Koreans Shine in Magic Olympics
By Ines Min
Contributing Writer
Magic fever has reached South Korea. Last week, three Koreans were placed among the top six finalists at the World Magic Olympics, hosted by the International Brotherhood of Magicians in Nashville, Tenn.
Ryu Hyun-min won an award for his sleight-of-hand abilities in a segment analyzing close-up performances.
In his signature trick, Ryu places three single cards on a table, puts them into an empty envelope, then opens it to reveal dozens of cards pouring onto the stage. Most subtleties are lost when translated through a television screen, so a live performance in front of judges requires great precision.
Kim Hyeong-jun, a programmer for the International Busan Magic Festival, said that the younger generation of Korean magicians is developing a new, independent technique for sleight-of-hand. In the past three years, three South Koreans have won the award for close-up performances in international competitions.
``It distinguishes them from other magicians in the world," Kim said.
Lee Jae-min won the People's Choice award at this year's Olympics and Chae Min-soo rounded out the three Korean finalists.
Ryu said he practiced more than 16 hours a day to reach his level of ability. He said he wanted to show the ``distinction and originality" of Korean magicians.
``Even though it was hard, I'm happy I was able to impress and entertain the audience," he said.