Title-winning bench boss earns top coaching award in K League

Jose Morais, who guided Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to their third consecutive K League 1 championship, was named the top head coach in South Korean professional football on Monday.  Morais received the Coach of the Year award at the annual K League Awards ceremony in Seoul, about 24 hours after Jeonbuk clinched their record-tying seventh title. Morais won 32.67 points, converted from votes cast by media, fellow head coaches and club captains. Pohang Steelers' Kim Gi-dong was the runner-up with

SoccerDec. 2, 2019

Messi and Rapinoe expected to take Ballon d'Or honours

PARIS (AFP) -- Lionel Messi and USA women's World Cup superstar Megan Rapinoe are tipped to leave Paris later on Monday with the 2019 Ballon d'Or awards.It would be an enormous shock if Rapinoe did not depart the Chatelet Theatre with the women's prize as she returns to the country where she was the driving force on and off the field for the United States as they retained their title.The suspense surrounds the identity of the men's winner, 12 months after Croatia's Luka Modric claimed the crown

SoccerDec. 2, 2019

Hometown of popular football coach Park Hang-seo pushes to create Vietnam-style village

SANCHEONG, South Korea  -- Sancheong County in southeastern South Korea, which has gained fame as the hometown of Park Hang-seo, the popular South Korean head coach of Vietnam‘s national football team, will push to build a Vietnam-friendly village to attract more tourists from the Southeast Asian country, officials said Saturday.The South Gyeongsang Province county, about 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said it has mapped out a basic plan this year to create a Vietnamese village in

SoccerNov. 30, 2019

Tennis star Chung Hyeon eyes first Olympics appearance at Tokyo 2020

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon said Friday he hopes to compete at his first Olympic Games next summer in Tokyo."All athletes want to play at the Olympics," the tennis star said at a press conference held after a fan event in Seoul. "If I were given a chance, I hope to make the national team and win a game at the Olympics." For the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifications, players are required to play in the Davis Cup, a tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Bas

More SportsNov. 29, 2019

S. Korean Kim Sei-young wins LPGA season finale, hits $1.5m jackpot

South Korea's Kim Sei-young has captured the final tournament of the 2019 LPGA season, for her third title of the year and 10th of her career, hitting the jackpot with the largest purse in women's golf history.With a lengthy birdie putt on the 72nd hole, Kim completed a wire-to-wire victory at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (local time). The finishing birdie gave Kim a final round of two-under 70 for a four-day total of 18-under 280, one better than Charley Hull of

GolfNov. 25, 2019

Football legend Cha receives German order of merit

South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun received the Federal Cross of Merit from the German government Friday for his contribution to the relationship between the two countries. German Ambassador to Seoul Stephan Auer delivered the decoration from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a ceremony at the German Embassy in Seoul. Cha played in the Bundesliga in Germany from 1978 to 1989. Scoring 98 goals in 308 matches, he was rated as one of the best Asian players in the top German league.He

SoccerNov. 22, 2019

KBO club SK Wyverns to post LHP Kim Kwang-hyun

South Korean left-hander Kim Kwang-hyun will take his second crack at the majors after all.Kim's Korea Baseball Organization club, SK Wyverns, announced Friday they will post their former MVP-winning pitcher for interested Major League Baseball clubs.The Wyverns said they've met with Kim twice since he returned from pitching for South Korea at the World Baseball Softball Confederation  Premier12 on Monday. Because Kim was still under contract with the Wyverns, he needed the club's perm

BaseballNov. 22, 2019

Tottenham Hotspur appoint Jose Mourinho as manager

LONDON (AFP) -- Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Jose Mourinho as their new head coach after sacking Mauricio Pochettino, the club said on Wednesday. The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager has signed a contract that runs until the end of the 2022/23 season, the north London club said in an online statement.Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy said: "In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room." (AFP)

SoccerNov. 20, 2019

S. Korea schooled by Brazil in football friendly loss

ABU DHABI -- South Korea played a supporting role in an entertaining football show put on by Brazil in their men's football friendly match in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, while getting a closer look at the kind of football they should aspire to.Brazil enjoyed a convincing, 3-0 victory at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, performing with the kind of offensive efficiency and flair that continues to define Brazilian football.The first goal, scored on a diving header by Lucas Paqueta, was the result of a textboo

SoccerNov. 20, 2019

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young goes for rare LPGA awards sweep in season finale

As the 2019 LPGA Tour season winds down, South Korean star Ko Jin-young will chase a rare sweep of major individual awards.Ko will tee off at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Thursday (local time) as the No. 1 female player in the world.She has already clinched the LPGA Player of the Year award and also the Annika Major Award, given to the player with the best overall record at major tournaments each season. Ko won two of the five LPGA majors in 2019 and leads

GolfNov. 19, 2019

S. Korea undone by lack of firepower

TOKYO -- After his squad lost to Japan in the championship final of the Premier12 baseball tournament, South Korean manager Kim Kyung-moon said it was all his fault that the team came up short.Kim, long known for being fiercely loyal to his players, isn't one to throw his players under the bus. But he came as close to doing so as he ever had Sunday, when he acknowledged that the heart of his order never quite got it going."Our sluggers never came around, and that just goes to show you baseb

BaseballNov. 18, 2019

S. Korea falls to Japan to finish in 2nd place in Premier12 baseball

TOKYO -- South Korea finished runner-up to Japan at the Premier12 baseball tournament on Sunday, losing 5-3 in its bid for a second straight championship.South Korea blew a 3-0 first-inning lead, with Japanese leadoff man Tetsuto Yamada cracking a go-ahead three-run shot in the bottom of the second at Tokyo Dome.This was the second edition of the signature tournament by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. South Korea won the inaugural title in 2015. Despite losing in the championship fina

BaseballNov. 17, 2019

Championship final to pit aces from S. Korea, Japan

It will be one ace against another when South Korea takes on Japan for the championship of thePremier12 baseball tournament in Tokyo on Sunday night.Left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong will start the game at Tokyo Dome, with the first pitch at 7 p.m. He'll be countered by right-hander Shun Yamaguchi. Yang has been the leader of the South Korean staff at the World Baseball Softball Confederation tournament, going 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA in a team-high 11 2/3 innings.Yang opened South Korea's Premier12 tourna

BaseballNov. 17, 2019

S. Korea shakes up batting order for crucial match vs. Mexico

TOKYO -- South Korea will send out a new-looking batting lineup in an important Olympic qualifying game against Mexico later Friday in Tokyo.South Korean manager Kim Kyung-moon announced changes ahead of the Super Round game at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo.The Premier12 is also an Olympic qualifying tournament for Asian/Oceanian and American countries. South Korea can clinch its spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a win over Mexico. A loss would fur

BaseballNov. 15, 2019

S. Korean football attackers hold themselves accountable for 2nd straight 0-0 draw

BEIRUT -- South Korean attacking aces Son Heung-min and Hwang Ui-jo took the blame for their team's second straight scoreless draw in the World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday. South Korea couldn't get one past Lebanon as they ended up in a 0-0 draw in Group H action in the second round of the Asian qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Beirut. The match at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut was played behind closed doors for security concerns, arising from nationwide protests

SoccerNov. 15, 2019

S. Korean Ryu Hyun-jin ties for 2nd in NL Cy Young voting

South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin has finished tied for second place in the 2019 National League Cy Young Award voting, while also becoming the first Asian to earn a first-place vote for the top pitching prize.In the voting result announced Wednesday evening (US Eastern Time), Ryu, who led all of baseball with a 2.32 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers this year, earned one first-place vote, six second-place votes and eight third-place votes for a total of 72 points. It tied him with Max Scherze

BaseballNov. 14, 2019

S. Korea looking to end World Cup qualifying for 2019 on winning note vs. Lebanon

ABU DHABI -- South Korea will try to close out their World Cup qualifying campaign for 2019 with an away win against pesky opponents.Coached by Paulo Bento, South Korea will visit Lebanon in Beirut on Thursday for the teams' Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The kickoff is 3 p.m. local time, and 10 p.m. in Seoul.It will be the last Group H contest for South Korea in 2019.Their next match will be against Turkmenistan at home on March 26, 202

SoccerNov. 13, 2019

S. Korean bats stymied by Chinese Taipei

CHIBA -- This looked like a completely different South Korean team, and not in a good way.South Korea was shut out 7-0 by Chinese Taipei in the Super Round at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 on Tuesday in Chiba, east of Tokyo. The loss at ZOZO Marine Stadium was South Korea's first in the tournament and snapped the team's winning streak at four. The exact same starting lineup that produced a home run and four doubles in a 5-1 win against the United States on Monday went silen

BaseballNov. 13, 2019

S. Korea beats US to open Super Round

TOKYO (Yonhap) -- South Korea defeated the United States 5-1 at an Olympic baseball qualifying tournament in Japan on Monday to inch closer to a spot in the 2020 Summer Games.Designated hitter Kim Jae-hwan launched a three-run home run in the first for South Korea, who added a couple of insurance runs in the seventh to claim its opening game of the Super Round at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 at Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital. South Korean starter Yang Hyeon-jong wiggle

BaseballNov. 12, 2019

S. Korea fall to Mexico in quarterfinals at FIFA U-17 World Cup

South Korea's surprising run at the FIFA U-17 World Cup has ended after the second knockout match.South Korea lost to Mexico 1-0 in the quarterfinals at Estadio Kleber Andrade in Vitoria on Sunday (local time), on a goal by Ali Avila in the 77th minute.This was South Korea's fourth trip to the quarterfinals of this youth tournament, and head coach Kim Jung-soo's team was trying to become the first South Korean squad to make it to the semifinals.Choi Min-seo hit the crossbar in the 14th minute fo

SoccerNov. 11, 2019