Infielder apologizes for controversial trash talk during Korean Series game

Kiwoom Heroes infielder Song Sung-mun has apologized for crossing the line with expletive-laden trash talk directed at opposing players from the Doosan Bears during Game 1 of the Korean Series from Tuesday.In a video clip posted on a portal site and since taken down, Song, 23, was heard wishing injury on Doosan players, saying things like, "He just blew out his elbow!" and "He's going to have surgery on his hamstring today and he'll be out for two years!"The video went viral

BaseballOct. 23, 2019

[Graphic News] Son Heung-min nominated for 2019 Ballon d‘Or

　South Korean soccer sensation Son Heung-min has been shortlisted for the 2019 Ballon d’Or award.　France Football announced the 30 candidates, which include Lionel Messi, Cristian Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk but not Neymar. The awards ceremony will take place on Dec. 2 in Paris.　Son is the third Korean to be named on the list, following Seol Ki-hyeon (2002) and Park Ji-sung (2005). Seol and Park were among lists of 50 nominees. The French magazine cut down the number to 30 in 2008.

SoccerOct. 23, 2019

Son Heung-min equals S. Korean scoring mark in Europe

With a pair of goals in a key victory, Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has equaled the South Korean scoring mark in European football.Son netted two goals in Tottenham's 5-0 rout of Red Star Belgrade in their Group B match of the UEFA Champions League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Tuesday (local time).Son's goals in the 16th and the 44th minute were his 120th and 121st of his European career, putting him on a level with former Bundesliga star Cha Bum-kun.The 27-year-old made his to

SoccerOct. 23, 2019

S. Korean weightlifter Shin Rok wins three medals at Asian youth competition in Pyongyang

South Korea's Shin Rok won three medals in the men's under-17 61-kilogram competition at Asian youth weightlifting event in Pyongyang on Tuesday.The 17-year-old placed third in snatch with 116 kg, second in the clean and jerk with 151 kg in the 2019 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships, which kicked off in the North's capital on Sunday.  He added another silver for lifting a combined 267 kg to deliver South Korea its first medal at the event.In the men's 61-kg class, 20-year

More SportsOct. 22, 2019

Son Heung-min nominated for 2019 Ballon d'Or

South Korean football star Son Heung-min has been nominated for the world's top player award for 2019.Son was the only Asian player on the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or Award, presented by "France Football" magazine to recognize the top footballer each year. The list was announced in Paris on Monday (local time). Son scored some key goals to lift Tottenham Hotspur to their first UEFA Champions League final this year, and he ranked second on the team behind Harry Kane with 12

SoccerOct. 22, 2019

Tearful Murray wins at Antwerp for first ATP title since March 2017

ANTWERP (AFP) -- Andy Murray won his first ATP title since March 2017 on Sunday with a battling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the Antwerp final.Former world number one Murray, rebuilding his game after career-saving hip surgery earlier this year, fought back from a set and 3-1 down against Wawrinka to claim his 46th career title."It means a lot. The last few years have been extremely difficult," Murray, who broke down in tears at the

More SportsOct. 21, 2019

Defending champion Koepka withdraws from CJ Cup with knee injury

Defending champion Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, the lone PGA Tour stop in South Korea, after aggravating a knee injury.The world No. 1 will not have a chance to win his second straight title in Jeju Island, after taking himself out of the no-cut event before the start of Saturday's third round. Koepka opened his title defense with rounds of 69-75 to sit in a three-way tie for 51st place at even par, 13 strokes behind the 36-hole leader Justin Thomas at the Club @ N

SportsOct. 19, 2019

Heroes sweep defending champions, reach 1st Korean Series in 5 years

The Kiwoom Heroes will be playing for the South Korean professional baseball championship for the first time in five years. The Heroes routed the defending champions SK Wyverns 10-1 at home on Thursday to complete the three-game sweep in the second round Korea Baseball Organization playoff series.The Heroes will go on to meet the Doosan Bears in the best-of-seven Korean Series, which begins next Tuesday at the Bears' home, Jamsil Stadium.The Bears, after finishing with the best regular season re

BaseballOct. 18, 2019

KBS cancels plan to broadcast footage of inter-Korean football match

South Korean public broadcaster KBS said Thursday it canceled a plan to broadcast a prerecorded video of this week's inter-Korean World Cup qualifier football match in Pyongyang after its arrival from the North earlier in the day.KBS had earlier said it would consider airing the football footage at 5 p.m. Thursday on KBS 2TV after obtaining a North Korea-produced DVD delivered by the South Korean football squad that returned from Pyongyang early in the day.South Korea and North Korea played to a

SoccerOct. 17, 2019

Son Heung-min: S. Korea lucky to escape unscathed from World Cup qualifier vs. N. Korea

The biggest takeaway for Son Heung-min from South Korea's World Cup qualifying match against North Korea was how physical his opponents played.South Korea and North Korea played to a scoreless draw in Pyongyang on Tuesday, part of Group H action in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.There were no fans or journalists at the match, and it wasn't broadcast live in South Korea. Other than that four yellow cards were issued, little had been known about the contest

SoccerOct. 17, 2019

Swedish diplomat offers glimpse into crowdless 'Korean Derby' in World Cup qualifying

If you were dying to find out more about the World Cup qualifying match between the two Koreas Tuesday evening that didn't have a live broadcast, the Twitter page for Joachim Bergstrom would have quenched your thirst.Bergstrom, Sweden's ambassador to Pyongyang, uploaded photos and videos from the scoreless draw at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital, played as part of Group H play in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.While there were no paying spectators i

SoccerOct. 16, 2019

S. Korea held scoreless by N. Korea in chippy World Cup qualifier

South Korea were held to a scoreless draw by North Korea in their World Cup qualifying match in Pyongyang on Tuesday, a much-anticipated showdown that left fans both in and out of the communist country in the dark.The Koreas drew blank before an empty Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang in Group H action in the second round of the Asian qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The two teams traded four yellow cards in their fourth scoreless draw in the past seven meetings.South Korea still lead Nort

SoccerOct. 15, 2019

Koreas meet in historic World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang

A historic World Cup qualifying soccer match in Pyongyang between North Korea and South Korea has been cast into media darkness in the South, with the North keeping out rival reporters and spectators and refusing a live broadcast from Kim Il-sung Stadium.The South Korean soccer association, known as the KFA, sent two staff members to the North Korean capital to watch Tuesday's game, but ruled out live text updates on its website because of uncertainties in internet connection, said association o

SoccerOct. 15, 2019

PGA Tour Rookie of the Year picked by fellow S. Koreans as favorite to win at home

SEOGWIPO -- With the PGA Tour making its annual stop in South Korea's Jeju Island this week, hometown hero Im Sung-jae was picked by his countrymen Tuesday as the title favorite.Im will be one of six full-time PGA Tour players from South Korea in the field at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges. The 72-hole, no-cut tournament with $9.75 million at stake starts Thursday at the Club at Nine Bridges.The 21-year-old was voted by his peers as the 2018-2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year last month, becoming the f

GolfOct. 15, 2019

N. Korea promises to provide S. Korea with footage of Pyongyang World Cup qualifier

North Korea agreed to provide South Korea with a video of an inter-Korean World Cup qualifier to be held Tuesday in Pyongyang, a unification ministry official said, after Seoul's push to televise the match live fell through.The North promised to give the video to the South's delegation before it departs from Pyongyang on Wednesday afternoon after the match to be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The delegation is scheduled to arrive back home via Beijing early Thursday.South Korea had pushed for live b

SoccerOct. 15, 2019

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young headlines field at lone LPGA stop in S. Korea

Ko Jin-young, the world No. 1 in women's golf from South Korea, will headline an 80-player field at an upcoming LPGA Tour event in her native country.Organizers of the inaugural BMW Ladies Championship on Monday announced the list of players to compete at the LPGA International Busan in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, from Oct. 24-27.Ko, who also leads the LPGA Tour in money, scoring average and the Player of the Year points in 2019, will be one of 50 LPGA members in the field, to be j

GolfOct. 14, 2019

Current, former world No. 1s in men's golf to compete in S. Korea this week

How often do you get to see the likes of Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Gary Woodland, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the same field in South Korea?How about once a year?The PGA Tour will make its lone annual stop this week on the resort island of Jeju, where the Club at Nine Bridges will host the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges from Thursday to Sunday. The no-cut event will be the sixth tournament of the 2019-2020 season.Koepka is the biggest name in the field of 78 at the $9.75 millio

GolfOct. 14, 2019

Koreas set to clash in Pyongyang in much-anticipated World Cup qualifier

In one of the most anticipated football matches of the year in Asia, South Korea and North Korea will square off in Pyongyang in a crucial World Cup qualifying match this week.The kickoff for the Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital. It will be the first trip to the North by a South Korea men's national football team since a friendly in October 1990, and this week's ma

SoccerOct. 14, 2019

S. Korean men's football team embarks on journey to N. Korea for World Cup qualifier

The South Korean men's national football team on Sunday began its journey to North Korea for a key World Cup qualifying match, a contest expected to take place under unusual circumstances.Coached by Paulo Bento, South Korea will first travel to Beijing on Sunday to pick up their North Korea visas and fly to Pyongyang on Monday. The much-anticipated Group H showdown between the Koreas is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital.It will be the S

SoccerOct. 13, 2019

Baseball rivals set for postseason rematch, one year after memorable battle

So they meet again.A year after trading blows in a playoff battle for the ages, the SK Wyverns and the Kiwoom Heroes will clash once again in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason starting Monday.The Wyverns will have the home field advantage in this best-of-five second round action. Game 1 is 6:30 p.m. Monday at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul.The Wyverns, the 2018 Korean Series champions, earned a direct berth in the second round after finishing the regular sea

BaseballOct. 13, 2019