[PyeongChang 2018] Failed ski resort looms over Pyeongchang Games' legacy

Only an hour's drive from the Winter Olympics venues in South Korea, a stained mattress lies in an abandoned ski resort, a possible harbinger of the gleaming new facilities' fate.The Alps Ski Resort was one of the country's first winter sports destinations, attracting tens of thousands of skiers every year until it abruptly shut its doors in 2006.Now South Korea has spent $800 million on the sporting facilities for next month's Winter Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee has express

Olympic GamesJan. 19, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Ticket sales for PyeongChang Paralympics surpass 70%

Ticket sales for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics have surpassed 70 percent, the event's organizers said Friday.There are less than 50 days left until the opening of the first Winter Paralympic Games in South Korea. And as of Thursday, 155,000 tickets had been sold, or 70.4 percent of the organizers' target of 220,000 tickets. The Winter Paralympics will be staged from March 9 to 18 in PyeongChang, 180 kilometers east of Seoul, and other sub-host cities nearby.  South Korean first lady Ki

More SportsJan. 19, 2018

Short track star Shim Suk-hee resumes training amid assault scandal

Former South Korean Olympic short track champion Shim Suk-hee has resumed training after allegedly being assaulted by her own coach earlier in the week, the national skating federation said Friday.An official with the Korea Skating Union said Shim rejoined the national team at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, late Thursday, two days after leaving the team."The national team staff reported that Shim joined the rest of the skaters for morning practic

More SportsJan. 19, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Talks under way to form joint Korean bobsled team for track test

A joint men's bobsled team between the two Koreas could be formed for training and track testing ahead of next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the South, the international bobsled governing body has said.The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation said on its website Thursday that 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.IBSF President Ivo Ferriani

More SportsJan. 19, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] IOC expands doping tests ahead of Olympics amid Russia controversy

The International Olympic Committee said Friday it carried out more than 14,000 doping tests last year ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, marking a whopping 70 percent on-year growth.The IOC said the tests were conducted between April and December on around 6,000 athletes from 61 countries taking part in the 2018 Winter Games, which are scheduled to run from Feb. 9 to 25 in the alpine town of PyeongChang, 180 kilometers east of Seoul. Doping test instruments (AP-Yonhap)The committee has b

More SportsJan. 19, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] IIHF welcomes unified inter-Korean ice hockey team

The International Ice Hockey Federation has expressed support for the creation of a unified inter-Korean women's ice hockey team for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a US broadcaster reported Friday. The two Koreas agreed at their working-level talks on Wednesday to field the joint squad at the Feb. 9-25 Games. The International Olympic Committee will review the agreement and determine the size of the unified roster on Saturday. South Korea hopes the roster will be expanded to as many a

More SportsJan. 19, 2018

Seoul to push for joint entrances with NK at Asian Games, Universiade

The South Korean government said Friday it will push to expand cooperation and exchanges in sports and culture with the North, including a joint entrance at the opening of this year's Asian Games in Indonesia. In a 2018 policy report to Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it plans to seek joint entrances and organize joint cheering squads with the North at future international sporting events, including the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, in Augus

More SportsJan. 19, 2018

S. Korea start 2018 at No. 59 in FIFA world football rankings

South Korea started the new year as the world's 59th placed football team in the FIFA rankings. According to the January men's rankings table released by FIFA on Thursday, South Korea moved up one spot to No. 59 with 569 points. South Korea were the world's 37th-ranked team one year ago. The Taeguk Warriors, having qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, had the fourth highest position among Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members. Iran fell two spots to No. 34, but remained the top-ranked Asi

SoccerJan. 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] Masikryong, hermit kingdom’s controversy-ridden ski resort

Seoul and Pyongyang announced Wednesday night that a joint training exercise of their skiers will take place at Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.It was agreed that South Korean officials will visit the resort from Jan. 23-25 to check the facility, which will be followed by a joint training exercise there. The South Korean players sent there, however, will not be members of the South Korean national team that will compete in the Olympics, but those rec

Olympic GamesJan. 18, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea announces men's, women's hockey rosters for PyeongChang 2018

South Korea announced the men's and women's hockey rosters for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Thursday, with the women's squad subject to changes following an inter-Korean agreement on a joint team.The men's team, coached by former National Hockey League defenseman Jim Paek, named 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies. The women's team, with former Canadian star Sarah Murray at the helm, has 14 forwards, six rearguards and three goalies.For both men's and women's tournaments, game

More SportsJan. 18, 2018

Korea starts 50-day countdown to PyeongChang Paralympics

South Korea on Thursday marked the start of the 50-day countdown to the PyeongChang Paralympic Games amid rising expectations for North Korea's first Winter Paralympics appearance. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games held an event to promote the upcoming Paralympics at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul with some 200 guests, including athletes, families and volunteers. Notable attendees included first lady Kim Jung-sook, POCOG President Lee Hee-beom, Vice

Olympic GamesJan. 18, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] First lady Kim urges support for PyeongChang Paralympic Games

South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook called on the people Thursday to show their support and interest in the Paralympic Games, which will be held in the country, insisting that the success of the preceding Winter Olympic Games depends on the success of the Paralympics.In a ceremony aimed at promoting the PyeongChang Paralympic Games, Kim said truly perfect Olympic Games depend on the success of the Paralympic Games."And true success of the Paralympic Games depends on your interest and purchase

More SportsJan. 18, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Switzerland 'not in favor' of expanded roster for potential joint Korean Olympic women's hockey team

As South Korea is pushing for a joint women's hockey team with North Korea for the upcoming Winter Olympics, one of its opponents is none too pleased with the prospect of facing an expanded roster in the tournament.South Korea is looking to add a few extra North Korean players at the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Winter Games. The two sides are scheduled to further discuss the issue later Wednesday.South Korea's first game is against Switzerland on Feb. 10 in Group B action. While Olympic hockey rosters

Olympic GamesJan. 17, 2018

N. Korean talent not enough to make difference for S. Korea on joint hockey team: coach

INCHEON -- North Korea doesn't have enough talent to make a difference for South Korea in women's hockey even if a joint team is assembled for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, South Korea head coach said Tuesday.Sarah Murray, who returned from the team's U.S. training camp, said she only heard about Seoul's push for the single Korean hockey team two days ago -- and from her staff and other journalists at that, not from any government officials. South Korea proposed the idea to North Korea during

Olympic GamesJan. 16, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] ‘Food safety for athletes of utmost importance’

During the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games, most athletes will be eating at restaurants in the two Olympic villages in PyeongChang and Gangneung, where the Olympics will take place from Feb. 9-25, followed by the 10-day Paralympics, which will kick off on March 9. Food safety inspectors monitor samples of food and beverage for athletes on Monday at a laboratory vehicle set up near the Olympic Village restaurant in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. The Ministry of Food and Drug

Olympic GamesJan. 16, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang 2018 names mayors of athletes' villages

The organizers of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Tuesday South Korea's lone International Olympic Committee member Ryu Seung-min and former short track speed skater Kim Ki-hoon will serve as "mayors" of the athletes' villages. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games said Ryu, a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, will manage the PyeongChang Olympic Village and Kim, who delivered South Korea's first Winter Olympics gold medal in 1992, will b

More SportsJan. 16, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] China likely to send high-ranking party official to PyeongChang

China will likely send a delegation led by a high-ranking communist party official to South Korea during next month's Winter Olympic Games, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.China has recently informed South Korea that Han Zheng, No. 7 in the Communist Party of China, will make a trip to South Korea in time for the Feb. 9-25 Winter Olympics, which will be held in the South's alpine town of PyeongChang, according to the sources. "Currently, South Korea and China are fine-tuning relevant matters and

More SportsJan. 16, 2018

France suspends referee who kicked player

PARIS (AFP) - The referee who kicked a player during a French Ligue 1 game and then sent him off has been suspended "until further notice", the French Football Federation said on Monday.   Tony Chapron kicked Diego Carlos of Nantes towards the end of Sunday's game against Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked over when the pair collided in a bizarre incident.   Chapron then showed the player a second yellow card.(Yonhap-EPA)  The FFF's technical committee of referees said Chapron had been "wit

SportsJan. 15, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang Olympic torch to reach host province on Sunday

The torch for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics will reach the host region of Gangwon Province next week, organizers said Monday.Starting in Cheorwon County on Sunday, the torch will travel through 18 major cities and towns in the eastern province before reaching the host county of PyeongChang for the Feb. 9 opening ceremony of the country's first Winter Games. The Olympics will run through Feb. 25.The combined distance covered by the torch relay, which started on Nov. 1, will reach 2,018 kil

More SportsJan. 15, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Canadian war veterans to join commemorative hockey game in Korea

Three former Canadian soldiers will visit South Korea this week for a symbolic ice hockey game to celebrate the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, six decades after their participation in the Korean War, a ministry here said Monday.The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has invited the three men -- Dennis Moore, Claude Charland and John Bishop -- to a six-day program to start on Wednesday. All of them are in their 80s. Canadian troops play an ice hockey game on the frozen Imjin River durin

More SportsJan. 15, 2018