[Newsmaker] Koreas appear out of running for 2032 Olympics following IOC decision

A potential joint bid by South Korea and North Korea to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics has apparently collapsed before it took off in earnest, following a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to pick an Australian city as its preferred candidate. After a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday (local time), the IOC's Executive Board announced Brisbane will be its partner for "a targeted dialogue" on staging the 2032 Summer Olympics. The right to host the com

Olympic GamesFeb. 25, 2021

Franchise system’s impact on the first round of LCK

The first round of the League of Legends Champions Korea Spring Split season came to an end Friday, with the 10 teams all having faced each other, making apparent the advantages and disadvantages of the franchise system. The current standings after the first pairings of the second round are as follows. 1. DWG Kia (9-1) 2. Gen.G (7-3) 3. DRX (7-3) 4. Hanwha Life Esports (6-4) 5. T1 (5-5) 6. KT Rolster (5-5) 7. Afreeca Freecs (3-7) 8. Nongshim RedForce (3-7) 9. Fredit Brion (3-7) 10. Liiv Sandb

More SportsFeb. 24, 2021

Tiger Woods suffers leg injuries after car rollover

The amazing golf career of Tiger Woods, from two-year-old prodigy to his epic comeback 2019 Masters victory, was in jeopardy Tuesday after injuries suffered in a serious solo car crash, the AFP reported. The 45-year-old American, among the world's most famous athletes for the past quarter-century, underwent surgery for multiple leg injuries following the early morning wreck near Los Angeles, according to the report. It could mean the end of a groundbreaking career that has seen Woods win 15

GolfFeb. 24, 2021

[Newsmaker] Tiger Woods seriously injured in crash on steep LA-area road

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Tiger Woods was seriously injured Tuesday when his SUV crashed into a median, rolled over and ended up on its side on a steep roadway in suburban Los Angeles known for wrecks, authorities said. The golf superstar had to be pulled out through the windshield, and his agent said he was undergoing leg surgery. Woods was alone in the SUV when it crashed into a raised median shortly before 7:15 a.m., crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled several times, authorities said at a n

GolfFeb. 24, 2021

Ex-MLB All-Star Choo Shin-soo signs with new KBO club

Former major league All-Star outfielder Choo Shin-soo is coming home. Choo has signed with the new Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club to be owned by Shinsegae Group, the retail giant announced Tuesday. Shinsegae will take over the SK Wyverns from the mobile carrier SK Telecom, with the new club name and uniform to be unveiled sometime next month. Shinegae said Choo agreed to a 2.7 billion-won ($2.4 million) contract and that he has offered to donate 1 billion won of that to charity. Choo'

BaseballFeb. 23, 2021

Volleyball player retires after admitting to bullying allegations

A professional volleyball player has abruptly retired after admitting to assault allegations from his school days, the latest black eye to the sport reeling from a snowballing bullying scandal. Park Sang-ha of the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Bluefangs announced his retirement through his V-League club Monday evening. The decision came three days after Park's middle school classmate accused the player of beating him up in 1999 in an online post. Park, 34, admitted that he had assaulted

More SportsFeb. 23, 2021

Son Heung-min scores 18th of season in Europa League

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has scored his 18th goal of 2020-2021 while setting a new career high in combined goals and assists for a season. Son opened the scoring for the Spurs in their 4-1 victory over the Austrian side Wolfsberger AC 4-1 in Budapest on Thursday (local time) in the first leg of the round of 32 at the UEFA Europa League. Son's header, set up by Gareth Bale, came in the 13th minute. The second leg is scheduled for next Thursday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. S

SoccerFeb. 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] Pro volleyball league rocked by bullying scandal involving star players

Professional volleyball's growing popularity in South Korea came crashing down over the Lunar New Year long weekend, as the league's star players got embroiled in a scandal over their checkered pasts as bullies. The V-League, run by the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO), saw cable TV ratings for some big matches rival or even surpass those of baseball, the nation's No. 1 sport, in recent years. It is now reeling from allegations, since acknowledged by the implicated individuals, that some of

More SportsFeb. 15, 2021

LCK generation change, while Faker and Deft hit milestones

As the decade-old League of Legends Champions Korea matures, rookie players are replacing several veteran players this year with the introduction of the franchise system. The LCK teams have shown a preference for new, younger faces -- players with excellent mechanical skills to lead them for multiple years -- rather than experienced veterans who have only a few years left to play as their mechanical skills go downhill with age. Longtime veterans who represented the LCK such as Kuro, Smeb, Gori

More SportsFeb. 11, 2021

[Herald Interview] Korean StarCraft 2 legend Trap ready to hunt for gold in 2022 Asian Games

It seemed South Korea’s overwhelming dominance in StarCraft would last forever, until American Protoss player Alex “Neeb” Sunderhaft came out of nowhere and became the champion of the KeSPA Cup in 2016, becoming the first non-Korean in 16 years to win a premier StarCraft tournament on Korean soil. Cho “Trap” Sung-ho, who fell to Neeb in the KeSPA final, became the first Korean pro gamer to concede a trophy to a foreigner on home turf in the history of the StarCr

More SportsFeb. 9, 2021

At least 390 volunteers quit Tokyo Olympics

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been facing various hurdles so far, the biggest one being the COVID-19 pandemic, but now internal problems have surfaced, threatening to further hamper the event’s progress. The Tokyo Olympics’ organizing committee chief Yoshiro Mori caused public outrage when he made derogatory remarks against women in a board meeting speech last week. He was quoted as saying that “a board meeting with many women will make it drag on,” while adding that women

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2021

MLB checks on status of S. Korean free agent pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong

Major League Baseball (MLB) has checked on the availability of South Korean free agent pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong, league officials here said Monday, a move indicating newfound interest in the left-hander. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said MLB tendered a status check on Yang last Friday and that it informed its US counterpart that Yang is a free agent and may sign with any big league club. Under an agreement between MLB and the KBO, a major league team interested in a South Korean player

BaseballFeb. 8, 2021

Son Heung-min ends scoring drought, helps snap Tottenham's losing skid

Son Heung-min has ended his five-match Premier League scoring drought, while helping Tottenham Hotspur end their losing streak at three matches in the process. Son netted his 13th goal in the league -- 17th in all competitions -- in Tottenham's 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. Son's last goal in any match had come in a League Cup match against Brentford on Jan. 5. Harry Kane, Son's favorite partner in crime who had been sidelined with an

SoccerFeb. 8, 2021

Memorial museum commemorating 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics opens

The memorial museum dedicated to commemorating the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games opened its doors on Sunday, about three years after the opening ceremony of the quadrennial sporting event. The three-story museum was built at the site of the main Olympic Stadium, where opening and closing ceremonies of the Games were staged, in PyeongChang, a resort town located 180 kilometers east of Seoul in Gangwon Province. It houses some 800 items, including a replica of the Olympic torch, commemor

More SportsFeb. 7, 2021

Lack of professionalism from LCK teams angers esports fans

From social media account troubles to player misconduct, teams in League of Legends Champions Korea are under fire for their glaring lack of professionalism. The latest trouble involves the Twitter account of 2020 world champions DWG KIA. Fans noticed that DWG’s official Twitter account had liked a post with pornographic content, making the post appear on its news feed around 1 a.m. on Jan. 26. About an hour later, DWG issued an official statement saying its account had been hacked. Lat

More SportsFeb. 6, 2021

[Newsmaker] Tokyo Olympics chief in hot water over sexist remarks

The chief of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee has apologized for making derogatory comments about women, but refuses to resign amid the ongoing controversy. “The Education Ministry has been very insistent about choosing female directors,” former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said Wednesday during a Japanese Olympic Committee board of directors meeting. “But a board meeting with plenty of women will make it drag on.” Describing women as having a “strong sen

Olympic GamesFeb. 5, 2021

K League's Ulsan Hyundai drop opening match at FIFA Club World Cup

South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai FC have lost their opening match of the FIFA Club World in Qatar to fall to a consolation game. Ulsan lost to Tigres UANL of Mexico 2-1 at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha, on Thursday to kick off the 17th edition of the FIFA tournament. French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scored twice for Tigres, while Kim Kee-hee had the lone goal for Ulsan in the first half. The Club World Cup brings together continental champions each year, plus the domestic

SoccerFeb. 5, 2021

All KBO spring training participants test negative for coronavirus

All participants in spring training for South Korean baseball have tested negative for the novel coronavirus, the league office announced Monday. Spring training for the 10 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs began across the nation on Monday. And the league announced in the evening that 776 players, 255 coaches and managers, and 692 team officials -- 1,723 in total -- all tested negative. The KBO mandated pre-camp testing for all players, coaches, trainers and front office staffers, plus

BaseballFeb. 1, 2021

SSG Electros? Shinsegae applies for trademark on potential new baseball team name

Searching for a new nickname after purchasing a professional baseball club, South Korean retailer Shinsegae Group said Monday it has applied for a trademark on a name inspired by its home appliance shop. Shinsegae said it has sent in a trademark application for Electros, taken from its Electro Mart chain. Shinsegae acquired the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in a surprise deal announced last Tuesday. E-Mart, the country's biggest discount store chain run by Shinsegae, will

BaseballFeb. 1, 2021

Badminton's teen sensation An finally wins against Spain’s Marin

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Teenage prodigy An Se-young pushed to victory in a tough game against former world champ Carolina Marin on Friday in badminton's World Tour Finals -- her first win over the Spaniard in Bangkok. The world’s top players have been competing in the Thai capital for three consecutive tournaments in a biosecure “bubble”, culminating in this week‘s World Tour Finals. The young South Korean had lost to reigning Olympic champion Marin during their previous two

More SportsJan. 29, 2021