33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave #21 K-Golf 

#21 Queens of the Greens, The Goddess of Golf 

 

 

*Note to Readers

The columns published in the Zoom section of NYCultureBeat contain selected excerpts—typically the opening paragraphs—from each chapter of the book 33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game (2025). These previews are meant to introduce the book’s themes and tone.

 

The complete book—featuring 33 updated chapters and new cultural insights—is available in both paperback and hardcover editions:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HYLVCL

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HZ34Y3

 

© Sukie Park. All rights reserved. These excerpts are for preview purposes only and may not be reproduced in full or redistributed.

 

 

 

Se Ri Pak appeared on the cover of the weekly “Time” magazine in 1998 (left) / In 2007, she was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame and graced the cover of “Asian American Golf” magazine.

 

-South Korean women have golf down to a tee <Telegraph, 2019>

-K-golf: South Korea’s female golfing phenomenon <BBC, 2017>

-South Korea’s golfing women: “You’re either a champion, or nothing” <CNN, 2016>

-South Korean queens of greens rule women’s golf <AFP>

-Why Korea Makes The World’s Best Women Golfers <Wall Street Journal, 2007>

-South Korea Becomes New Face of L.P.G.A. <New York Times, 2006> 

 

In 1998, 20-year-old Se Ri Pak took the golf world by storm, earning the title of “Queen of Golf” by winning four tournaments in a single season, including the US Women’s Open and LPGA Championship. Over the past two decades, women’s golf has been dominated by a generation of golfers inspired by Se Ri Pak, affectionately known as "Se Ri’s Kids."

 

Se Ri Pak is a legend in Korean golf, a national hero who gave hope to the people during the financial crisis (IMF crisis) of the late 1990s. Just four months after her LPGA debut in 1998, she clinched victories at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open Championship. Her first season was marked by four wins, including the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic and the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, earning her the title of Rookie of the Year. Pak’s tenacity and “barefoot fighting spirit” propelled her to a total of 25 wins on the LPGA Tour and 39 wins in her career. In 2007, she became the first and youngest Asian player inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

 

 

Se Ri Pak in the US Women’s Open playoff in July 1998.