beginning to sound less and less like the wisdom

Koreans expect to come from the Dutchman's mouth and more like sour grapes

as the season has progressed.

Although Park is not yet an automatic starter for the club, for those

who have followed his career there is an expectation of better to come.

After a slow start at PSV, his progression was almost meteoric. It is

now the United players whose can be heard singing the praises of their

hard-working teammate. And this most of all after his winning goal

against Arsenal recently!

Despite the language barrier, Park has demonstrated a wicked sense of

humour:

"I may not be as handsome as Beckham but I feel I could be just as good

as he is," he said last month. "I understand the pressure of coming to

Manchester United and the expectation of the fans over here. I want to

show my value to United in terms of my ability, not for some marketing

strategy in Asia."

He has already shown that he has more to offer than providing an "in"

to the Asian market. It remains to be seen if he can take the next step;

making himself an indispensable part of the Manchester United team and

rise again to such dizzy heights in this year's World Cup in Germany.

Perhaps this partly explains the unfathomable success of

http://www.ji-sungpark.com and it's new forum

http://www.ji-sungpark.com/forum/ ??