[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang mascots to promote Olympics in Washington

WASHINGTON -- The two mascots for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will walk across central Washington this week to promote the upcoming games, the organizer said Wednesday.Soohorang, a white tiger, and Bandabi, an Asiatic black bear, plan to meet with locals near the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the National Mall starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Korean Cultural Center here. This photo, provided by the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, shows the mascots of the

More SportsDec. 7, 2017

Korean football giants Jeonbuk drawn with Hong Kong champs at 2018 AFC Champions League

South Korean pro football champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have been drawn with Hong Kong league winners at the 2018 Asian Football Confederation Champions League.  In a drawing held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday, Jeonbuk, the 2017 K League Classic winners, were paired with Kitchee SC, which will make their AFC Champions League group stage debut. They will be joined by two teams that come through the playoffs in Group E. Jeonbuk are looking for their third ACL title. Choi Kang-hee's sid

SoccerDec. 7, 2017

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores 6th goal of season in Champions League action

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min has scored his six goal of the season at the top European club football tournament.Son scored his team's second goal in Spurs' 3-0 win over Apoel FC in their last group stage match at the UEFA Champions League at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time). This was Son's third Champions League goal and his sixth total in the 2017-18 season. He has three goals in the English Premier League.  In this photo taken by the Associated Pre

SoccerDec. 7, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] IOC's Russia ban could rob PyeongChang 2018 of star power

A decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics over state-sponsored doping could rob South Korea's first Winter Games of some much-needed star power.Following its meeting at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the IOC's Executive Board announced it would suspend the Russian Olympic Committee, effective immediately. The IOC added that individual Russian athletes would still be allowed to compete as neutrals, provided that they

More SportsDec. 6, 2017

Korea plan to train in Middle East next month for 2018 World Cup preparations

South Korea plan to train in the Middle East next month to prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, an official at the national football governing body said Wednesday.The official said the Korea Football Association is currently searching for overseas venues where the men's national team can train for up to two weeks in January."Since South Korea will have cold weather, the association is considering holding its training (somewhere) in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates," the official

SoccerDec. 6, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Russian short tracker Victor An to compete in PyeongChang as neutral following IOC ban

South Korean-born Russian short track speed skater Victor An said Wednesday he'll compete as a neutral in the face of a ban on Russian athletes at next year's Winter Olympics on his native ice.The International Olympic Committee decided Tuesday (local time) in Lausanne, Switzerland, that Russia, facing rampant doping charges, will be banned from the PyeongChang Olympics and only individual athletes who meet strict anti-doping standards will be allowed to participate as neutrals.Such athletes wil

More SportsDec. 6, 2017

KBO club rejects rumors MLB team sought refund on slugger's posting fees

The South Korean baseball club Nexen Heroes on Wednesday rejected rumors that the Minnesota Twins were denied a refund on their posting fees for slugger Park Byung-ho when the player returned home last month.The Korea Baseball Organization team responded to a report on CBS Sports.com, later carried by SB Nation's Twins community page, Twinkie Town, that the Twins sought a partial refund of their $12.85 million posting fee for Park in 2015.Park was put up for posting after that season, and in a m

BaseballDec. 6, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] PyeongChang organizers 'respect' IOC's ban on Russia from 2018 Olympics over doping

Organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Wednesday they "respect" the decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the competition over its state-sponsored doping.The IOC's Executive Board announced in Lausanne, Switzerland, that it would suspend the Russian Olympic Committee with "immediate effect." The board acted on recommendations by a commission led by former Swiss President Samuel Schimd, who confirmed "the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping rules

More SportsDec. 6, 2017

North Korean national soccer teams in Japan for tournament

North Korea's national soccer teams have arrived in Tokyo as an exception to Japanese sanctions against Pyongyang's missile and nuclear development.North Korea is competing against Japan, China and South Korea in the E-1 Football Championship, which starts Friday.North Korean national soccer team (Yonhap)The arrival of North Korea's men's and women's teams comes amid growing tension in the region. Pyongyang test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed within Japan's 200-nautic

SoccerDec. 5, 2017

Baseball league MVP voted by peers as top player of 2017

INCHEON -- Reigning baseball league MVP Yang Hyeon-jong was voted by his peers as the top player of the season Tuesday.Yang, voted the regular season MVP in the Korea Baseball Organization last month, earned the Player of the Year honors at the 2017 Players' Choice Awards, hosted by the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association.The KPBPA created the awards in 2013, with all active KBO players casting votes for the best player in the league each year.Yang, a left-handed ace for the Kia Tige

BaseballDec. 5, 2017

Korean left back released by Dortmund

South Korean defender Park Joo-ho has been released by Borussia Dortmund, ending his poor stint with the German football club.Dortmund announced Monday (local time) that they've parted ways with Park after the two sides agreed to terminate the player's contract by mutual consent.Park joined Dortmund from fellow German club Mainz in 2015 on a transfer fee of 3 million euros ($3.56 million) but failed to impress. He played only 712 minutes in 11 matches after signing a three-year deal with the clu

SoccerDec. 5, 2017

Korea looking to defend regional football title, test players ahead of 2018 World Cup

South Korea will try to defend their regional football title and test players in Japan this week ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. South Korea, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, will compete at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship that features North Korea, China and Japan. The men's competition will be staged at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo from Saturday to Dec. 16.South Korea will open the tournament against China on Saturday and then take on North Korea next Tuesday. Shin

SoccerDec. 5, 2017

LPGA phenomenon Park Sung-hyun looking to outdo self in sophomore season

INCHEON -- Any way you cut it, South Korean phenomenon Park Sung-hyun enjoyed a monumental rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2017.On the strength of two wins, Park was the runaway winner of the Rookie of the Year honors, and added the Player of the Year and the tour's money title, too. She was the only LPGA player to earn more than US$2 million this year, and she became the first rookie to reach No. 1 in the world rankings in November.What does she have for an encore in her sophomore campaign? F

GolfDec. 5, 2017

Two Koreas to meet at youth football tournament in China

South and North Korea will meet at a youth football tournament in China later this month, a civic group in Seoul said Monday, a move aimed at promoting inter-Korean exchanges despite escalating inter-Korean military tension.The South-North Sports Exchange Association said that South and North Korea will compete at an international under-15 football tournament that will be staged in Kunming, China, from Dec. 19 to 22. The two Koreas and China will send two teams each to the tournament. They'll be

SoccerDec. 4, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Korean Lee Sang-hwa earns third silver in Speed Skating World Cup

South Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa has collected her third silver medal of the current World Cup season, watching her Japanese rival Nao Kodaira remain undefeated.Lee finished second to Kodaira in the women's 500 meters in the third leg of the International Skating Union World Cup Speed Skating in Calgary, Canada, on Sunday (local time). With a time of 36.86 seconds, Lee finished 0.33 second behind Kodaira, who broke her personal best with 36.53 seconds to win her fifth consecutive World Cup

More SportsDec. 4, 2017

'Korea has chance to reach knockout stage'

INCHEON -- South Korea soccer coach Shin Tae-yong said Sunday that his side has a chance to reach the round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup despite the tough group draw. 　Shin returned home from Moscow after attending the draw ceremony for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. South Korea is part of Group F that is made up of the defending champions Germany; the North, Central and Caribbean qualifying winners Mexico; and Sweden, which beat Italy in the European qualifying playoffs to reach soccer’s sho

SoccerDec. 3, 2017

Football coach says Korea have chance to reach knockout stage at 2018 World Cup

INCHEON -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Sunday that his side has a chance to reach the round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup despite the tough group draw.Shin returned home from Moscow after attending the draw ceremony for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. South Korea is part of Group F that is made up of the defending champions Germany; the North, Central and Caribbean qualifying winners Mexico; and Sweden, which beat Italy in the European qualifying playoffs to reach football's s

SoccerDec. 3, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] N. Korea misses figure skating deadline for PyeongChang 2018: report

North Korea has missed the deadline to enter its figure skating pairs team for next year's Winter Olympics in South Korea, a report claimed Friday.NBC Sports said North Korea's Olympic committee missed an Oct. 30 deadline to confirm whether it would send its qualified figure skating pairs duo, Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-ik, to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next February.Ryom and Kim clinched their Olympic spot at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany in September.According to NBC Sports, the Internation

More SportsDec. 1, 2017

Samsung Lions sign ex-MLB pitcher Tim Adleman

The South Korean baseball club Samsung Lions on Thursday announced their signing of former major league pitcher Tim Adleman.The Korea Baseball Organization team inked the 30-year-old right-hander to a $1.05 million deal, including a signing bonus of $100,000.Adleman was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 24th round in 2010, but didn't make his big league debut until 2016 with the Cincinnati Reds.In 2017, he made 30 appearances with the Reds, including 20 starts, and posted a record of 5-11

BaseballNov. 30, 2017