Korea name 26-man squad for football friendlies vs. Australia, Uzbekistan

South Korea have included three new faces on their football roster for friendly matches against Australia and Uzbekistan later this month.Head coach Paulo Bento unveiled his 26-man squad Monday that will travel to Brisbane, Australia. The Taeguk Warriors are scheduled to face Australia on Nov. 17 and Uzbekistan three days later.The two friendlies are tune-ups for the 2019 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates that kicks off two months later.This file photo taken on J

SoccerNov. 5, 2018

Pitcher trying to view Korean Series start 'like any other game'

Doosan Bears' Seth Frankoff has been tapped to start Game 2 of the Korean Series -- the championship final in South Korean baseball -- against the SK Wyverns later Monday in what will be one of the biggest games of his career.But the 30-year-old won't put any added pressure on himself, saying it will be "just another game." (Yonhap)"Being in the Korean Series, there's more on the line. But you have to treat it like any other game and go about your business the same way," Frankoff told Yonhap New

BaseballNov. 5, 2018

Local favorite Nasa Hataoka fires 67 to win Japan Classic

Local favorite Nasa Hataoka shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Japan Classic for her second LPGA title of the season.Hataoka offset a pair of bogeys with seven birdies at the Seta Golf Club to finish at 14-under 202, two strokes ahead of compatriots Momoka Ueda, Saki Nagamine and Spain's Carlota Ciganda, who all shot 68. (AP-Yonhap)Hataoka, who also won the Arkansas Championship in June, started the final round four strokes behind second-round leader Minjee Lee. Lee quickly faded, playing th

GolfNov. 4, 2018

SK Wyverns rally past Doosan Bears to open Korean Series

The SK Wyverns defeated the Doosan Bears 7-3 on the road to open the Korean Series on Sunday, flexing their muscles with two home runs.Former Korean Series MVP Park Jung-kwon blasted a go-ahead two-run shot in the sixth inning at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, after Han Dong-min opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first. The Wyverns' pitching survived after issuing nine free passes.Game 2 of the best-of-seven affair is back at Jamsil at 6:30 p.m. Monday.The team that won the first game has

BaseballNov. 4, 2018

American manager relishes opportunity to play for Korean baseball title

Trey Hillman, American manager for the South Korean baseball club SK Wyverns, said Sunday he will relish the opportunity to play for the championship in the Korean Series.The Wyverns will face the Doosan Bears in the best-of-seven Korean Series starting later Sunday. Hillman is the first foreign skipper in Korea Baseball Organization history to manage in the Korean Series.He won the Japanese league title with Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in 2006 and has previously managed the Kansas City Royals.

BaseballNov. 4, 2018

Korean golfer wins LPGA qualifying event, undecided on future

South Korean golfer Lee Jeong-eun has won the qualifying event for the LPGA Tour for next season, though she isn't yet sure if she'll take her talent to the top competition right away.Lee, the reigning Korea LPGA Tour Player of the Year and world No. 19, won the inaugural LPGA Q-Series with an eight-round total of 18-under 558 at Pinehurst Course in Pinehurst, North Carolina, on Saturday (local time). (Yonhap)The Q-Series replaced the three-step qualifying tournament, more commonly known as Q-Sc

GolfNov. 4, 2018

Ryu Hyun-jin receives qualifying offer from Dodgers

South Korean free agent left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin has received a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving him a choice to either stay with the club for one more year or explore the open market.The Dodgers made the one-year offer worth $17.9 million -- the mean salary of the 125 highest-paid players -- on Friday (local time). Ryu Hyun-jin (Yonhap)Ryu has 10 days to accept or reject the qualifying offer. If the player declines the deal, he will be free to negotiate with any team, inclu

BaseballNov. 3, 2018

Football community stages rally to protest abrupt recruitment halt at police club

South Korea's football community on Friday staged a rally near the presidential office in Seoul to protest the abrupt recruitment halt at a police football club. Nearly 300 football officials, coaches, former and active players, and players' families took to the streets near Cheong Wa Dae to denounce the recruitment stoppage at Asan Mugunghwa FC, a club in the second-tier K League 2 under the National Police Agency's watch. (Yonhap)Mugunghwa FC, actually managed by the Korean National Police Aca

SoccerNov. 2, 2018

Nat'l football team set to face challenges with absence of core players

The South Korean national football team and head coach Paulo Bento will be forced to deal with challenges on both sides of the ball in upcoming matches as his team will be playing without two core players. Bento will announce his roster for the November friendly matches on Monday. South Korea are scheduled to face Australia on Nov. 17 and Uzbekistan on Nov. 20. Both matches will be in Brisbane, Australia. The two friendlies are tune-ups for the 2019 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in the

SoccerNov. 2, 2018

Korean football player banned for life from nat'l team over doctoring records

South Korean football player Jang Hyun-soo has been slapped with a life-time ban from the national team for doctoring his community service records.The Korea Football Association's sports fair play committee, formerly the discipline committee, ruled on Thursday that Jang will be permanently barred from representing South Korea and will be fined 30 million won ($26,340) for his misconduct.The decision automatically rules Jang out of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup next year. The contin

SoccerNov. 1, 2018

Tottenham's Son Heung-min ends scoring drought

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min has ended his scoring drought this season after netting two goals against West Ham United.Son grabbed a brace in Tottenham's 3-1 win over West Ham in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at London Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time). It was Son's first two goals in 10 matches in the 2018-19 season.Son had not scored in five English Premier League appearances, three UEFA Champions League contests and one Carabao Cup match prior to the

SoccerNov. 1, 2018

Nexen Heroes defeat SK Wyverns to force deciding Game 5 in postseason series

The Nexen Heroes have forced a deciding Game 5 in the penultimate postseason round in South Korean baseball, defeating the SK Wyverns 4-2 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday. The victory knotted the teams' Korea Baseball Organization playoff series at two games apiece.American slugger Jerry Sands blasted a two-run homer as part of his 4-for-4 day, and the Heroes' stout bullpen backed a scoreless start by 19-year-old rookie Lee Seung-ho. An Woo-jin, another 19-year-old freshman, was credite

BaseballNov. 1, 2018

All-S. Korean taekwondo demonstration team performs in Pyongyang

World Taekwondo (WT)'s all-South Korean taekwondo demonstration team on Wednesday gave an energetic performance in Pyongyang, delivering a message of peace and unification.The team, comprised of 18 South Korean taekwondo practitioners and four supporting staffs, had a one hour performance in front of some 2,300 North Koreans who packed Taekwondo Hall in Pyongyang.This was the first time since April that the Seoul-based WT demonstration team performed in the North Korean capital. Then, the demons

More SportsOct. 31, 2018

Seoul pushes for N. Korean athletes' participation in 100th National Sports Festival in 2019

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it will push to invite North Korean athletes to participate in the 100th Korean National Sports Festival scheduled to be held in the South Korean capital from Oct. 4-10, 2019.Unveiling the emblem and mascot of the centennial national sports event, the Seoul government said that the participation of North Korean athletes will help elevate next year's sports meet into an inter-Korean "peace festival."For that purpose, Seoul's officials in charg

More SportsOct. 31, 2018

Taekwondo chiefs from 2 Koreas discuss cooperation

Taekwondo officials from the two Koreas on Wednesday discussed ways to help North Korean taekwondo practitioners to participate at the Olympic Games.The officials of World Taekwondo (WT) and the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) had a meeting in Pyongyang ahead of a WT taekwondo demonstration team's performance. The 49-member WT delegation arrived in the North Korean capital on Tuesday. This photo provided by World Taekwondo (WT) shows a meeting between a WT delegation and International T

More SportsOct. 31, 2018

Nexen Heroes edge out SK Wyverns to stay alive in baseball postseason

The Nexen Heroes will live to see another day of South Korean postseason baseball, after earning a nail-biting win on Tuesday.The Heroes defeated the SK Wyverns 3-2 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul to stave off elimination in their second round playoff series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).Song Sung-mun drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning, and starter Han Hyun-hee was solid in 5 1/3 innings for the Heroes’ first win of the best-of-five series. (Yon

BaseballOct. 30, 2018

Park Sung-hyun falls from No. 1 in women's golf rankings

South Korea's Park Sung-hyun has slipped from the No. 1 ranking in the women's world golf rankings.Park fell a spot to No. 2 in the latest rankings announced Tuesday, with Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand taking her place at the top. South Korea`s Park Sung-hyun, left, and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand (Yonhap)Park, the 2017 LPGA Player of the Year, had been No. 1 since Aug. 20.Jutanugarn has 8.06 ranking points, while Park has 7.90 points.There were three other South Koreans inside the top 10: Ryu S

GolfOct. 30, 2018

S. Korea qualify for 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup

South Korea clinched a spot in the next edition of FIFA U-20 World Cup on Monday with a victory at the regional qualifying tournament.South Korea defeated Tajikistan 1-0 to reach the semifinals at the Asian Football Confederation U-19 Championship at Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, Indonesia, on Monday. Jeon Se-jin scored the winner in the 44th minute to send South Korea to the final four. (Yonhap)The top four finishers at this AFC event will play at the 2019 U-20 World Cup, which will be

SoccerOct. 29, 2018

Roller-coaster season for Dodger' Ryu Hyun-jin ends with World Series loss

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has seen his up-and-down season end with a loss to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, his future beyond this year still uncertain.The Red Sox defeated the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time), clinching their ninth title and leaving the Dodgers in search of their first championship since 1988. (AFP-Yonhap)Ryu made history by becoming the first South Korean to start a World Ser

BaseballOct. 29, 2018

All-South Korean taekwondo demonstration team set for Pyongyang performance

World Taekwondo's all-South Korean taekwondo demonstration team will perform in North Korea this week with the hope of delivering a message of peace and unification to the world. The 49-member WT delegation, led by WT President Choue Chung-won, will visit Pyongyang from Tuesday to Saturday after receiving an invitation from the North Korean-led International Taekwondo Federation.  (Yonhap)The delegation includes a demonstration team that is comprised of 18 South Korean taekwondo practitioners an

More SportsOct. 29, 2018