Women working out to frenetic techno music might not seem significant to most people, but sports officials in South Korea insist activities of this kind have inspired the country to sporting success.
Nestling near the Busan Metropolitan Art Museum in South Korea's second city of around 4 million people is the Sports for All Busan Association (SABA) headquarters.
It provides local residents with the opportunity to work out in a low-tech gym, do aerobics in the afternoon when their children are at school, or treat their kids to ballet or taekwondo lessons when school has finished.
South Korea is not that big with a compared to other Asian countries and has a population of 48 million people. But it has consistently achieved sporting success, in the Olympics and more recently at the World Cup.
The reason given for this is the government-funded national centers for sporting excellence, which identify talent at a young age and develop this potential, often at the expense of an academic education.
In addition, there is the "sports for all" movement, again promoted by the government, which has successfully sold exercise as a way of keeping healthy, looking good and living longer.
As a result there are not-for-profit organizations such as SABA, government-subsidized corporations and other institutions dedicated to sports, for all.
Adults, seniors and children are encouraged to participate and this leads to an industry that is profitable in terms of making money out of sports and successful in terms of winning at international events.
Lessons can be learned by Taiwan from South Korea's continued sporting success, a sports official at the SABA headquarters said yesterday.
"Starting before the Olympics in 1988, South Korea heavily invested in sports because it's good for the population and gives significant national recognition," SABA general-secretary Lee Min-soon said.
"This is why we have been successful and why we always do well at events such as the Asian Games," he said.
What to do
If you've had enough of sports at the 14th Asian Games there are cultural, trade and even spiritual exhibitions to visit.
For culture vultures there is the Busan Biennale, which incorporates a contemporary art exhibition at the Busan Metropolitan Art Museum, a sea art festival and Busan sculpture project.
It's not too heavy.
Though the artists or critics may have their own interpretations of what the large conceptual works of art dotted around the city or on the beach at Haeundae mean, the pleasure in these pieces is what the general public make of them.
A giant stretch Cadillac with sails faces the ocean and children climb in, pretending they are navigating the high seas. Old men and women can be seen scratching their heads at a train wreck rising out of the sand. Gaggles of school children run around laughing and pointing at ceramic dolls sailing on a ship outside the main trade exhibition hall.
What to buy?
Once Asian Games fans have had enough of work they can visit a number of trade exhibitions that are running.
They can browse the local craft works and go to the novelty items section of the exhibition at the BEXCO center.
Marvel at "Gumsong" pencils a meter long, retractable tooth brushes -- "award winning, patented, hygienic and suitable for one-handed motions" -- and glow-in-the-dark underpants, some of which flash "I love you."



