New FC Seoul boss vows to keep football club's legacy alive

Hwang Sun-hong, new head coach for Korean football club FC Seoul, said Monday he will try his best to produce good results despite the pressure to keep the club's legacy alive.Hwang officially became the 11th head coach of FC Seoul as he succeeds former boss Choi Yong-soo, who left for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last week. Hwang, who will guide Seoul through the end of the 2018 season, will make his return to the top-flight K League Classic for the first time in seven months. He resigned from a

SoccerJune 27, 2016

PyeongChang Olympics organizers move into new office in host city

Organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Monday officially settled into their new headquarters in the host city, a move designed to ensure more efficiency in preparations for the first Winter Games in Korea.The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games marked the occasion with a ceremony in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul. (Yonhap)Lee Hee-beom, president of the POCOG, said the opening of the new headquarters has usher

SportsJune 27, 2016

Korea hoping for boost from 3 'wild-card' players in Olympic football

Korean Olympic football team is hoping for big contributions from its three "wild-card" players when they enter the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, as head coach Shin Tae-yong wants them to boost both the offense and the defense of the young squad.On Monday, Korea unveiled their 18-man football squad for the Rio Games, which included three players over the Olympic football age limit of 23. Teams can field up to three such players as wild cards. (Yonhap)Coach Shin previously said he would use all th

SoccerJune 27, 2016

Rangers' Choo Shin-soo enjoys first 3-hit game of season

Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers enjoyed his first three-hit game of the season.The Korean outfielder went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, as the Rangers defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-2 at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Sunday (local time). It was his first three-hit effort since September last year. (Yonhap)The productive night raised Choo's batting average to .270. The right fielder has missed a big chunk of the season in the early going with hamstring and calf injuries. This was only his 18t

BaseballJune 27, 2016

Tottenham's Son Heung-min named to Korean Olympic squad

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min has been tasked with leading South Korea's quest for a second straight Olympic football medal.On Monday, Son was named to South Korea's 18-man squad for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.(Yonhap)Korea will be competing in their eighth straight Olympics but have won just one medal so far -- bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. The Olympic football tournament, featuring 16 nations, is open to players under the age of 23, but each country is permitted up to

SoccerJune 27, 2016

Former world judo champ Wang Ki-chun to retire

Former world judo champion Wang Ki-chun on Friday said he plans to retire from international competition and prepare for a coaching career.Wang said he will end his national team career and work as a coach starting next year. He didn't qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics to be held in August. (Yonhap)"I decided to retire (from national team) after the Olympics trials," he told Yonhap News Agency via phone. "My records with the national team are now all in the past. I will take on a new chall

More SportsJune 24, 2016

Baseball club on verge of releasing ex-big league pitcher

Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles said Friday they've asked the league office to place former big leaguer pitcher Esmil Rogers on waivers in the aftermath of a fiasco surrounding his injury status.Once the Korea Baseball Organization accepts the Eagles' request, it will put an end to a bizarre saga of Rogers' ailing elbow.(Yonhap)Rogers, who joined the Eagles last summer with 210 major league games under his belt, hasn't pitched since June 4 with an elbow injury. The Eagles had been preparing t

BaseballJune 24, 2016

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin roughed up in minor league rehab start

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers got roughed up in his latest minor league rehab start.Pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers against the Round Rock Express, the left-hander was touched for eight runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits in four innings in Oklahoma City on Thursday (local time). The Korean also allowed two home runs while striking out four. (Yonhap)Ryu underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in May last year and missed the entire 2015 season. This

BaseballJune 24, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho falls to Mendoza Line after hitless day

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins fell to the dreaded Mendoza Line, after his second straight hitless day at the plate.Park went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies in Minneapolis on Thursday (local time), as his batting average slipped to .200. The Twins lost the game 7-3. (Yonhap)The South Korean infielder is batting only .161 (9-for-56) in June, with three home runs and six RBIs, while striking out 20 times. The big league rookie has fallen on hard times, after be

BaseballJune 24, 2016

Park Tae-hwan to take legal steps in S. Korea over Olympic ban

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan is taking legal steps at home in addition to his international appeal over an Olympic ban. Park's legal representatives said on Thursday they have applied for an injunction at the Seoul Eastern District Court on behalf of the swimmer, in a bid to force the Korean Olympic Committee to obey a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in favor of Park. (Yonhap)Because of his doping history, Park, the 2008 Olympic champion in 400m freestyle, has been

More SportsJune 23, 2016

Korean handball ready for new act in Rio

Korea has beaten steep odds in Olympic women's handball over the years -- so much that its remarkable run to the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics became the subject of a popular local film, "Forever the Moment."The storyline hasn't changed as Korea gets ready for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. As the lone Asian representative in the 12-team tournament, Korea will again be undersized against its opponents. The country will be ready for a new act in Rio, and head coach Lim Young-ch

SportsJune 23, 2016

Pirates' Kang Jung-ho, Rangers' Choo Shin-soo go yard

Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers both homered in the majors, while other South Koreans also picked up base hits. Kang hit his 10th home run of 2016 off San Francisco Giants' starter Jeff Samardzija in the bottom of the third at PNC Park in Pittsburgh Wednesday (local time). Kang's blast over the center field wall gave the Pirates a 6-1 cushion. (Yonhap)It was Kang's first home run since June 14 versus the New York Mets. The South Korean third baseman

BaseballJune 23, 2016

McIlroy opts out of Rio Olympics over Zika concerns

Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most high-profile sports stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is "a risk I am unwilling to take.""After speaking with those closest to me, I've come to realize that my healtheuroand my family's health comes before anything else," the four-time major winner said in a statement released by his management company. (Yonhap)The fourth-ranked McIlroy was scheduled to play for Ireland as golf

GolfJune 22, 2016

Outgoing FC Seoul coach says he wants new challenge in China

Outgoing FC Seoul boss Choi Yong-soo said Wednesday he decided to join the Chinese club Jiangsu Suning because he wanted a new challenge by facing top-class football coaches.FC Seoul announced Tuesday that Choi will leave the five-time K League Classic champions for Jiangsu in the Chinese Super League. (Yonhap)Before his last match as Seoul head coach Wednesday, Choi told reporters that he accepted Jiangsu's offer because he didn't want to miss another opportunity.Last July, Choi turned down Jia

SoccerJune 22, 2016

International surfing championship comes to Busan

The 8th Busan Mayor’s Cup International Surfing Championship will take place at Busan’s Haeundae beach from Friday to Sunday. Busan Metropolitan City anticipated more than 400 surfers from five countries would participate in the year’s competition. (KSA)There will be a total of five criteria, including professional surfers’ competition, free competition open for everyone, longboard competition, stand-up paddle racing and an under-13 juniors’ competition.Winners will receive as much as 1 million

More SportsJune 22, 2016

Korean badminton duo eyeing gold, rebirth in Rio

At the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, the world No. 1-ranked men's badminton tandem of Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong are considered the biggest medal hope for South Korea. But they are not the only pair that the country is counting on for a medal.Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na are ranked No. 2 in the mixed doubles. They have been gearing up for the Rio Games well, winning five tournaments last year and also triumphing at the German Open in March and the Singapore Open in April. The two finished runn

Olympic GamesJune 17, 2016

Mariners' Lee Dae-ho knocks in 3 to end mini slump

Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners broke out of his mini slump with a big day at the plate.The South Korean slugger went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored, as the Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4 Thursday (local time) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Yonhap)Lee had struck out six times in his previous seven at-bats prior to this game.Batting fifth and playing first base, Lee knocked in Seattle's first run of the game in the top first with a single to center. It opened a

BaseballJune 17, 2016