N. Korea figure skating pairs team wins bronze at Four Continents Championships

North Korea's figure skating pairs team of Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik won the bronze medal Friday at the last-minute international rehearsal before the next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics.At the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, held in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, the duo earned a personal-best total of 184.98 points to finish third. The U.S. team of Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea won gold with 194.42 points, followed by another American tandem, Ashley Cain and Timothy Leduc,

More SportsJan. 26, 2018

Federer hails Chung as future top 10 player

MELBOURNE -- Roger Federer hailed Chung Hyeon as a future top 10 player Friday after the South Korean's Australian Open came to a painful end at the hands of the Swiss maestro.The defending champion was leading 6-1, 5-2 and in full control when Chung retired with foot blisters, bringing the curtain down on a breakout tournament in which he announced himself as a future star in the making. The 21-year-old sent 12-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic packing in the quarter-finals, although the Se

More SportsJan. 26, 2018

[Newsmaker] S. Korean sensation Chung Hyeon bows to Roger Federer at Australian Open

South Korean tennis sensation Chung Hyeon bowed out to Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals Friday, ending a historic run that has captivated a nation hungry for new sporting heroes.The 58th-ranked Chung withdrew against the second-ranked Federer with blisters on his left foot, when the score was 6-1, 5-2 in favor of the Swiss great.Chung was the lowest-ranked man to make the Australian Open semifinals since Marat Safin 2004. The 21-year-old knocked out six-time Australian Open champi

More SportsJan. 26, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Intel to host ‘StarCraft II’ tournament in lead-up to Olympics

Intel will host an international “StarCraft II” tournament in South Korea’s eastern county of PyeongChang in the lead up to the 2018 Winter Olympics that kicks off in the region next month.The Intel Extreme Masters PyeongChang tournament for Blizzard Entertainment’s real-time strategy game will take place Feb. 5-7 at the Olympic Village in PyeongChang. Intel has yet to confirm a venue. A total of 18 StarCraft II players who have passed the online qualifiers compete in the main tournament for a c

TechnologyJan. 26, 2018

Korea Skating Union expels coach for beating short tracker Shim

The Korea Skating Union said Thursday that it has decided to permanently expel a coach for beating Olympic short track speed skating champion Shim Suk-hee.The skating authorities convened an independent disciplinary committee of eight experts to make a decision on the coach, whose name has been withheld from the media. (Yonhap)“We have decided on the heavy punishment of permanent expulsion after we discussed the gravity of the issue following statements from the attacker,” Kim Sang-kyum, the cha

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Viktor Ahn unhappy with Olympic ban

Russia’s Viktor Ahn, one of most decorated Olympic short track speedskaters, expressed strong dissatisfaction over the International Olympic Committee’s recent decision to bar him from competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games in his native South Korea, according to Russia’s local broadcasting company Match TV on Wednesday. Short track speedskater Viktor Ahn. YonhapThe six-time Olympic champion, 32, Tuesday left the team meeting room without a word, shortly after he heard that the IOC exclu

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] 'Korea PyeongChang Night’ to be held in Davos

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PyeongChang Organizing Committee will host the Korea PyeongChang Night in Davos, Switzerland during the Davos forum on Thursday as part of an event to promote the upcoming Winter Games slated for next month. The mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Suhorang (R) and Bandabi. YonhapAccording to the ministry, the separate session on the sidelines of the forum will take place at 7 p.m. (Korean time) and will be attended by Foreign Minister Kan

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korean ice dance team finishes 7th at Four Continents championships

South Korea's sole ice dance team of Min Yu-ra and Alexander Gamelin finished 7th at the 2018 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Thursday, wrapping up the final rehearsal before the next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The duo received 91.27 points in free skating at the competition in Taipei, Taiwan, to record a combined 151.38 points, including 60.11 points from the previous day's short program.The total score is just 0.62 point short of their best score of 152 points, which t

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Seoul City to hold extended welcoming week for Winter Olympics

Seoul City will hold “Special Welcoming Week” for foreigners visiting Seoul for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Under the slogan “Welcome to Seoul, Gate to Pyeongchang,” the welcoming week event, usually spanning seven days, has been extended to 52 days for the Olympics, starting from Friday and running through March 18 when the Paralympic Games are set to end.Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will install welcoming booths at Incheon and Gimpo international airports. At these booths, vi

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] N. Korea likely to send 2 athletes to PyeongChang Winter Paralympics

North Korea is expected to send two athletes to the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games, following its decision to participate in the multi-sport event, which will be held in the South, Seoul's sports minister said Thursday. "I expect two North Korean athletes to attend the PyeongChang Paralympics. Their participation will help the event organizers hold the Paralympic Games more peacefully," Do Jong-whan, minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told reporters at the tra

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Alternative apps to Google Maps for Winter Olympics

In most parts of the world, Google Maps is the go-to source for travelers in foreign countries, as it offers easy public transportation guidance as well as directions for driving, biking and walking.　However, South Korea is one of the few countries in the world where Google Maps is not offered in its full capacity, with critical features like driving navigation unavailable due to security restrictions.South Korea, still technically at war with North Korea, prohibits companies from exporting the

TechnologyJan. 25, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Reselling Olympic tickets at premium punishable by up to W5m fine

The resale of tickets for the PyeongChang Olympics at a premium is punishable by a fine of up to 5 million won ($4,700), according to article 92 of the Special Act on Support for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Joongonara, Korea’s biggest e-market for secondhand goods, has cautioned its some 16 million users against trading Olympic tickets on its website, relaying the notice sent out by the PyeongChang Organizing Committee. The notice makes it clear that trading the tic

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2018

Lee Sang-ho eyes Korea's 1st Olympic medal on snow

South Korean alpine snowboarder Lee Sang-ho has a nickname that he can't shake off till this day.Lee first started snowboarding at a sledding slope that was previously a cabbage patch. After he established himself in the snowboarding scene, "Napa Cabbage Boy" became his nickname.Coincidently, PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics, is also known for fresh cabbages. With its cold weather, PyeongChang is widely regarded as the best place for highland agriculture in South Korea.Lee

More SportsJan. 25, 2018

Bobsleigh pilot confident of strong PyeongChang 2018 performance

South Korean bobsleigh pilot Won Yun-jong said Wednesday he feels confident that he can achieve good results at the upcoming Winter Olympics.　Won will partner with brakeman Seo Young-woo to compete in the two-man bobsleigh event at the PyeongChang Olympic Games next month. The tandem is considered one the medal hopes for South Korea in sliding sports. 　“I‘ve prepared for the PyeongChang Olympics for about eight years and it’s just around the corner,” Won said after the South Korean national team

More SportsJan. 24, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Here’s good news for Muslims visiting Korea

The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea will welcome delegations from a record 94 countries and tourists around the world for the international event slated for next month. And among the visitors will be Muslims. Mobile Prayer Room. Photo: KTOFor Muslims visiting Gangneung -- one of three venues in Gangwon Province where the games will be held -- “mobile prayer rooms” will be set up in the region to attract more adherents of Islam that make up the world’s second-largest religious gro

Olympic GamesJan. 24, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea's short track team braces for PyeongChang amid assault scandal

In the wake of allegations that South Korea's female short track speed skating star Shim Suk-hee was assaulted by her own instructor, the national team head coach said Wednesday his athletes have gone back to their normal training routines."It is important for athletes to perform at the Winter Games in good conditions and atmosphere and overcome the incident," Kim Sun-tae told reporters after the launch ceremony for South Korean athletes competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Earlier

Olympic GamesJan. 24, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Bobsleigh coach rejects joint Korean Olympic team idea

South Korean bobsleigh head coach Lee Yong on Wednesday rejected a recent proposal for a joint Korean team for test runs at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, saying the idea would only embarrass the sport.Last Friday, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) said "a mixed 4-man bobsleigh team with athletes from North and South Korea could be among the sleds testing the conditions" ahead of the Olympic races scheduled for Feb. 24 and 25. South Korean Olympic bobsleigh head coach

Olympic GamesJan. 24, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korean athletes for PyeongChang 2018 hold team launch ceremony

Athletes competing for host South Korea at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics gathered Wednesday for their team launch ceremony.Some 150 athletes from seven sports and 15 disciplines, including speed skating, ice hockey, curling, alpine skiing, biathlon and bobsleigh, were on hand for the occasion.Kim Ji-yong, executive director at Kookmin University in Seoul, will be the chief delegate for South Korea, which is expected to have 218 athletes in all events.South Korea has set out to win at leas

Olympic GamesJan. 24, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Meningococcal vaccines recommended for Olympics attendees

From athletes and support staff to reporters and spectators, millions of people from around the world are set to gather at the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will kick off in South Korea’s eastern county of PyeongChang on Feb. 9.At large-scale events like the Olympic Games, the risks of an infectious disease outbreak are expected to be higher. Though germs will always be in the air, event participants are advised to protect themselves against a particularly deadly infection called meningococcal dis

IndustryJan. 24, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Bobsleigh tandem look to end roller coaster ride on high note

Two years ago, South Korea's bobsleigh tandem of Won Yun-jong and Seo Young-woo were at the top of the world and were considered a strong medal hope for PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Since then, Won, the pilot, and Seo, his brakeman, have had up-and-down seasons that raise concerns for their Olympic performance. Two weeks before the Olympics, however, they remain confident their roller coaster ride will end on a high note at the games.Before skeleton slider Yun Sung-bin, the two-man bobsleigh tea

Olympic GamesJan. 24, 2018