(Yonhap Feature) Face readers try to divine next U.S. president

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- Pollsters can predict all they want. But for some
Koreans, victory is written in the face.
South Korean physiognomy practitioners, or face readers, are betting this week on
who will make it to the White House, and watching intently to see the political
fate of a country so closely tied to their own.
The U.S. presidential race, whose outcome is expected by Wednesday evening (Korea
time), has been intensely monitored here. The election dominated front pages of
South Korea's major newspapers Tuesday morning, as the United States remains the
country's foremost political, military and business ally.
Polls suggest Democratic nominee Barack Obama, 47, will likely edge out his
Republican rival John McCain, 72, to become the first-ever black president in
U.S. history. It's a prediction some face readers here would carefully dispute.
"McCain's face exudes stronger fortunes," said Kim Gwang-il, a face reader and
columnist. "McCain has a wide forehead that implies vast political fortunes, and
his unusually glaring eyes are an indication of his successful future. Obama is
fancied to win right now, but let's wait and see."
"McCain has an awesome jaw," said Baek Woon-san, head of the Association of
Korean Psychics. "A rectangular shaped jaw that amply supports his auspicious
face, while Obama, who also has a clean and bright forehead, has a jaw that is
pointy and thus indicates a fortune that tapers off."
Face reading is believed to have originated nearly 3,000 years ago in China, and
is supposedly able to reveal the details of a person's past, present and future.
The practice has appealed to growing numbers of young people in South Korea, who,
amid growing fears of unemployment, believe auspicious facial features may help
fortify their job credentials. Some go so far as to receive plastic surgery in
hopes of bettering their luck.
Politicians and businesspeople are also known to turn to face readers to help
map out their careers. Even Samsung Group, South Korea's top conglomerate, was
once rumored to have hired physiognomy practitioners to aid in job interviews.
"McCain may have great facial features, but physiognomy takes in many more
factors," said Shin Ki-won, one of the country's most widely consulted face
readers. "Age especially is a crucial factor."
Even though he believes McCain's face radiates stronger fortunes, Shin said the
Arizona senator's age may be the determining factor in the race against his
Illinois counterpart.
"When you're young, your luck is likely to multiply and amplify. That is what
could help propel Obama past McCain," Shin said.
But with all that is on the line in this campaign, others are hoping it doesn't
all boil down to bone structure.
"Faces do tell a lot about people's lives, especially their past," said Cho
Young-jin, an art professor at the Seoul National University of Education and
author of several books on facial features. But he cautioned that reading a
person's face "shouldn't be equal to saying that faces determine the future."
"The future is open to possibilities, and what matters is how a person leads and
manages each moment of his or her life."
samkim@yna.co.kr
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