Mariners' Lee Dae-ho belts 12th homer of season

Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners has hit his 12th home run of the season against the Houston Astros.Lee belted a solo shot off the Astros starter Mike Fiers in the top of the fourth at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Wednesday (local time). It was part of the Mariners' four-run inning, cutting the deficit to 5-4.Lee, batting sixth and playing first base, also extended his hitting streak to six games.He is tied with Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins for most home runs by a South Korean player

BaseballJuly 7, 2016

Korea projected to grab 10 gold medals at Rio Olympics

Korea has been projected by a U.S. sports data analysis firm to win 10 gold medals for a ninth-place finish at this year's Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.Gracenote, based in Emeryville, California, said Korea will win 10 gold, five silver and 10 bronze medals in its latest Virtual Medal Table. In its previous update on June 7, Gracenote projected 11 gold, five silver and eight bronze for Korea.Korea has set out to capture at least 10 gold medals in Rio to finish in the top 10 in the medals for t

SportsJuly 7, 2016

Injured golfer Park In-bee to announce Olympic status next week

Injured Korean golfer Park In-bee will announce her status for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics when the field is finalized next week, her agency said Wednesday.Galaxia SM said the world No. 3, who has been battling a left thumb injury, resumed training last week. Park isn't playing at this week's U.S. Women's Open, the third major of the LPGA Tour season.Park's availability for the Aug. 5-21 Olympics has been in limbo, but the Seoul-based agency said Park is still very much determined to repr

GolfJuly 6, 2016

Lotte Giants acquire new American outfielder

The Korean baseball club Lotte Giants have acquired a new American outfielder.The Korea Baseball Organization team on Wednesday announced the signing of Justin Maxwell to a $280,000 contract for the remainder of the season. The 32-year-old replaces Jim Adduci, who was waived last week after failing a doping test.  (Lotte Giants)Maxwell has 441 major league games to his credit but has been playing for the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate Pawtucket, hitting .219 with five home runs and 25 RBIs

BaseballJuly 6, 2016

N. Korea to send at least 36 athletes to Rio Summer Olympics: report

North Korea will send at least 36 athletes to this year's Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a U.S.-based media report said Wednesday.Radio Free Asia said North Korea will be represented in nine sports, including weightlifting and marathon. Olympic qualification is still underway in boxing and some other sports, and the North Korean delegation could grow in the coming days.The 31st Summer Olympics will take place from Aug. 5-21. RFA noted that six male and four female weightlifters were

SportsJuly 6, 2016

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin expects butterflies in season debut

Two days before making his season debut, Los Angeles Dodgers' Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin said Tuesday he will likely be as nervous as he had been before his first major league start.The left-hander, who underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in May last year, is scheduled to start against the San Diego Padres at home on Thursday. (Yonhap)It will be Ryu's first major league appearance since Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals

BaseballJuly 6, 2016

Rangers' Choo Shin-soo hits 4th leadoff homer of season

Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers isn't wasting much time these days putting his club on the board.The Korean outfielder belted a leadoff home run against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Tuesday (local time). It was Choo's fourth home run to start a game this season, and 20th of his career.Choo jumped on the first pitch fastball by Boston starter David Price and sent it over the center field wall for his seventh home run of 2016. It was Choo's second leadoff homer off the left-hand

BaseballJuly 6, 2016

FIFA reduces Chung Mong-joon's ban

FIFA has reduced its ban on ex-Vice President Chung Mong-joon from six to five years.The world's football governing body announced the decision in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday (local time) following a meeting of its appeals committee.Last year, Chung, who was a FIFA vice president from 1994 to 2011, was found guilty of infringing FIFA's code of conduct during South Korea's bidding process for hosting the 2022 World Cup, which was eventually awarded to Qatar in 2010. The ban imposed by the adj

SportsJuly 6, 2016

[Newsmaker] Pirates' Kang Jung-ho faces sexual assault probe in Chicago

Kang Jung-ho, Korean infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, is being investigated over a sexual assault allegation that emerged in Chicago, a U.S. newspaper said.Citing a police spokesman, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday (local time) that Kang faces the probe over an incident that allegedly took place when the Pirates were visiting the Chicago Cubs last month. Kang hasn't been charged with a crime.The Pirates said they are aware of the allegation and vowed full cooperation with the authoriti

BaseballJuly 6, 2016

Veterans return to Olympics after eight years away

Competing in an Olympics is considered a great honor for athletes, and for two South Korean veterans this year's Rio de Janeiro Summer Games will hold even greater significance.Female weightlifter Yoon Jin-hee and male gymnast Yoo Won-chul will both be returning to the Olympic stage after an eight-year absence. Yoon won silver in the 58kg division at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and retired from international competition in 2012. But she started lifting again in late 2014.Yoo, a 2008 Olympic silver

SportsJuly 5, 2016

Olympic gymnastics coach unsure of injured star's status

The Olympic clock is ticking down on the injured Korean gymnast Yang Hak-seon, but the national team head coach on Tuesday said he hasn't received an update on the athlete's status.Yoon Chang-sun, who will lead the South Korean team to the Aug. 5-21 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, said he isn't sure how far Yang has come along in his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon in his right foot. (Yonhap)On Monday, the Korea Gymnastics Association said it will give Yang, the 2012 Olympic vault gold medalist, a se

SportsJuly 5, 2016

Women's basketball league bans American player for life

The Korean women's pro basketball league said Tuesday it will mete out a lifetime ban to an American player who is suspected of forging documents. The Women's Korean Basketball League Commissioner Shin Sun-woo told reporters after its board meeting that Chelsey Lee will be suspended for life and her records in the league will be annulled. Lee's two agents, who are accused of forging Lee and her father's birth certificates last year, will also face indefinite suspensions, he added.Local prosecuto

SportsJuly 5, 2016

Korea determined to carry on strong Olympic tradition in Rio

With the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games about a month away, Korean athletes and sports officials said Tuesday they are determined to carry on a strong Olympic tradition.The countdown to the first Olympics in South America will reach 30 days Wednesday, and the pre-Olympic media day at the National Training Center in Seoul on Tuesday provided an opportunity for the delegation leaders and medal hopefuls to discuss their goals.Kim Jung-haeng, co-president of the Korean Olympic Committee, said Kore

SportsJuly 5, 2016

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin to return from shoulder surgery this week

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will return to the big leagues this week after recovering from shoulder surgery, his manager announced Monday.Before the Dodgers opened a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium, Dave Roberts told reporters the South Korean left-hander will start against the San Diego Padres at home Thursday.It will be a 7:10 p.m. start local time. That's 11:10 a.m. Friday in Korea.Ryu went under the knife to repair a torn labrum in his pitching

BaseballJuly 5, 2016

Lotte Giants fined for ex-player's doping

A Korean baseball club was fined Monday following a positive drug test by its former player.The Korea Baseball Organization fined the Lotte Giants 10 million won (US$8,730) for their inadequate player management, after outfielder Jim Adduci flunked a doping test. (Yonhap)Adduci, a one-time Texas Ranger, was suspended by the Korea Anti-Doping Agency for 36 games last Friday after testing positive for oxycodone, a synthetic opiate. The Giants promptly waived him.Adduci told the KADA in an earlier

BaseballJuly 4, 2016

Ironman triathlon to take place in Chungju

An Ironman triathlon is set to take place in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, on Aug. 14. The Ironman 70.3 Chungju includes a 1.9-kilometer swimming course, 90.1-kilometer cycling course and 21.1-kilometer running course, all which must be finished within 8 hours and 30 minutes.  Those who finish in the top 30 at Chungju will be given the chance to compete in the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.At the Chungju contest, contestants will be able to enjoy the many historical sites in the ci

More SportsJuly 4, 2016