Royals catching prospect Um Hyung-chan named top S. Korean high school backstop

Kansas City Royals catching prospect Um Hyung-chan was named the top South Korean high school catcher of the year Thursday. Um was the winner of the Best Catcher category at the sixth annual Lee Man-soo Awards, named after the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) catching legend. Um, backstop for Gyeonggi Commercial High School in Seoul, signed with the Royals in July. He batted .390/.446/.585 with three home runs, 30 RBIs and 22 runs scored in 21 games in 2022. Um has also been known for a stron

BaseballDec. 22, 2022

With checkered past looming large, LG Twins still looking for new foreign hitter

With the Hanwha Eagles' signing of former big league outfielder Brian O'Grady Wednesday, the LG Twins are the only team without a foreign hitter in the fold for next season in the Korea Baseball Organization. And it hasn't been for lack of trying. The Twins were among the first teams to fill that spot. On Dec. 6, they announced the signing of new outfielder Abraham Almonte to a one-year, $800,000 deal. But four days later, the deal was voided, as Almonte failed to pass the physica

BaseballDec. 22, 2022

Tough-luck speed skater enjoying string of good fortune

INCHEON-- Lady Luck seems to be finally smiling down on South Korean speed skater Kim Jun-ho this season, after the 27-year-old had suffered some bad fortune on the ice for years. Kim has gone from losing out on medals by fractions of a second to winning them by miniscule margins. Kim opened the International Skating Union World Cup season in November with a bronze medal in the men's 500 meters. He added another bronze in the 500m earlier this month and then claimed his first World Cup ti

More SportsDec. 21, 2022

KBO's Eagles sign ex-MLB outfielder O'Grady

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles announced their signing of former major league outfielder Brian O'Grady on Wednesday. The Korea Baseball Organization team said O'Grady, 30, agreed to a one-year deal worth a maximum $900,000, with a guaranteed salary of $700,000 and an incentive of up to $200,000. This transaction completes foreign player signings for the Eagles, who had earlier re-signed pitcher Felix Pena and newly acquired pitcher Burch Smith. KBO teams can each sign up

BaseballDec. 21, 2022

Speed skater Kim Min-sun on fire in breakout season

Five major competitions into the 2022-2023 speed skating season, South Korean sprinter Kim Min-sun has gone a perfect 5-for-5 in the women's 500 meters, winning all of those races by a comfortable margin. This has been just the type of breakout campaign long expected of the 23-year-old, who won the 500m gold at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics but fell short of hype at her first two regular Olympics in 2018 and 2022. Kim opened her International Skating Union World Cup season with a victory i

Olympic GamesDec. 19, 2022

S. Korean Park Hoy-jun to compete for backup job for Braves after second offseason trade

Having been traded over the weekend for the second time this winter, South Korean utility player Park Hoy-jun would like nothing more than some stability the rest of this offseason. Park's new home, for the time being, is Atlanta, after the Braves acquired him in a trade with the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named and cash considerations on Friday (US time). This has been a tumultuous winter for the 26-year-old. First, he was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pira

BaseballDec. 19, 2022

[Newsmaker] [World Cup] France sets up World Cup final with Argentina

DOHA, Qatar -- France will face Argentina and Kylian Mbappe will do battle with Lionel Messi in a heavyweight World Cup final after the French beat underdogs Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday. Holders France stayed on course to become the first team in 60 years to successfully defend the trophy thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani at Al Bayt Stadium. Morocco, the first African side ever to reach a World Cup semifinal, battled as they have done throughout the tournament and were roare

SoccerDec. 15, 2022

KBO champions Landers caught in meddling controversy

Barely a month removed from their historic championship run in South Korean baseball, the SSG Landers should still be basking in the glory of their title. Instead, they find themselves mired in a front office controversy this week. Angered fans have been demanding an explanation from the club's public-facing owner regarding speculation that a person with no direct ties to the team has been running the show behind the scenes. This year, the Landers became the first team in Korea Baseball Org

BaseballDec. 15, 2022

4 KBO teams still looking to fill foreign player spots for 2023

Just over half the teams in the South Korean baseball league have filled up their foreign player quota for 2023, with others looking to complete their transactions before the calendar flips to the new year. As of Wednesday morning, six out of 10 clubs in the Korea Baseball Organization had signed their maximum three foreign players, each with two pitchers and one position player. Those teams are: the Kiwoom Heroes, the KT Wiz, the Kia Tigers, the Samsung Lions, the Lotte Giants and the Doosan Be

BaseballDec. 14, 2022

Samsung sends limited Galaxy Z Flip 4 to iPhone user Son Heung-min

Samsung has gifted the limited Galaxy Z Flip 4 Maison Margiela edition to Son Heung-min, the captain of the South Korean soccer team, a publicly known iPhone user. Son shared photos of the gifted phone on his Instagram story, last Friday, with a thank you message written over the photo, also tagging the official Samsung handle. The Z Flip 4 gifted to Son is a limited edition made in collaboration with the French designer brand Maison Margiela. This model is priced at 2.25 million won ($1,956), 7

IndustryDec. 13, 2022

S. Korean Ryu Hae-ran wins LPGA qualifying tournament

South Korean golfer Ryu Hae-ran has won the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, earning her membership on the world's top women's tour with a flourish. Ryu finished at the top of the LPGA Q-Series, an eight-round marathon that wrapped up at Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, Alabama, on Sunday (local time). She shot a combined 29-under 545, beating Bailey Tardy of the United States by two strokes. Ryu, 21, is the 2020 Korea LPGA Rookie of the Year with five career titles on her home circu

GolfDec. 12, 2022

[Newsmaker] France battles past England as Morocco makes World Cup history

DOHA, Qatar -- Defending champion France edged past England 2-1 on Saturday as Harry Kane missed a late penalty in the World Cup quarterfinals, after Morocco became the first African team ever to reach the last four. France will face the surprising North Africans in a semifinal on Wednesday, earning their place when Olivier Giroud's header proved the difference at Al Bayt Stadium. In a tense match, Aurelien Tchouameni's strike opened the scoring with 17 minutes gone, but Kane brought England lev

SoccerDec. 11, 2022

[World Cup] Departing coach Bento thanks players for trust in his system

Paulo Bento will soon be leaving South Korea after concluding a mostly successful four-year tenure with the country's men's national football team. But South Korea will always be in his heart, the Portuguese tactician said Wednesday. Bento and his players returned home Wednesday evening after competing in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this week. They lost to Brazil 4-1 in South Korea's first knockout appearance in 12 years and their third overall. Following the loss, Bento an

SoccerDec. 7, 2022

[Photo News] S. Korean World Cup players return home

Captain Son Heung-min and 22 other players from the 26-man squad, together with the coaching staff including the head coach Palo Bento, pose for a photo at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday evening, after returning from Qatar. At the ongoing World Cup in Qatar, South Korea reached the round of 16. (Lim Se-jun/The Korea Herald) Captain Song Heung-min, speaks during the welcoming ceremony held for South Korean World Cup players on Wednesday at Incheon International

SoccerDec. 7, 2022

[World Cup] Yoon to host dinner for nat'l football team

President Yoon Suk-yeol will host a dinner for the national football team this week after they return from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, his office said Wednesday. The dinner was apparently fixed for Thursday after the presidential office reached out to each player and staff member to ask for their opinion. The office had said earlier that it was hoping to host a luncheon with the team as early as Thursday. South Korea reached the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years after a dramatic victor

SoccerDec. 7, 2022

[Newsmaker] [From the Scene] World Cup fever in S. Korea ends on a bittersweet note

Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, with still an hour to go for the kickoff, Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul was already packed with soccer fans. Across the square were flashes of red, emitted from the LED headbands that symbolize the Red Devils, the official supporters club for the South Korean national soccer team. Many said they wouldn't miss watching South Korea take on the top-ranked Brazil in the country’s third Round of 16 match ever on World Cup stages. “I’ll be there once my shift e

SoccerDec. 6, 2022

South Korea handily defeated by Brazil

South Korea went down in the Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 against Brazil, as the top-ranked team in the world easily beat the underdogs 4-1 at the match held at the Stadium 974 in Doha on Tuesday, Korean Time. Widely considered favorites to win at all, the Canary Squad proved to be too much for the Koreans to handle. The game ended up being a landslide after Vinicius Junior scored the first goal seven-minutes into the match, followed by goals from Neymar,Richarlison and

SoccerDec. 6, 2022

At 4 a.m., Red Devils will be out in Gwanghwamun for Korea vs. Brazil match

Red Devils, the South Korean national soccer team’s official supporters club, will take to the streets of Gwanghwamun Plaza to cheer for their team against the perennial powerhouse Brazil in the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday gave the go-ahead to the Red Devils' request to use the square to broadcast the game. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to gather at the square in central Seoul, as the public screening event amassed

SoccerDec. 5, 2022

[World Cup] From kiss on the wrist to fake camera: special goal celebrations of Korean players

After the game-winning goal that carried South Korea to a victory over Portugal in the Group H finale of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Hwang Hee-chan laid a kiss on his left wrist before the play commenced. This was a tribute to his grandparents, who raised him as a child and whose names are tattooed on his wrist. Hwang had once said in an interview that his grandparents were “everything in his life,” that they were the first people that pop up in his mind whenever he makes a goal.

SoccerDec. 5, 2022

[World Cup] Out-of-place ‘Messi!’ chants sum up Koreans’ beef with Ronaldo

During the Group H finale of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between South Korea and Portugal on Saturday, Korean time, Korean fans at the stadium started shouting “Messi! Messi!” when the Portuguese team’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo got the ball. The support seemed random, as the Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi was not on the field of the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar: his team was not even in the same group and had clinched its spot in the top 16 two days earlier

SoccerDec. 4, 2022