Korea to face Jordan in quarterfinals at Olympic football qualifying tournament

South Korea will face Jordan in the quarterfinals of the Olympic men's football qualifying tournament on Saturday in Doha.South Korea had clinched the top spot in Group C at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship after a 1-1 draw with Iraq in the Qatari capital on Tuesday, and set themselves up for a quarterfinal date against the runner-up from Group D.Jordan got the second seed with five points in Group D following their scoreless draw with Australia. The United Arab Emirates won Gr

SoccerJan. 21, 2016

Alpine skiing venue approved for Olympic test event

The South Korean alpine skiing venue has been officially approved for an upcoming Olympic test event, officials said Wednesday.The organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Jeongseon Alpine Centre, venue for the International Ski Federation Alpine Skiing World Cup from Feb. 6-7, has been given the green light by the sport's global governing body.Jeongseon, some 210 kilometers east of Seoul, will be among the sub-host cities of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. These citie

More SportsJan. 20, 2016

Korea draw Iraq, top group in Olympic football qualifying tournament

South Korea drew Iraq 1-1 but still topped their group in the Olympic men's football qualifying tournament here on Tuesday.South Korea were nursing their slim lead on forward Kim Hyun's first-half header, until Amjed Hussein netted the equalizer in the dying moments of the final Group C match at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship in the Qatari capital.The result left both nations tied at seven points on two victories and a draw, but South Korea finished in first place thanks to t

SportsJan. 20, 2016

Competition for playing time brewing in midfield for Korea

With South Korea having already clinched a knockout berth at the Olympic men's football qualifying tournament with one match remaining, some internal competition is brewing in a midfield already stacked with promising youngsters.South Korea have won their first two matches at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship, which also doubles as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. The top three nations will advance to the Olympics, and South Korea have

SoccerJan. 19, 2016

Korean Chung Hyeon loses to Djokovic at Australian Open

South Korean teenager Chung Hyeon fell to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the opening round of the Australian Open tennis championships Monday.Djokovic, the five-time champ of the season's first grand slam event, dispatched the 52nd-ranked Chung 3-0 (6-3, 6-2, 6-4) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.Chung, 19, is the highest-ranked South Korean male tennis player. This was his first match against Djokovic and also his first appearance at the Australian Open. The last South Korean to

More SportsJan. 18, 2016

Teenage figure skating phenom signs with Kim Yu-na's agency

Teen figure skating phenom You Young, the youngest Korean national champion, has joined the agency of her idol, Kim Yu-na.All That Sports announced Monday that You, who captured the national ladies' singles title on Jan. 10 at age 11, has signed a three-year deal.You scored 183.75 points to become the youngest national champion at 11 years and eight months, breaking the previous record held by Kim, who won the 2003 title at 12 years and six months. Kim went on to capture an Olympic gold and two

More SportsJan. 18, 2016

Korea to battle Iraq for top group spot at Olympic football qualifying tourney

With a knockout berth secured, South Korea will take on Iraq with the top group spot on the line at the Olympic men's football qualifying tournament on Tuesday.The Group C showdown at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha (1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Korea).The championship is also the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games. Only the top three out of 16 nations in action will advance to the Ol

SoccerJan. 18, 2016

Korea secure quarterfinals berth in Olympic football qualifying tournament

South Korea clinched a quarterfinals berth at the ongoing Olympic football qualifying tournament in Qatar with one group match remaining, thanks to some help from other countries.South Korea did their part by defeating Yemen 5-0 Saturday in Doha for their second straight victory in Group C at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship. It doubles as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro and only the top three out of 16 nations will advance to the Oly

SoccerJan. 17, 2016

Rising Korean star picks up hat trick in Olympic qualifying tournament

Chang-hoon, one of the country's most promising young players, put his considerable offensive skills on full display on Saturday, picking up a hat trick in South Korea's 5-0 win over Yemen in the Olympic qualifying tournament.  The Suwon Samsung Bluewings' star scored three times in the first half alone, as South Korea won their second straight match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. The championship also serves as the Asian qualifyi

SoccerJan. 17, 2016

Korea rout Yemen 5-0 in Olympic football qualifying tournament

South Korea routed Yemen 5-0 for their second straight victory at the Olympic men's football qualifying tournament in Doha on Saturday, moving a step closer to their eighth consecutive Summer Games appearance.Midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon scored a hat trick in the first half of the Group C match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in the Qatari capital.Midfielders Ryu Seung-woo and Kim Seung-jun added a goal apiece in the second half to round out

SoccerJan. 17, 2016

Korea defeat Uzbekistan 2-1 to open Olympic football qualification

South Korea defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 to open the men's Olympic football qualifying tournament in Doha on Wednesday.Midfielder Moon Chang-jin scored both goals -- one in each half -- at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, as South Korea fended off 10-man Uzbekistan's late charge to claim their first match in Group C at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship.The tournament is also the Olympic qualifying tournament, and the top three countries will advance to this year's Summer Olympics in Rio de

Olympic GamesJan. 14, 2016

Alpine skiing venue ready for Olympic test event

Organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games said Wednesday the alpine skiing venue for an upcoming Olympic test event is ready for competition, awaiting only a final inspection by the sport's international federation.The organizing committee said the Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, is now ready to host the International Ski Federation Alpine Skiing World Cup from Feb. 3-7 and is undergoing test runs.Jeongseon, some 210 kilometers east of Seoul, will be among the sub-h

Olympic GamesJan. 13, 2016

St. Louis Cardinals announce signing of Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan

After putting together a dominant career in Asia, South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan is now taking his talents to the United States.The St. Louis Cardinals announced their signing of Oh to a one-year deal on Monday (local time). The deal includes a club option for 2017.The right-hander is the all-time leader in saves in the Korea Baseball Organization with 277, all of them in nine seasons with the Samsung Lions and picked up 80 more saves with the Hanshin Tigers in the Central League of Japan's

SportsJan. 12, 2016

Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan to sign with Cardinals

South Korean free agent reliever Oh Seung-hwan is poised to join the St. Louis Cardinals, according to multiple reports on Monday.Oh, South Korea's career leader in saves, has reportedly passed his physical with the reigning National League Central champion, and the Cardinals are expected to formally introduce him at a press conference on Monday, local time.The 33-year-old right-hander declared free agency last year after completing his second season with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Pro

SportsJan. 11, 2016

S. Korea begins quest for Olympic football berth vs. Uzbekistan

South Korea's quest for their eighth consecutive Olympic appearance in men's football will begin this week in Qatar.Coached by former international Shin Tae-yong, the South Korean men's under-23 team will open the 2016 Asian Football ConfederationU-23 Championship in Qatar against Uzbekistan. The kickoff at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha will be 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (local time), which is 1:30 a.m. Thursday in South Korea.The two countries are paired in Group C, along with Yemen and Iraq. The t

SportsJan. 11, 2016

Korea's Yun Sung-bin wins silver at skeleton World Cup

South Korean skeleton racer Yun Sung-bin has claimed a silver medal at the BMW IBSF World Cup in the United States.The 21-year-old logged 1:48.76 minutes after two runs to finish second at Lake Placid, New York, on Saturday (local time).The record, which is his season best, makes him the world's fourth-best skeleton racer.World No. 1 Martins Dukurs of Latvia took the gold medal with 1:48.28 minutes. His older brother Tomass Dukurs grabbed the bronze with 1:49.13 minutes.Yun's previous best in th

More SportsJan. 10, 2016

Offense goes silent for Korea ahead of Olympic qualifiers

South Korea's offense went silent Thursday against Saudi Arabia in their final test ahead of next week's Olympic football qualifying tournament, a concerning development for a squad that has often had trouble finding the back of the net.South Korea's under-23 squad only mustered a scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia in Dubai on Thursday, two days after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-0, also in Dubai, with a much more energetic attack in the second half.In the opening 45 minutes against Sau

SoccerJan. 8, 2016

Korea play Saudi Arabia to scoreless draw in final test before Olympic qualifiers

South Korea ended in a scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia on Thursday in Dubai in their final test match ahead of next week's Olympic qualifiers.Coming off a 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, South Korea failed to generate much offense against Saudi Arabia at Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium.South Korea will now travel to Qatar Friday to prepare for the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship Jan. 12-30. The competition will double as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer

SoccerJan. 8, 2016

Doosan Bears bring back right-hander Nippert for 6th season

Reigning South Korean baseball champions Doosan Bears are bringing back American right-hander Dustin Nippert for his sixth season.The Korea Baseball Organization club announced Nippert, 34, will return for $1.2 million, $300,000 less than what he made in 2015.In 2015, Nippert suffered through his worst regular season in the KBO, with injuries limiting him to a 6-5 record and a 5.10 ERA in 20 appearances. He bounced back in style in the postseason, however, setting a KBO record with 26 2/3 consec

BaseballJan. 6, 2016