New KBO boss sets sights on improved play, safety during pandemic

The new head of South Korean professional baseball said Tuesday he will prioritize running a safe 2021 season during the coronavirus pandemic while also putting together an improved product on the field. Chung Ji-taik, a 70-year-old executive with the business conglomerate Doosan Group, was introduced as the 23rd commissioner of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) that day. In his inauguration ceremony held at the KBO headquarters in Seoul, Chung said the KBO faces "a series of tasks&qu

BaseballJan. 5, 2021

New coach says FC Seoul belong in K League's top tier

FC Seoul finished in a disappointing ninth place among 12 clubs in the K League 1 in 2020, just a year after ranking in third place. And their new head coach, Park Jin-sup, is determined to take them back to the upper echelon, because that's where he thinks FC Seoul belong. "I think that is where we're supposed to be," Park told reporters Monday, before opening offseason camp at GS Champions Park, the club's training facility in Guri, just east of Seoul. "We have some veterans a

SoccerJan. 4, 2021

Son shines: Son Heung-min scores 100th goal with Tottenham

Son Heung-min has scored his 100th goal as a member of Tottenham Hotspur. The South Korean star reached the century mark in a 3-0 victory over Leeds United in a Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. The victory lifted Tottenham from seventh to third place in the league tables with 29 points. It was Tottenham's first win in five matches. Son's 43rd-minute goal, set up by Harry Kane, gave Tottenham a 2-0 lead. Son set up the third goal with a corner headed hom

SoccerJan. 3, 2021

LPGA star Ko Jin-young goes wire-to-wire at top of world rankings

South Korean LPGA star Ko Jin-young will finish the year where she started in the women's golf rankings: at the very top. Ko stayed at No. 1 in the final rankings of 2020 released Tuesday. She climbed to No. 1 in July 2019 and was also at the top in the first rankings this year on Jan. 7.Ko, the 2019 LPGA Player of the Year, played only four tournaments this season, which was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. But the 25-year-old made the most of the opportunity, as she won the season-endin

GolfDec. 29, 2020

Hitting big league fastballs, defensive flexibility keys for San Diego-bound Kim Ha-seong

Once the South Korean star infielder Kim Ha-seong completes his reported move to the San Diego Padres, he will have to prove his considerable offensive talent and athleticism on defense will translate against hard-throwing big league arms. MLB.com and other US media reported Monday (local time) that Kim has agreed to a deal with the Padres. Financial terms of the contract, which is pending a physical, weren't immediately available.  Kim was posted for Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs on

BaseballDec. 29, 2020

Posted KBO star Kim Ha-seong on way to US ahead of signing deadline

With at least one major league offer in tow, the posted South Korean All-Star shortstop Kim Ha-seong departed for the United States on Monday with his deadline to land a big league deal fast approaching. A-Spec Corporation, the Seoul-based agency for the Kiwoom Heroes‘ slugger, confirmed an earlier report that Kim left for the US on Monday. Kim, a 25-year-old coming off his first 30-homer season, was posted on Dec. 2. Under the terms of the posting agreement between the Korea Baseball O

BaseballDec. 28, 2020

Damwon Gaming dominates KeSPA Cup

League of Legends world champion Damwon Gaming continued its dominance, rolling over the other LoL Champions Korea teams in the Korea e-Sports Associations Cup held over the Christmas weekend. Damwon headed straight to the finals after sweeping the group stages 4-0 and dropping only one game to Hanwha Life Esports with Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon and Kim “Deft” Hyuk-gyu in the semifinals on Saturday to go 3-1. The KeSPA Cup is an annual tournament hosted by KeSPA in the off

More SportsDec. 27, 2020

FIFA World Cup hero Lee Young-pyo named CEO of K League's Gangwon

CHUNCHEON -- Former World Cup star Lee Young-pyo will embark on a new career as an administrator. Gangwon FC of the K League 1 announced Tuesday that Lee, 43, will be their new CEO. He was nominated for the position on Dec. 8, and his candidacy was approved at a board meeting on Tuesday in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, 85 kilometers east of Seoul. Lee, a Gangwon native, was an integral member of the South Korean team that made a stunning run to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The for

SoccerDec. 22, 2020

Ko Jin-young captures LPGA season finale, 2nd straight money title

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young has won the LPGA season finale in Florida, capping off a truncated campaign in come-from-behind fashion against a rival countrywoman. Ko won the CME Group Tour Championship by five strokes over world No. 2 Kim Sei-young and Hannah Green of Australia in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (local time). Ko shot a six-under 66 at Tiburon Golf Club for a four-round total of 18-under 270. By earning $1.1 million in her first victory of 2020, Ko won her second consecutive money title

GolfDec. 21, 2020

Son Heung-min wins FIFA's best goal award

South Korean Premier League star Son Heung-min has won a FIFA award for the best goal of the year, the world's football governing body said Friday. He became the second Asian player and the first in South Korea to win the award. At the annual Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony held online, Son's wonder goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Burnley in December last year was named the winner of the annual FIFA Puskas Award. Established in 2009 in honor of former Real Madrid striker Ferenc Puskas,

SoccerDec. 18, 2020

Fan vote determines LCK All-Stars players’ champions for All-Stars

The three in-game characters that League of Legends Champion Korea players will use to play against a Chinese team in the 2020 All-Stars on Saturday was revealed by Riot Games on Wednesday. The characters, known as champions, were selected through an online vote by over 16,200 fans that took place from Dec. 12-14. The 2020 LoL All-Stars is an annual LoL event where professional players, popular streamers and retired pros come together to play in a series of exhibition matches. The five partici

More SportsDec. 17, 2020

Ex-MLB hitter Jose Pirela signs with KBO's Lions

The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Wednesday they have signed former major league hitter Jose Pirela. The team said the Venezuela-born Pirela signed a one-year deal worth up to $800,000, including a guaranteed salary of $500,000 and a signing bonus of $100,000. He can make up to $200,000 in incentives. Making his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 2014, the 31-year old went .257 with 17 homeruns and 82 RBIs in 302 big league games for the Yankees, San Diego Pad

BaseballDec. 16, 2020

Son Heung-min named top S. Korean player for fifth time

South Korean forward Son Heung-min was named the country's best football player of the year for a record fifth time, the sport's governing body said Tuesday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced that Son, the attacking stalwart for Tottenham Hotspur, was voted the Male Player of the Year for 2020. It is the fifth time that Son has received the honor, including those in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2019, extending his lead over three-time honoree Ki Sung-yueng of FC Seoul, who earned the awar

SoccerDec. 15, 2020

S. Korean golfer Kim A-lim wins US Women's Open

South Korean professional golfer Kim A-lim on Monday won the Women's US Open in her debut in the major. The 25-year-old shot a 4-under par 67 in the final round to win the 75th US Women's Open at the Champions Golf Club in Houston. Kim shot a four-round total of 3-under 281 to win the title by one stroke. "I'm very honored to win the 75th US Women's Open. Still can't really soak in that I'm the champion, but it feels different winning the tournament here," she said in a post-match p

GolfDec. 15, 2020

Veteran LCK players retire in the offseason

While the League of Legends Champions Korea offseason is a time of many roster changes and player transfers, it is also when many veteran players decide to retire from professional play. Two members of former team ROX Tigers, Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng and Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyun, announced their retirement this week, while former world champion Lee “Crown” Min-ho announced he was ending his professional career earlier this month. Kuro and GorillA both reached t

More SportsDec. 13, 2020

2020 LoL World Championships viewings reach more than 1 billion hours

More fans than ever went online to watch the LoL World Championships this year, according to Riot Games, with over 1 billion hours watched worldwide during the games that took place from Sept. 25 to Oct. 31 in Shanghai. The Play-in Stage, where the representative team from weaker regions such as Oceania, Latin America, Brazil, Japan, Turkey along with fourth seed teams of China and Europe and third seed team of North America among others competed for a spot in the Group Stage, also reached rec

More SportsDec. 10, 2020

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin named to All-MLB 2nd Team for 2nd straight year

South Korean major league pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has been picked for an All-MLB Team for the second straight season. The Toronto Blue Jays' left-hander was one of five starting pitchers for the All-MLB Second Team, unveiled by Major League Baseball (MLB) on Wednesday (US time). On the strength of a third-place finish in the American League (AL) Cy Young Award voting, Ryu made the Second Team again, after doing so as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. He was the National League (NL) Cy

BaseballDec. 10, 2020

2 K League clubs avoid each other in AFC Champions League quarterfinals

Two South Korean football teams left standing at Asia's top club competition have avoided facing each other in the quarterfinals. The draw for the final eight at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League took place on Tuesday, with Ulsan Hyundai FC getting Beijing Guoan, and Suwon Samsung Bluewings drawing Vissel Kobe. Both of the quarterfinal matches will take place Thursday at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, just south of the Qatari capital of Doha. The first match between Ulsan and

SoccerDec. 8, 2020

K League champions Jeonbuk part ways with coach Morais

All good things must come to an end, even a memorable two-year coaching run for Jose Morais with the K League champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Jeonbuk announced Sunday they have parted ways with the Portuguese coach after his two-year deal expired following the end of their 2020 campaign. In his two seasons, Morais led Jeonbuk to consecutive K League 1 championships in 2019 and 2020, and also added the Korean FA Cup title this year to complete Jeonbuk's first "double," or winning tw

SoccerDec. 6, 2020

Son Heung-min scores, helps Tottenham reach Europa League knockouts

Tottenham Hotspur's Korean star Son Heung-min has found the back of the net for the 12th time this season while helping his club reach the knockout stage in a continental club tournament. Son scored once in Tottenham's 3-3 draw against LASK at Linzer Stadium in Linz, Austria, on Thursday (local time) in Group J action at the UEFA Europa League. The result moved Tottenham to 10 points on three wins, one draw and one loss with one match to go, good for second place behind Antwerp (12 points), an

SoccerDec. 4, 2020