After complications, speed skater Noh Seon-yeong starts training in Gangneung

South Korean speed skater Noh Seon-yeong, who almost missed her spot in the 2018 Winter Games in late January due to an apparent mix-up by the nation's skating union, started her warmup for the competition on Sunday."It was a challenging journey towards this moment. Therefore, I just wish to perform well," Noh told reporters after training at the Gangneung Oval in the sub-host city of Gangneung, which will host ice events. (Yonhap)"I want to try my best within my capabilities without any regrets

SportsFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Two Koreas' figure skaters may practice together

South Korea's figure skating duo of Kim Kyu-eun and Kam Kang-chan may share the ice with their North Korean counterparts Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik in an official practice session for the upcoming 2018 PyeogChang Winter Olympic Games, officials said Sunday."The pairs teams from South Korea and North Korea are sorted into group C for Monday's practice sessions," an official from the organizing committee for the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Olympics said."They will be on the ice together at Gangneung Ice

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] IOC chief hails PyeongChang preparation, regrets lifting of doping bans on Russians

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said Sunday South Korean organizers have done extraordinary work in preparing for the Winter Olympics.At a press conference in PyeongChang, Bach also expressed his regret that the Court of Arbitration of Sport's (CAS) recent decision lifted Olympic bans on 28 Russian athletes involved in a state-sponsored doping scandal."There are details to be done, but overall the state of preparations is really extraordinary," Bach said during his pr

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Sports photo exhibition celebrates PyeongChang Olympics

A sports photo exhibition highlighting Korea’s Olympic history opens Monday in Gangneung to celebrate the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, which kick off a 17-day run Friday. The exhibition, to be held at Gangneung City Hall until Feb. 27, spotlights memorable moments in the history of Korean sports and the Olympic movement. There will 380 photographs displayed by Kim Min-jae, a veteran sports photographer who covered numerous Korean and international sporting events for nearly four decades. Veter

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Four N. Koreans to play in 1st game for joint women's hockey team

Four North Koreans will play in the first game for the joint women's hockey team on Sunday.Twelve North Korean players have been added to the 23-deep South Korean squad to create an historic joint Korean hockey team for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics. With South Korea's bench boss Sarah Murray in charge, the joint team is set to play Sweden for its inaugural game at Seonhak International Ice Rink in Incheon, just west of Seoul.Of the 35 players, only 22 -- 20 skaters and two goaltender

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

NK IOC member Chang Ung arrives in S. Korea

　Chang Ung, a North Korean International Olympic Committee member, arrived in South Korea on Sunday to attend the 132nd IOC Session scheduled at the venue for the PyeongChang Olympics.　Chang, who arrived at Incheon Airport from Beijing, is scheduled to travel to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, a subhost city of the games and venue for the 132nd IOC Session, on Monday. 　“I am an IOC member. I wish and am sure that the PyeongChang Olympics will be a success,” he told reporters at the airport. (Yonhap

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[Photo News] Rehearsal, culture programs preface PyeongChang Olympics amid freezing cold

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics is revving up for its opening night on Feb. 9. A rehearsal for the opening ceremony took place Saturday, while the PyeongChang Cultural Olympiad, a program of cultural events, also began. A rehearsal for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics opening ceremony took place at 6 p.m. at the Gangneung-Wonju National University, featuring Korean traditional performance teams and bands.Gangwon Province Gov. Choi Moon-soon and actor-singer Jang Keun-suk, honorary ambassador for

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Ultra-fast 5G network to transform Olympics viewing experience

Russia’s 15-year-old figure skating sensation Alina Zagitova performs a fast triple lutz-triple loop combination on the ice. The moment passes by so quickly, and it’s hard to see what’s going on from your seat in the back of the stadium.　Propping on your 5G-enabled virtual reality headsets, you get a 360-degree view of the entire rink. On a smartphone, you slide your finger across the screen to view a particular jump to see how it was exactly performed in the split of a second.On a 5G-connected

TechnologyFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Nat'l alpine skiers to stage protest against PyeongChang 2018 selection

South Korean alpine skiers who failed to earn an Olympic selection will stage a protest in PyeongChang, the host city for the upcoming Winter Games, with their families, local authorities here said Saturday.According to the PyeongChang Police Station in Gangwon Province, the skiers and their family members submitted a document on Friday to stage a rally on the streets in Hoenggye, PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul. They plan to have a 90-minute protest each day from Sunday to Thursd

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] IOC asks visitors to 'wrap up properly' for PyeongChang's cold weather

International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams said Saturday that people who plan to visit PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony should "wrap up" for cold weather.During a press briefing on an IOC Executive Board meeting, Adams said he is aware of the bitter cold in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul."I should be wearing very warm clothes on myself and advise everyone to do the same," he said. "We're advising everyone to take sensible pre

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] After lethargic loss, men's hockey players vow to get better before PyeongChang

South Korean men's hockey players vowed to get better for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics after a lethargic loss to Kazakhstan in their tuneup contest on Saturday.Defenseman Lee Don-ku put South Korea on the board first in the opening frame at Seonhak International Ice Rink in Incheon, just west of Seoul, but Kazakhstan ended up taking the game 3-1.South Korea struggled on both ends, unable to sustain pressure on offense and cut off outlet passes on defense.Lee, the lone goal scorer, sa

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2018

S. Korea blank Latvia in football friendly

South Korea blanked Latvia 1-0 in a friendly football match in Turkey on Saturday, wrapping up their pre-World Cup camp with two wins and a draw.Forward Kim Shin-wook scored the eventual winner in the 33rd minute, his seventh goal in six games, as 59th-ranked South Korea defeated No. 131 Latvia at Mardan Stadium in Antalya in a game that was more lopsided than the score.South Korea earlier beat Moldova 1-0 and had a 2-2 draw against Jamaica.Kim extended his scoring streak to four matches. He net

SoccerFeb. 4, 2018

N. Korean athletes stay guarded in build-up to Olympics

GANGNEUNG (Yonhap) -- Coming from a reclusive nation, North Korean athletes have remained guarded in their preparations for the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.A delegation of 32, including 10 athletes, crossed the heavily fortified border via a South Korean chartered plane Thursday, amid media frenzy and tight security. With South Korean and international media desperate for some sound bites, the athletes for the most part kept their mouths shut.North Korean athletes and officials head

Olympic GamesFeb. 3, 2018

N. Korean short track skater injured in training

North Korean short track speed skater Choe Un-song sustained a right leg injury in training on Friday.Choe took a bad spill and crashed hard into safety padding during his first training session at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, a sub-host city of all ice events during the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. (Yonhap)Choe was stretchered off the ice and taken to a nearby hospital. His right leg was heavily wrapped up as he was carried out of the arenaRaquel Nunes, press manager at Gangneung

Olympic GamesFeb. 2, 2018

N. Korea invited to participate in PyeongChang Paralympics

North Korea has been invited to participate in the Paralympic Games in South Korea next month, the International Paralympic Committee said Friday. The IPC said that it has invited North Korea to take part in its first Winter Paralympics and offered two bipartite slots to athletes to compete in Para Nordic skiing events in PyeongChang, South Korea. In an inter-Korean meeting earlier this month, North Korea agreed to send a 150-member delegation of athletes, cheerleaders, an art troupe and reporte

Olympic GamesFeb. 2, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korean unified women's hockey team to don uniform by Finnish brand

GANGNEUNG -- The unified Korean women's ice hockey team will don a uniform made by a different company than every other team in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, officials said Friday.Nike has manufactured official Olympic jerseys for the seven other nations in the women's tournament at the Feb. 9-25 competition.The US company had also designed one for South Korea, but its 23 players will not get to wear it, as they've been joined by 12 North Koreans on an unprecedented joint team. (Yonhap)When a

More SportsFeb. 2, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Rehearsal of PyeongChang opening ceremony set for Saturday

A rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will be held Saturday, its organizing committee said. The event will be held at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium at 8 p.m. before 20,000 people, including volunteers, residents and officials, the organizer said.  The participants will be asked to keep details of the event secret. Organizers said unauthorized filming of the rehearsal or leaking details of the ceremony will be strictly banned, and violators can be held legally resp

More SportsFeb. 2, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018]Mogul skier has 'no special feelings' for Winter Games

HOENGSEONG -- Korean mogul skier Choi Jae-woo said Friday that he has "no special feelings" for the upcoming Winter Games, as he emphasized that he'll just put on his usual performance in PyeongChang.Choi is one of Korea's medal hopefuls. He is currently ranked fourth in the International Ski Federation World Cup rankings.While fans' eyes will be on Choi, who is looking to become the first Korean away from ice to medal, the 23-year-old said he isn't feeling any pressure.South Korean mogul skier

Olympic GamesFeb. 2, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] NK figure skaters get in 1st practice; short trackers rest

GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- The North Korean figure skating duo of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik got in their first practice on Friday, one day after arriving in South Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Two North Korean short track speed skaters, meanwhile, skipped their scheduled morning practice here in Gangneung, the host of all ice events during the Feb. 9-25 Olympics.Ryom and Kim are among 22 North Korean athletes set to participate in PyeongChang 2018, the first Winter Games to take plac

More SportsFeb. 2, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea to deploy 13,000 trash cans made of recycled paper at Olympics

South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT plans to deploy 13,000 trash cans made with its proprietary paper recycling technology at the PyeongChang Olympics to spotlight the country’s efforts to promote environmental protection.It will also donate 6,000 boxes of A4 paper produced through its waste paper recycling technique for use at the International Broadcasting Center during the games, according to the ministry.The Korean government has been funding basic research for a number of fundamental

TechnologyFeb. 1, 2018