Culture minister assures diplomatic missions of safe, successful Winter Olympics

South Korea's culture minister vowed Wednesday to host a successful and safe Winter Olympics in February to a group of diplomatic mission chiefs in Korea.Do Jong-hwan, the minister of culture, sports and tourism, attended the opening of "World Culture Collage," a variety of multilateral cultural programs aimed at celebrating the cultural heritages of the countries participating in the upcoming global sports event to enhance mutual understanding."This Olympics will contribute to peace and stabili

More SportsOct. 11, 2017

Korea fall to Morocco in friendly football match

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland -- South Korea fell 3-1 to Morocco in a friendly football match here on Tuesday.Morocco's Oussama Tannane grabbed a brace and Ismail Haddad added another goal to sink South Korea at Tissot Arena in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. South Korea's only goal came from Son Heung-min's penalty kick.This was South Korea's second friendly since they qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup last month. Three days ago, South Korea suffered a 4-2 loss to World Cup host Russia in Moscow.The l

SoccerOct. 11, 2017

Top rookie headlines natl. baseball team for inaugural tournament

Rookie sensation Lee Jung-hoo headlines the South Korean national baseball team for an inaugural offseason tournament this fall.The Korea Baseball Organization announced a 25-man final roster for the Asia Professional Baseball Championship, which will take place from Nov. 16-19 in Tokyo. It will feature pros from South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under 24 years of age -- born on or after Jan. 1, 1993 -- or those with less than three years of professional experience.Lee Jung-hoo, hot-hitting

BaseballOct. 10, 2017

Korea in search of opponents for Nov. football friendlies

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland -- South Korea's football governing body is in search of opponents for the men's national team's friendly matches next month, an official said Tuesday, with priority given to European and South American countries. An official with the Korea Football Association said that South Korea plan to play two friendly matches at home during FIFA's international match day period between Nov. 6 and 14, and they are looking for opponents. "Since World Cup qualification is ongoing on

SoccerOct. 10, 2017

Pro football club coach dies of heart attack

Cho Jin-ho, head coach of the second-tier South Korean pro football club Busan IPark FC, died of a heart attack Tuesday, team officials said. He was 44. An official with Busan said Cho collapsed near his residence in the morning while on his way to work. Cho was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead. Cho was one of South Korea's top football prospects in the 1990s. An energetic attacking midfielder, he played for South Korea at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1991 and 1993, before makin

SoccerOct. 10, 2017

Pro football coaches say natl. team needs more fan support

Head coaches of South Korea's top six pro football clubs on Tuesday asked fans to trust the beleaguered men's national team boss Shin Tae-yong, saying he needs more time and support.South Korea, ranked 51st in the latest FIFA rankings, have yet to collect a victory under Shin, who took over the helm in July following Uli Stielike's exit. Shin managed to guide South Korea to the 2018 FIFA World Cup last month after getting two scoreless draws with Iran and Uzbekistan, but was criticized for the t

SoccerOct. 10, 2017

Korean football body set to hire foreign assistants for natl. team

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland -- South Korean football body is set to hire foreign assistants for the men's national team as head coach Shin Tae-yong will meet with job candidates in Germany this week. An official with the Korea Football Association said Monday that Shin will interview applicants for the national team's assistant and fitness coaching positions in Frankfurt, Germany, before the South Korean squad returns home from a friendly in Switzerland. South Korea, ranked 51st in the latest FIFA

SoccerOct. 10, 2017

Top 6 football clubs enter final race for league title after split

Coaches of South Korea’s top six soccer clubs said Tuesday they are ready to put in their best efforts to take the league’s championship trophy in the remaining five matches.The K League Classic is operating under the split system, in which the 12 teams are divided into two tiers after their first 33 matches. Starting this weekend, they will play five more matches within their groups to conclude the 2017 season.Four-time champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors leads the way in the upper group, or Group

SoccerOct. 10, 2017

Top three LPGA players take battle to Korea

INCHEON -- Three of the brightest stars in women's golf today will take their battle to South Korea this week, as the LPGA Tour makes its lone annual stop in the country.The LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship will begin Thursday at the Ocean Course at Sky72 Golf & Resort, situated next to Incheon International Airport. The Ocean Course is hosting the tournament for the 10th consecutive year.The strong field of 78 players features nine of the top-10 players on the women's golf rankings. And the top

GolfOct. 10, 2017

Offense disappears in baseball postseason

BUSAN -- At first glance, the Lotte Giants' 1-0 victory over the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason game Monday may seem like the product of a pitching duel.But this nail-biting contest at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was much more than that. Both clubs put on a display of maddening inability to cash in on their opportunitiesWhen the stakes are high and pitchers dig deep in playoffs, hitters have to pounce on what few chances they get and not do

BaseballOct. 10, 2017

Lotte Giants blank NC Dinos to even baseball postseason series

The Lotte Giants blanked the NC Dinos 1-0 to even their Korea Baseball Organization postseason series at one game apiece Monday.Starter Brooks Raley tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings before leaving the game with a leg injury, and the bullpen took care of the rest at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.The Giants bounced back after dropping the opening game 9-2 in 11 innings Sunday. The best-of-five series will resume in Changwon, about 50 kilometers west of Busan, on Wednesday.T

BaseballOct. 9, 2017

Korea looking to end winless streak in football friendly vs. Morocco

South Korea will try to end their winless streak in international football when they take on Morocco this week. South Korea, ranked 51st in the latest FIFA rankings, will face No. 56 Morocco at Tissot Arena in Biel/Bienne in Switzerland on Tuesday. This is the second friendly match for South Korea after they qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup last month. South Korea have not collected a win in their last five matches. Since they beat Syria at home in the final Asian World Cup qualifying round

SoccerOct. 9, 2017

Korea football coach vows not to select easygoing players

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Monday players having easygoing mentality will not be selected for the national team as his side gear up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Shin's team arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to play a friendly match with Morocco. The Taeguk Warriors are scheduled to face the African side at Tissot Arena in Biel/Bienne on Tuesday. The match against Morocco is South Korea's second friendly since they confirmed a World Cup spot last mont

SoccerOct. 9, 2017

Crucial postseason series opener decided by defense, base running

BUSAN -- The well-worn baseball cliche has it that pitching and defense help teams win championships. And in their crucial postseason victory in the Korea Baseball Organization on Saturday, the NC Dinos enjoyed some stellar pitching while exploiting their opponents' shoddy defense. They had smart base running to boot, making for a lethal combination against any team.The Dinos defeated the Lotte Giants 9-2 at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in Game 1 of their best-of-fi

BaseballOct. 9, 2017

NC Dinos take series opener in baseball postseason

BUSAN -- The NC Dinos stole a road game in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason Sunday, beating the Lotte Giants 9-2 in 11 innings to open their best-of-five first round series.The Dinos exploded for seven runs in the top of the 11th at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, powered by Mo Chang-min's grand slam.The winner of Game 1 in the first round has gone on to take the series in six of the past 10 years, including each of the last three. Game 2 is back at Sajik Sta

BaseballOct. 9, 2017

Guus Hiddink turns down Korean job offer; still willing to help team

MOSCOW -- Former South Korean men's football head coach Guus Hiddink has turned down the country's offer of another position on the national team, though he's still willing to assist the squad for next year's FIFA World Cup, the national football federation said Saturday.The Korea Football Association said Hiddink also canceled his trip to Moscow, where South Korea are scheduled to face Russia in a friendly match later in the day.According to the association, KFA Vice President Lee Yong-soo met

SoccerOct. 8, 2017

Korea football coach blames loss to Russia on defensive lapses

MOSCOW -- South Korea men's football head coach Shin Tae-yong blamed defensive lapses for the 4-2 loss to Russia in a friendly Saturday.South Korea gave up two goals and defender Kim Ju-young scored two own goals in the deflating loss at the VEB Arena in Moscow. South Korea's record for 2017 now stands at one win, three losses and three draws, and the team has scored five goals in those seven contests.This was Shin's third match for South Korea, and first since two consecutive scoreless draws ag

SoccerOct. 8, 2017

Korea falls to Russia 4-2 in men's football friendly

South Korea lost 4-2 to Russia in a men's football friendly match in Moscow on Saturday, adding another lethargic effort to a growing list of subpar results.Fyodor Smolov and Aleksei Miranchuk each scored a goal for the home side, and South Korean defender Kim Ju-young committed two own goals in the second half at the VEB Arena in the Russian capital.(Yonhap)Defender Kwon Kyung-won and foward Ji Dong-won had a goal apiece for the visitors late in the match, though these weren't nearly enough.Rus

SoccerOct. 8, 2017

Kia Tigers win S. Korean baseball pennant

The Kia Tigers won the South Korean baseball pennant on Tuesday, the final day of the regular season.The Tigers finished first among 10 clubs in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season with a record of 87 wins, 56 losses and one tie, after defeating the KT Wiz 10-2 at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 40 kilometers south of Seoul.The Tigers edged out the Doosan Bears (84-57-3) by two games for their first pennant since 2009.Kia players celebrate their win of the pro-baseball pennant on Tuesday.

BaseballOct. 3, 2017

Ex-IOC Vice President Kim Un-yong dead at 86

Kim Un-yong, former vice president of the International Olympic Committee, passed away Tuesday. He was 86 years old.Sources close to the deceased said Kim, feeling under the weather, was admitted to Severance Hospital on Monday and was pronounced dead at 2:21 a.m. Tuesday.During his sports administration career, Kim was one of the most powerful figures in the IOC, which he joined in 1986. He played an instrumental role in helping Seoul win the right to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. Kim Un-yong

Olympic GamesOct. 3, 2017