Hanwha Eagles re-sign pitcher Pena

The Hanwha Eagles announced Saturday they will bring back right-hander Felix Pena for his third season in South Korea. The Eagles said Pena agreed to a new one-year deal worth up to $1.05 million. The Dominican right-hander will receive $650,000 in salary and a $200,000 signing bonus and can earn up to $200,000 more in incentives. Pena first joined the Korea Baseball Organization, specifically the Hanwha Eagles, mid-season in 2022 as a replacement for Nick Kingham, achieving a 5-4 win-loss recor

BaseballDec. 9, 2023

Footballer Hwang's sister-in-law indicted for disclosing his private videos

A sister-in-law of football player Hwang Ui-jo was indicted Friday on charges of exposing his intimate videos online and threatening to make more revelations, officials said. The wife of Hwang's elder brother is accused of sharing intimate photos and videos of him spending time with women on Instagram in June, pretending to be a former lover of Hwang. She also claimed the South Korea forward had slept with several women and inflicted damage on them, threatening Hwang through text message to

Social AffairsDec. 8, 2023

MLB player in dispute over assault accusation

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres is embroiled in a dispute over allegations that he assaulted his former staff, with the Gold Glove-winning utility player claiming that he was blackmailed for a mere scuffle. It has been reported Thursday that the 28-year-old has filed charges for blackmail against Im Hye-dong, a retired baseball player who was briefly on Kim's team when they played for the Nexon Heroes in the Korean Baseball League. Im retaliated by telling the local media that he had b

BaseballDec. 8, 2023

Busan IPark on verge of K League promotion as final playoff battle looms

After playing the past three seasons in the second division of South Korean football, Busan IPark are poised for promotion to the top competition for 2024 with one final playoff match scheduled for the weekend. Busan will visit Suwon FC for the second leg of their K League promotion-relegation playoff at 2 p.m. Saturday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, just south of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. The winner will play in the K League 1 next year, and the loser will end up in the K League 2 in 2024. Busan

SoccerDec. 8, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korean players combine for 5 wins in LPGA

Amy Yang’s win at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, Nov. 19, gave a combined total of five victories won by South Koreans in the LPGA in 2023. However, for the second time in three seasons, South Koreans have failed to produce a major champion in women’s golf, as the post-COVID downward trend continued. As recently as 2019, South Korea had eight players combine for 15 wins. Even during the pandemic-interrupted 2020 season, cut short to just 18 tournaments, South Kor

GolfDec. 8, 2023

Padres' Kim Ha-seong files charges for blackmail against former teammate

San Diego Padres' infielder Kim Ha-seong has filed charges for alleged blackmail against a former teammate from his playing days in South Korea, local police said Thursday. Kim, 28, claimed that the yet-unidentified former baseball player coerced a large sum of money as compensation for his injuries from a fistfight at a bar in 2021, not long before he made his Major League Baseball debut. The charges were filed at Gangnam Police Station in Gangnam-gu, southern, Seoul, where the altercation

BaseballDec. 7, 2023

6 S. Koreans earn LPGA membership for 2024

Five-time South Korean tour winner Lee So-mi will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2024. Lee finished tied for second at the six-round LPGA Q-Series, the annual qualifying tournament for the top women's competition, at 26-under 404 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday (local time). Those finishing inside the top 45 and ties earned their LPGA cards for 2024, with the players inside the top 20 and ties able to enter most of the tournaments. The rest, fr

GolfDec. 7, 2023

KBO MVP Fedde signs with White Sox: reports

Erick Fedde, the reigning most valuable player award winner in South Korean baseball, has signed with the Chicago White Sox, US media reports claimed. ESPN and other outlets reported Tuesday that Fedde has agreed to a two-year deal worth $15 million with the White Sox. Fedde, 30, won the Korea Baseball Organization regular season MVP award for the NC Dinos this season, after winning the Triple Crown as the league leader with 20 wins, a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts. The American right-hander becam

BaseballDec. 6, 2023

Olympic freestyle skiing champion Eileen Gu named global ambassador for Winter Youth Olympics in S. Korea

Eileen Gu, a two-time Olympic freestyle skiing champion for China, has been named a global ambassador for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics opening in South Korea next month. The organizers of the Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon Province, on the east coast of the country, announced Wednesday that Gu, 20, will serve as a mentor for young athletes and also use her considerable social media presence to drive up interest in the Jan. 19-Feb. 1 competition. Gu, 20, won gold medals in the women's bi

More SportsDec. 6, 2023

S. Korean Lee So-mi on verge of winning LPGA qualifying tournament

A five-time Korean tour winner Lee So-mi is closing in on the top prize at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament in Alabama. Lee shot a nine-under 63 in the fifth and penultimate round of the LPGA Q-Series at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama, on Tuesday (local time). Following the bogey-free round that matched the Q-Series course record, Lee leads Robyn Choi of Australia by two strokes at 27-under heading into Wednesday's finale. Players finishing inside the

GolfDec. 6, 2023

Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan nets 8th goal of season in victory

Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers has netted his eighth goal of the Premier League season, keeping pace with the league leaders in the scoring race. Hwang scored in the 42nd minute to help Wolves past Burnley 1-0 at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Tuesday (local time). It snapped Wolves' two-match losing skid, as they improved to 18 points on five wins, three draws and seven losses. Hwang climbed into a three-way tie for fourth place in goals in the Premier League, jo

SoccerDec. 6, 2023

KBO All-Star closer Go Woo-suk posted for MLB clubs

South Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk has been posted for Major League Baseball clubs, the league office here announced Tuesday. The Korea Baseball Organization said MLB notified its 30 clubs of Go's posting by his domestic club, LG Twins, on Monday (US time), confirming US media reports from earlier in the day. The 25-year-old right-hander is now able to sign with any big league team within the 30-day negotiating window, which opens at 8 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday and will end at 5 p.m

BaseballDec. 5, 2023

Can 'Singles Inferno' boost basketball's popularity?

With the third season of Netflix dating reality show "Singles Inferno" ready to release next week, one participant grabbing the eyes of local basketball fans is Lee Gwan-hee, a brash, outspoken and somewhat-controversial guard playing for the Changwon LG Sakers of the Korea Basketball League. Lee’s appearance will mark the first time an active professional athlete will appear in the wildly popular show, and fans of the mildly liked KBL are wondering if the publicity will help boo

TelevisionDec. 5, 2023

K League's MVP has no regrets over turning down lucrative offer to stay put in S. Korea

Ulsan Hyundai FC defender Kim Young-gwon was voted the most valuable player (MVP) in South Korean football's top division Monday, and to hear the man himself tell it, Kim almost didn't even make it this far into the season to grab that award. After accepting his K League 1 MVP trophy at an awards ceremony in Seoul, Kim revealed that he had a lucrative offer from a foreign club during this season. Ulsan head coach Hong Myung-bo convinced Kim to stay with Ulsan, and the center back helpe

SoccerDec. 4, 2023

Back in old boots, speed skater Kim Min-sun grabs 1st World Cup title of season

Immediately after going back to her old boots, South Korean speed skater Kim Min-sun returned to a familiar place -- the top of the podium at a World Cup competition. Kim won the women's 500-meter title at the latest International Skating Union World Cup Speed Skating stop in Stavanger, Norway, on Sunday. Kim clocked her season-best 37.73 seconds for her first World Cup gold medal of this season in five tries. Erin Jackson of the United States, the 2022 Olympic champion, ranked second in 37

More SportsDec. 4, 2023

Son Heung-min nets 9th goal of season, scores own goal in draw vs. Man City

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur has grabbed sole possession of third place in the Premier League scoring race, with a goal against defending champions Manchester City in a 3-3 draw. The Spurs skipper, though, also scored one into his own net in this wild away match. Son opened the scoring after only six minutes at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Sunday with his ninth goal of the campaign. In a counterattack opportunity, Son broke from inside his own half to take a long pass from Dej

SoccerDec. 4, 2023

Tiger Woods cards 71 in Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods stumbled out of the gate before finding his footing with four of his five birdies on the front nine to finish 1-under-par 71 after the third round of the Hero World Challenge on Saturday. He's tied for 16th in the 20-man field at even par. Woods said the "touch and feels" of his short game are the most difficult to get back so far. "But when you're chipping off Bermuda like this, and this is probably one of the hardest golf courses we face all year round to

GolfDec. 3, 2023

Suwon Samsung Bluewings suffer 1st relegation in K League football

Suwon Samsung Bluewings were relegated to the second division in South Korean football for the first time in their club history Saturday, following a goalless draw against Gangwon FC at home. Suwon Samsung finished the 2023 K League 1 season in last place with 33 points on eight wins, nine draws and 21 losses, and suffered direct relegation to the K League 2 for 2024. In order to avoid direct relegation, Suwon Samsung had to defeat Gangwon at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, just south of Seoul

SoccerDec. 2, 2023

Hyundai Motor chief reaffirms commitment to support Korean archery

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun on Friday reiterated the automaker’s unwavering support for Korean archery, emphasizing the need to find ways for archery to contribute to the society. “In the mid to long term, (we) should put in effort to (bring archery) closer to the public and we must think about how archery can contribute to our society and act on it,” said Chung at an event held at Grand Walkerhill Seoul to commemorate the 60th anniversary of South Korean a

More SportsDec. 1, 2023

KPGA stars looking to make Saudi-backed LIV Golf

Ham Jeong-woo, the 2023 Player of the Year on the KPGA Korean Tour, will be among eight South Korean golfers teeing off at a qualifying tournament for a Saudi Arabia-backed renegade circuit this month. LIV Golf, financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, announced the field for the inaugural LIV Golf Promotions on Thursday. It said over 70 players representing 23 countries will compete at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in Abu Dhabi from Dec. 8-10, with the top three

GolfDec. 1, 2023