The Korea Herald

New faces for expansion baseball club KT Wiz look to fresh starts

SUWON (Yonhap) ― The South Korean expansion baseball club KT Wiz on Thursday introduced their new offseason acquisitions, a list that includes castoffs, former All-Stars and young prospects.They all sang the same tune at their joint news conference, saying they would like to have fresh starts and make the Wiz, which will be the 10th club in the Korea Baseball Organization, competitive in their inaugural season in 2015.Right-hander Kim Sa-yool signed on as a free agent after spending 14 seasons w

BaseballDec. 18, 2014

New faces for expansion baseball club KT Wiz look to fresh starts

P.M. rules out cohosting of 2018 Winter Olympics

South Korea’s prime minister on Thursday rejected an offer to cohost the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics with other countries as he urged officials to speed up the construction work for the sports event.South Korea began building six new stadiums for events, including alpine ski, figure and short-track skating, earlier this year and the work is well on its way, the prime minister’s office said. “It is difficult to apply the cohosting proposal, especially given the time left as well as the progr

More SportsDec. 18, 2014

S. Korea to take on Saudi Arabia in final tune-up before Asian Cup

South Korea will take on Saudi Arabia in its final tune-up match before the AFC Asian Cup football tournament next month, officials said Thursday. The 2015 Asian Cup will kick off Jan. 9 in Australia. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said South Korea will play Saudi Arabia on Jan. 4 in Sydney, six days before its first group stage match against Oman. The KFA said the match will kick off at 6 p.m. at Pirtek Stadium in Sydney. Seeking its first Asian Cup since 1960, South Korea has drawn

SoccerDec. 18, 2014

Swinging from the heels

Kang Jung-ho, the slugging shortstop for the Nexen Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization, this week became the third South Korean player to be posted for Major League Baseball clubs.He is also the KBO’s first position player ever to be posted.The bid winner after an MLB-wide silent auction will earn exclusive negotiating rights with Kang for 30 days.A handful of teams are reportedly interested in Kang’s services. Media reports have speculated Kang could garner anywhere between $5 million and

BaseballDec. 17, 2014

Seoul holds start-up ceremony for 2015 IBSA World Games

Organizers of the 5th International Blind Sports Federation World Championship and Games held a start-up ceremony for the games in the host city Seoul on Tuesday. The Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games will kick off on May 8, 2015, for an 11-day run in different venues in the capital city. The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium. During the ceremony held at Seoul City Club in Yeouido, they appointed actor Kim Bo-sung and actress Ku Hye-sun as goodwill ambassadors for th

More SportsDec. 17, 2014

Seoul holds start-up ceremony for 2015 IBSA World Games

Rory McIlroy European Tour golfer of year

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) ― Rory McIlroy has been chosen as the European Tour player of the year, capping a season in which he won two majors, the Ryder Cup and topped the money lists in Europe and the United States.McIlroy, the world No. 1, won his maiden British Open title by two strokes over Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia at Royal Liverpool in July, and less than a month later earned a second U.S. PGA Championship at Valhalla, finishing a shot clear of Phil Mickelson.Between McIlroy’s thi

GolfDec. 17, 2014

Youth to be served well as Seoul hosts short track cup

Youth is expected to be served well when the nation’s capital hosts the fourth leg of the International Skating Union Short Track Speed Skating World Cup this week.The three-day competition will open with heats Friday at Mokdong Ice Rink. All the finals are scheduled for Sunday afternoon. On the men’s side, South Korea captured two gold medals in the first leg in Salt Lake City, Utah, three more in the next stop in Montreal and then added three titles in the third leg in Shanghai.The women have

SoccerDec. 17, 2014

Youth to be served well as Seoul hosts short track cup

Real Madrid to face Schalke in Champions League

NYON, Switzerland (AP) ― A Champions League draw heavy with reunions on Monday paired Real Madrid and Barcelona with the same last 16 opponents as last season, and sent Arsene Wenger back to the club where he made his reputation.Defending champion Madrid will play Schalke a year after a 6-1 rout in Germany sparked a 9-2 aggregate victory.“We want to show that we’ve learned something,’’ Schalke coach Roberto Di Matteo said. “We got the toughest rival.’’Barcelona will once again travel first, on F

SoccerDec. 16, 2014

Real Madrid to face Schalke in Champions League

A year to remember

A figure skating judging scandal at the final Winter Olympics for Kim Yu-na was voted the top South Korean sports story of 2014, a poll of local media by Yonhap showed Tuesday.In the survey of 48 South Korean newspapers and broadcasters, the controversial development in the ladies’ singles figure skating competition at the Sochi Winter Games topped the list.Kim came up shy of winning her second straight Olympic gold and settled for silver, as the Russian teenager Adelina Sotnikova claimed the sh

More SportsDec. 16, 2014

Everton beats QPR

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) ― Everton took advantage of two deflections and a defensive mistake to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 on Monday, leaving the visitors without a point on the road this season.Ross Barkley gave Everton the lead with a fierce shot from outside the area that deflected off the back of a defender to swerve inside the near post in the 33rd. Kevin Mirallas then doubled the lead in the 44th with a free kick that took an even bigger deflection off the wall to wrong-foot goalkeeper Ro

SoccerDec. 16, 2014

As retirement looms, LPGA icon Pak Se-ri eyes coaching

As she prepares to wrap up a trailblazing career on the LPGA Tour that inspired a new generation of golfers, South Korean veteran Pak Se-ri said Monday she’d like to coach her native country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where golf will make its long-awaited return to the competition.Attending the signing ceremony for her new sponsorship deal with Hana Financial Group, Pak, who made her LPGA debut in 1998, reaffirmed her earlier plan to retire after the 2016 season, and her wish

GolfDec. 16, 2014

1998 World Cup winner Thierry Henry retires

Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry announced his retirement on Tuesday, ending a 20-year career in which he earned a place in the pantheon of modern greats. The 37-year-old Henry, a member of the France teams that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship, was linked to a potential coaching role with the Gunners after ending his career at the New York Red Bulls, but announced he will become a TV analyst.Henry, who holds the French record of 51 goals in 123 internationals

SoccerDec. 16, 2014

Judging row at Kim Yu-na's final Olympics voted top S. Korean sports story of 2014

A figure skating judging scandal at the final Winter Olympics for Kim Yu-na was voted the top South Korean sports story of 2014, a poll of local media by Yonhap News Agency showed Tuesday. In the survey of 48 South Korean newspapers and broadcasters, the controversial development in the ladies' singles figure skating competition at the Sochi Winter Games topped the list. Kim came up shy of winning her second straight Olympic gold and settled for silver, as the Russian teenager Adelina Sotnik

Olympic GamesDec. 16, 2014

Soccer chief calls for more offense

The head of the South Korean football governing body on Monday urged coaches of the top domestic professional league to play more aggressive football, saying more goals will bring more fans to seats.Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, had a luncheon meeting with five head coaches of the K League Classic. During their meeting, Chung, who once served as the pro football commissioner, said he hoped to see clubs play with more abandon.“Next year, I hope the teams can enterta

SoccerDec. 15, 2014

Korea travels south to open Asian Cup camp

The South Korean men’s football team traveled south to Jejudo Island to begin a weeklong training camp ahead of a major continental tournament.Head coach Uli Stielike has put together a squad of 28 players from leagues in South Korea, Japan and China as he prepares for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, which will kick off in Australia on Jan. 9.It will be South Korea’s first international tournament under Stielike, a former German international who took the South Korean reins in October. South Korea last

SoccerDec. 15, 2014

Korea travels south to open Asian Cup camp

United adds to Liverpool’s misery

United’s Wayne Rooney (bottom) celebrates his goal with teammates on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap)LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United’s resurgence continued in the English Premier League as the Red Devils beat archrival Liverpool for a sixth consecutive league win on Sunday, while Juventus has its lead cut to one point in Serie A. In Spain, Villarreal ended Atletico Madrid’s streak of 27 straight home games without a loss and defending champion Paris Saint-Germain lost its first game in the French league.Manc

SoccerDec. 15, 2014

KBO asks MLB to post shortstop Kang Jung-ho

The top South Korean baseball league said Monday it requested Major League Baseball to post shortstop Kang Jung-ho for big league clubs.The Korea Baseball Organization said it was notified of Kang’s availability by his current club, the Nexen Heroes, and asked MLB to inform its 30 clubs of Kang’s status.Kang, 27, will be the third KBO player to be posted this offseason, after SK Wyverns’ pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun and Kia Tigers’ pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong, both of whom were posted last month. Kang is

BaseballDec. 15, 2014

KBO asks MLB to post shortstop Kang Jung-ho

Chelsea, Arsenal roll to wins

LONDON (AP) ― Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal won in the English Premier League on Saturday. In Spain, Barcelona played to a 0-0 draw at Getafe, halting its run of eight straight victories in all competitions.The closest Barcelona came to scoring was Lionel Messi’s free kick that hit the crossbar in the second half. Luis Suarez remained without a goal in the league since joining Barcelona. The Spanish power fell four points behind first-place Madrid.First-place Chelsea responded to its firs

SoccerDec. 14, 2014

Chalmers wins Australian PGA

GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) ― Greg Chalmers made par on the seventh hole of a playoff while Adam Scott three-putted for bogey to give the Australian left-hander his second Australian PGA championship.Chalmers, who shot an 8-under 64 Sunday at Royal Pines after trailing the leaders by seven strokes going into the final round, and Scott and Wade Ormsby, who both shot 71, finished with 72-hole totals of 11-under 277.Ormsby dropped out of the playoff when he made par on the third playoff hole, while

GolfDec. 14, 2014

Mayweather wants Pacquiao May 2

Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he’s ready to fight Manny Pacquiao next May in a long anticipated bout that would be the richest ever in boxing. Mayweather called for negotiations for the fight to be take place, though he warned Pacquiao not to expect to get anywhere near the money that he himself would make.“You lost twice and now you’re coming back begging for the same money?” Mayweather asked. “That’s not gonna happen.” In an interview on the Showtime network from a fight card he was promoting in S

More SportsDec. 14, 2014