Lee Dae-hoon wins gold at taekwondo worlds

MUJU -- South Korean Lee Dae-hoon captured gold at the ongoing taekwondo world championships at home on Tuesday.Lee easily defeated Huang Yu-Jen of Chinese Taipei 26-8 to claim the men's under-68kg title at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.Lee now has three gold medals at the world championships. He previously won world titles in 2011 and 2013 in the under-63kg category. Lee Dae-hoon of South Korea

More SportsJune 27, 2017

Korean in US minor leagues to opt out of contract without call-up

South Korean minor leaguer Hwang Jae-gyun said Tuesday he will opt out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants if he doesn't make the big league club by the weekend.Hwang said in an interview carried on a South Korean portal site that he'll exercise his contractual right to opt out of his deal if he isn't called up by the Giants by July 1. He will then become a free agent, in which case he can either try to land with another major league club or return to the Korea Baseball Organization, w

BaseballJune 27, 2017

2 Koreans secure bronze at taekwondo world championships

MUJU -- Two South Koreans secured at least bronze medals at the ongoing taekwondo world championships on Tuesday.An Sae-bom in the women's over-73kg and Jeong Yun-jo in the men's under-58kg each made it to the semifinals at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.Their semifinals and final, if they get there, will take place Wednesday. An Sae-bom of South Korea (left) lands a kick on Lorena Brandl of Germ

More SportsJune 27, 2017

Sliding sports venue for PyeongChang 2018 renamed

The sliding sports venue for next year's Winter Games in South Korea has been renamed to include the word "Olympic," the event's organizers said Tuesday.The organizing committee for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics said the Alpensia Sliding Centre in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, will now be called the Olympic Sliding Centre. This undated file photo, provided by the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics organizing committee, shows the newly-named Olympic Sliding Centre in PyeongChang

More SportsJune 27, 2017

Kim Kuk-young breaks 100m nat'l record

South Korean sprinter Kim Kuk-young set the men's 100m national record with 10.07 seconds on Tuesday.Kim won the men's 100m final at the Korea Open International Athletics Competition in Jeongseon, some 210 kilometers east of Seoul, with the record-breaking time.Kim broke his own record twice in three days on the same track. On Sunday, Kim ran the 100m in the semifinals of a different competition in the then-record time of 10.13 seconds. Later in the final, Kim posted a wind-aided, unofficial ti

More SportsJune 27, 2017

Japan-based golf star named honorary ambassador for PyeongChang 2018

Japan-based South Korean golfer Lee Bo-mee was named an honorary ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Tuesday.In a ceremony held in Seoul, Lee joined a slew of other sporting stars as the latest goodwill spokesperson for South Korea's first Winter Games. South Korean golfer Lee Bo-mee poses with the mascots of the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics and PyeongChang Winter Games, Bandabi (left) and Soohorang, after being named an honorary ambassador for PyeongChang 2018 in Seoul on J

More SportsJune 27, 2017

Ex-Boston Marathon champion Suh Yun-bok passes away

Suh Yun-bok, who won the 1947 Boston Marathon with a world record time, passed away on Tuesday. He was 94 years old.The Korea Association of Athletics Federations said Suh died of natural causes at around 4:40 a.m.former Boston Marathon champion Suh Yun-bok (Korean Sport & Olympic Committee)Suh became the first Asian champion of the Boston Marathon in 1947, setting the then-world record with 2:25.39. It was also the first world record set at the Boston Marathon, which began in 1897.Suh also part

More SportsJune 27, 2017

2 S. Koreans secure at least bronze at taekwondo world championships

Two-time world champion Lee Dae-hoon secured at least a bronze medal at the ongoing taekwondo world championships on Monday.Lee, competing in the men's under-68kg, was one of two South Koreans to reach the seminfinals at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul.Kim Jan-di also made the final four in the women's under-67kg.There is no bronze medal contest at these championships, where the two losers of the semif

More SportsJune 26, 2017

S. Korean wushu body invites N. Korea to youth competition

The South Korean wushu governing body said Monday it has invited North Korean athletes to an upcoming youth competition south of the border.The Korea Wushu Association said it wants to host a North Korean team during the ninth Asian Junior Wushu Championships, set for Sept. 14 to 21 this year in Gumi, some 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul.Park Chang-bum (left), president of the KWA, poses with Yu Zaiqing, head of the International Wushu Federation (Yonhap-KWA)The KWA said its president, Park Ch

More SportsJune 26, 2017

Korean pro football All-Stars selected for match in Vietnam

The South Korean professional fooball All-Star team for mid-season festivities in Vietnam was unveiled on Monday.The K League, operator of the national pro competitions, announced a team of 18 players. The K League All-Stars will face the Vietnamese national team at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on July 29. The kickoff is 10 p.m. Korean time.Yang Dong-hyeon of the Pohang Steelers (Yonhap)Pohang Steelers' Yang Dong-hyeon, currently tied for the lead in the top division K League Classic with 1

SoccerJune 26, 2017

Chung Hyeon to skip Wimbledon with ankle injury

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon will skip next month's Wimbledon with an ankle injury, his agency announced Monday.IMG said a left ankle injury will keep world No. 54 out of the third Grand Slam tournament of the year, which will begin on July 3.South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon (Yonhap-AP)Chung reached the third round of the French Open earlier this month, becoming only the second South Korean to go that deep into a major tournament.Chung injured his ankle while training for the Ric

More SportsJune 26, 2017

Korea names new technical director in football

The national football governing body named a new technical director Monday.The Korea Football Association said its Vice President Kim Ho-gon has been named the head of its technical committee.Kim, 66, replaces Lee Yong-soo, who stepped down June 15, the same day that the men's national team head coach Uli Stielike was sacked.(Yonhap)Kim's first job as the technical chief will be to name Stielike's successor, with South Korea clinging to the last automatic berth in the final Asian qualifying roun

SoccerJune 26, 2017

At career crossroads, Barca prospect wants to talk to Spanish side first

Amid transfer rumors, FC Barcelona's South Korean prospect Lee Seung-woo said Monday he'll first talk to his current club before deciding on his future.The 19-year-old left home for Spain earlier in the day while rumors continue to swirl around his future destination.Lee made a debut with Barca's B team two seasons ago, but has mostly been playing with Juvenil A (under-19) team since then.Lee Seung-woo (Yonhap)Lee has a contract with the Catalan club until 2019 and reportedly has a buyout clause

SoccerJune 26, 2017

Korean football club to appeal sanctions over on-field violence

Korean football club Jeju United said they plan to appeal sanctions over their players' on-field violence Monday.The Asian Football Confederation earlier handed down penalties to three Jeju players for their role in a melee after an AFC Champions League match against Urawa Red Diamonds at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, on May 31.The AFC suspended Cho Yong-hyung for six months with a fine of US$20,000, Baek Dong-gyu for three months with a fine of $15,000 and Kweon Han-jin for two matches wit

SoccerJune 26, 2017

Kim Tae-hun wins 3rd straight gold at taekwondo worlds

South Korea's Kim Tae-hun won his third straight gold medal at taekwondo's biennial world championships on Sunday.Kim defeated Armin Hadipour Seighalani of Iran 10-6 to claim the men's under-54kg title at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul.Kim, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in 58kg, had earlier won world titles in the under-54kg in 2013 and 2015.This was South Korea's second gold medal of Sunday. Just

More SportsJune 26, 2017

Rangers' Choo Shin-soo belts 12th homer of season, shines on defense

Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers has blasted his 12th home run of the season, while also making a fine defensive play in the team's victory.Batting second and playing right field, Choo hit a three-run home run and recorded his third outfield assist at Yankee Stadium in New York on Sunday (local time), as the Rangers prevailed 7-6. Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers (R) celebrates his three-run home run with Jonathan Lucroy in the second inning of a Major League Baseball game against the New Yo

BaseballJune 26, 2017

Park Tae-hwan off podium to close out world championships tune-up

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan has finished off the podium in his final two races in his world championships tune-up in Italy.Park ranked fourth in the men's 800-meter freestyle at the Sette Colli Trophy at Stadio del Nuoto in Rome on Sunday (local time), with a time of 8:04.31.Jan Micka of the Czech Republic won the race in 7:54.24. (Yonhap)Earlier in the day, Park ranked eighth in the 100m freestyle at 49.14 seconds, as Dominik Kozma of Hungary finished first in 48.68.Park entered the Sett

More SportsJune 26, 2017

Ryu So-yeon captures 2nd LPGA win of 2017

South Korean golfer Ryu So-yeon has picked up her second LPGA win of the season in Arkansas, rising to the No. 1 spot in world rankings in the process.Ryu claimed the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, on Sunday (local time) with a three-round total of 18-under 195. Ryu shot a two-under 69 in the final round to set a tournament record in relation to par, and beat fellow South Korean Amy Yang and Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand by two strokes.Ryu, 26, now

GolfJune 26, 2017

Korean Olympic champion ousted in quarterfinals at taekwondo worlds

MUJU -- South Korean Olympic taekwondo champion Kim So-hui was ousted in the quarterfinals of the world championships at home on Sunday.Kim, competing in the women's under-49kg, was one of two South Koreans to suffer early exits at the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships at T1 Arena inside Taekwondowon in Muju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul. Kim Hun was also eliminated in the quarterfinals of the men's under-74kg class. Kim So-hui of South Korea (left) battles Courtney Eardl

More SportsJune 25, 2017

Ryu shoots course-record 61 at NW Arkansas Championship

ROGERS, Arkansas -- A few weeks off was all Ryu So-yeon needed to kick-start what is shaping up to be possibly the best year of her LPGA Tour career.　 The third-ranked South Korean star shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday in the NW Arkansas Championship to take a five-stroke lead into the final round, putting in in great position to become the first repeat winner this year.　 The ANA Inspiration winner in April for her second major title, she reached 16 under to break the tournament 36-h

GolfJune 25, 2017