Korean Park Sung-hyun wins weather-shortened LPGA tournament

South Korean Park Sung-hyun has won a weather-shortened LPGA tournament for her first win of the 2018 season.Park captured the 36-hole Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic at the Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, on Sunday (local time). Torrential downpours caused the tournament to be reduced to two rounds, and Park, the 2017 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, fired an 11-under 131 over those 36 holes to take home $195,000, one stroke better than Lindy Duncan of the United

GolfMay 7, 2018

Joint Korean women's table tennis team takes bronze at worlds

The joint Korean women's table tennis team won the bronze medal at the world championships in Sweden on Friday.(Yonhap)The combined squad of South Korea and North Korea lost to Japan 3-0 in the semifinals of the World Team Table Tennis Championships at Halmstad Arena in Halmstad, Sweden. There is no third-place match, and Korea will share the bronze with the loser of the other semifinal match between China and Hong Kong.Team matches consist of five singles matches in a best-of-five format, with

SportsMay 4, 2018

Seoul sports leader to discuss joint Korean teams with Asian Olympic chief

The head of South Korea's top sports body said Friday he will soon meet with the Asian Olympic chief over joint Korean teams at an upcoming continental multi-sport competition.Lee Kee-heung, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee , said he will sit down with Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia, in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 13.The topics for discussion will include organizing a joint Korean march at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games a

More SportsMay 4, 2018

Ex-Olympic table tennis champion surprised with formation of joint Korean team

A man who engineered the formation of a unified Korean team at the ongoing table tennis worlds still has to pinch himself.Ryu Seung-min, the 2004 Olympic men's singles table tennis champion, said at a press conference in Halmstad, Sweden, on Thursday (local time) that he never expected the two Koreas to come together during the World Team Table Tennis Championships.Now an International Olympic Committee member and vice president of the Korea Table Tennis Association, Ryu worked behind the scenes

More SportsMay 4, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin leaves start early with groin injury

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has left his start early with a left groin strain.Ryu lasted just 1 1/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wednesday (local time), with the Dodgers ahead 1-0.After throwing a 0-1 cutter to Deven Marrero in the bottom of the second, Ryu came up hobbling. After a brief chat with manager Dave Roberts and training staff, Ryu walked off the mound.Ryu tried to stretch his left leg but looked to be in some discomf

BaseballMay 3, 2018

Natl. football coach to enact social media ban during World Cup

South Korean men's national football head coach Shin Tae-yong has enough trust in his players that banning smartphones entirely during the upcoming FIFA World Cup will not be necessary.But the bench boss does plan to attach one condition to their phone use: no social media.During a press conference at the Korea Football Association headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday, Shin said he has "never once thought about banning cell phones" because his players are "all grown-ups." South Korean men`s nation

SoccerMay 2, 2018

Natl. football coach rules high-scoring veteran out of World Cup

South Korea men's football head coach Shin Tae-yong on Wednesday ruled veteran striker Lee Dong-gook out of this year's FIFA World Cup.At a press conference at the Korea Football Association headquarters, Shin said Lee, 39, had already offered to step aside for younger players at the upcoming tournament in Russia."He's still playing at a high level despite his age," Shin said of the all-time leading scorer in domestic K League history with 207 goals. "But Lee has already told me that he should t

SoccerMay 2, 2018

Blue Jays' Oh tosses perfect inning in relief; Rangers' Choo reaches base 4 times

Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan has bounced back from a tough outing with a perfect inning in relief.Oh struck out two in a clean sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday (local time), as the Jays went on to win 7-4 in 10 innings. This was Oh's second perfect outing in 14 appearances this year.The right-hander lowered his ERA from 2.38 to 2.19. In his previous appearance against the Texas Rangers last Saturday, Oh gave up a solo ho

BaseballMay 2, 2018

Seoul's table tennis body to begin discussions on joint Korean squad at Asian Games

The South Korean national table tennis federation said Wednesday it will begin discussions on forming a joint team with North Korea at this year's Asian Games.The Korea Table Tennis Association will convene its performance improvement committee meeting in Halmstad, Sweden, sometime this week. The KTTA explained that most of its executives are currently in the Swedish city to attend the World Team Table Tennis Championships. They also participated in Tuesday's International Table Tennis Federatio

More SportsMay 2, 2018

Korean canoe body looking to team up with N. Koreans at Asian Games

The South Korean canoe governing body said Monday it will look to team up with North Korea at this year's Asian Games in Indonesia.The Korean Canoe Federation said it will try to form a unified Korean team in the traditional boat race, commonly known as a dragon boat race, which will be one of three canoe disciplines at the Aug. 18-Sept. 2 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.The federation noted that both Koreas can start from scratch, since they don't have any full-time dragon boat

More SportsApril 30, 2018

S. Korean football chief hoping inter-Korean summit can open door for more football exchanges

South Korean football chief Chung Mong-gyu said Wednesday he hopes the upcoming inter-Korean summit can open door to greater football exchange with North Koreans. Chung, who leads the Korea Football Association, said he wants see inter-Korean football exchange growing after the South-North summit, which will take place on Friday on the south side of the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom. "We've yet to talk details in (football exchanges) with North Koreans," Chung told reporters at a speci

SoccerApril 25, 2018

Nat'l football coach says S. Korea's World Cup preparations are on track

outh Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Wednesday his team's preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup are on track.South Korea will meet Germany, Sweden and Mexico in Group F at the World Cup in Russia, which is only about 50 days away. Shin admitted that they're the underdogs but will not give up easily."Frankly, none of the teams are easy for us," Shin told reporters at an event at the Russian Embassy in Seoul. "But if we prepare hard, we can play a good game. We're currently trying to fi

SoccerApril 25, 2018

Swimmer Park Tae-hwan returns home from Australian camp for nat'l team trials

Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan returned home from his Australian training camp on Tuesday to compete for a spot on the national team.Park spent the past three months training in Sydney. He's back home for the national trials that start Friday in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul.The trials, Park's first competition of the season, will determine who will represent the country at the Aug. 18-Sept. 2 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.Park is scheduled to enter freestyle

More SportsApril 24, 2018

It's official: Park In-bee reclaims No. 1 spot in women's golf rankings

South Korean LPGA star Park In-bee has officially reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the women's world rankings.Park jumped two spots to No. 1 in the latest rankings announced Monday (US Eastern Standard Time). Park previously spent 92 weeks as world No. 1 during three different stretches between 2013 and 2015, and last held that spot Oct. 19, 2015. She was ranked 13th on Jan. 1 this year.Park's climb back to the top had been projected by the LPGA Tour immediately after her runner-up finish at the Huge

GolfApril 24, 2018

[Newsmaker] Park In-bee to reclaim No. 1 ranking in women's golf

´South Korean LPGA star Park In-bee will reclaim the No. 1 ranking in women's golf following a runner-up finish at her latest event, the LPGA Tour said.Park finished tied for second at the Hugel-JTBC LA Open at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time), but it will be good enough to lift the world No. 3 past current Nos. 1 and 2, Feng Shanshan and Lexi Thompson, to the top of the new rankings when they're announced Monday.Park In-bee of South Korea watches her tee shot on the f

GolfApril 23, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin throws gem to win 3rd consecutive start

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has won his third consecutive start with yet another gem in what's shaping up to be a fine season.Ryu held the Washington Nationals scoreless on two singles over a season-high seven innings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday (local time), striking out eight and walking three as the Dodgers took the game 4-0.After outdueling Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg, Ryu improved to 3-0 and lowered his ERA from 2.87 to 1.99. He leads

SportsApril 22, 2018

S. Korea fall 4-1 to Mexico at U-19 football tournament

South Korea's under-19 national football team lost 4-1 to Mexico in an international tournament at home on Friday.South Korea's second match at the 2018 Suwon JS Cup ended in defeat after they went down to 10 players at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. U-19 football tournament (Yonhap)The JS Cup is an international men's U-19 football tournament that features four nations. This year's competition pits South Korea against Morocco, Mexico and Vietnam. This invitational tourname

SoccerApril 20, 2018

Korean pro football adopts rule on fine dust

South Korea's pro football governing body on Friday approved a rule on fine dust to protect the players and fans from bad air quality.The K League said its board members approved a rule that allow match officials to cancel matches when fine dust advisories are issued. According to the rule, if fine dust advisories are issued in between three hours prior to the match starting time and the match end time, the match commissioner can call off or postpone the match.In South Korea, a fine dust warning

SoccerApril 20, 2018

Baseball league to open disciplinary proceedings against club over sign stealing

The nation's top baseball league said Thursday it will open disciplinary proceedings against a club over its sign stealing attempt.The Korea Baseball Organization said it will convene a disciplinary committee meeting, on a date to be determined later, to discuss the LG Twins' admission Wednesday that they tried to steal pitching signs.They got into hot water after Wednesday's road game against the Kia Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, when a sheet o

BaseballApril 19, 2018

S. Korea open U-19 football tournament with win vs. Morocco

South Korea's under-19 national football team opened an international tournament at home with a 1-0 win over Morocco on Wednesday.South Korea beat 10-man Morocco in their opening match at the 2018 Suwon JS Cup at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, thanks to a goal by Kim Hyun-woo.The JS Cup is an international men's under-19 football tournament that features four nations. This year's competition pits South Korea against Morocco, Mexico and Vietnam.  South Korean under-19 nation

SoccerApril 18, 2018