2nd-generation KBO star breaks father's record, closes in on more milestones

Lee Jung-hoo is going where few others have gone before in South Korean baseball, breaking records, including one held by his father, along the way. And now Lee is on the verge of becoming the career batting average leader in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history. Lee, the veritable hitting machine for the Kiwoom Heroes, collected his 900th career hit against the Doosan Bears on Sunday. It came in his 670th game, making him the fastest to get to the 900-hit milestone. Lee's legendary father,

BaseballApril 19, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin placed on 10-day injured list

The Toronto Blue Jays have placed their South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin on the 10-day injured list (IL) with left forearm inflammation. The Blue Jays made the move before hosting the Oakland Athletics for the final game of a three-game set in Toronto on Sunday (local time). Ryu had started Saturday's game against the A's at Rogers Centre and gave up five earned runs on six hits in four innings in a 7-5 Toronto loss. The left-hander, who left the game with a 5-1 deficit, got a no-decision as th

BaseballApril 18, 2022

[Interactive] Pro baseball's popularity in steady decline: poll

　The popularity of professional baseball in South Korea is in decline, especially among people in their 20s, the exact demographic that teams are trying to attract, a national poll showed. 　Gallup Korea released results of its survey of 1,004 South Koreans aged 18 or older from March 15-17. 　And only 31 percent of the polled said they had at least some interest in the Korea Baseball Organization, the lowest since 2013 and well off the record high of 48 percent in 2014. 　Among different age b

SportsApril 16, 2022

K League-leading Ulsan among 4 S. Korean clubs chasing Asian title

The South Korean football leaders Ulsan Hyundai FC will be among four teams from the country to begin their pursuit of the Asian club title this week, with six matches on the horizon over the next two weeks. The group stage at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League for the East Region, covering teams from South Korea, Japan, China, Australia and Thailand, among others, will kick off Friday. The preliminary action for the West Region, which includes clubs from the likes of Qatar,

SoccerApril 14, 2022

Tottenham Hotspur to visit Seoul for exhibition match on July 13

Tottenham Hotspur will face a South Korean league All-Star team in an exhibition match in Seoul on July 13, the domestic league office announced Thursday. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said Seoul World Cup Stadium will host the match between the Premier League club and "Team K League." Tottenham have built a strong fan base here thanks to the exploits of their South Korean star, Son Heung-min. The national team captain leads the North London club with 17 goals this

SoccerApril 14, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man blasts 1st homer of season, extends hitting streak to 4

Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays has gone deep for the first time this season, with the homer also extending his hitting streak to four games. Choi smacked a three-run homer against the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the second inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Tuesday (local time). Choi's home run, off Oakland starter Adam Oller's sinker, turned a 3-2 deficit for Tampa Bay into a 5-3 lead. The no-doubter shot traveled 409 feet into the seats in right-center field and

BaseballApril 13, 2022

Im Sung-jae notches 2nd-career top-10 finish at Masters

Im Sung-jae tied for eighth place at the Masters on Sunday, earning his second-career top-10 finish at the season's first major championship following an up-and-down final round. Im shot a three-over 75 on Sunday to end up at one-over 287 overall at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday (local time). Im ended up nine shots behind the winner, Scottie Scheffler of the United States, after recording six bogeys and three birdies. This was Im's worst score over four days at the fa

GolfApril 11, 2022

Choi Min-jeong captures overall crown at short track worlds

For the first time in four years, Choi Min-jeong is the overall champion at the short track worlds. Choi scored 107 ranking points to hold off Kim Boutin of Canada at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal on Sunday (local time). On the final day, Choi won the women's 1,000m title after a late charge past Boutin. She also crossed the line first in the 3,000m Superfinal, which was only open to the top eight skaters in the point standings. B

More SportsApril 11, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin roughed up in season debut

From giving up a half-dozen runs to getting hit by a batted ball, Toronto Blue Jays' starter Ryu Hyun-jin couldn't have scripted a worse outing for his 2022 season debut. The South Korean left-hander was roughed up for six earned runs on five hits, including a home run, in just 3 1/3 innings against the Texas Rangers, as the Blue Jays fell 12-6 at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday (local time). Ryu didn't factor into a decision, while the Blue Jays lost for the first time this year after back-t

BaseballApril 11, 2022

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores 2nd Premier League hat trick

Son Heung-min scored his second career hat trick in the Premier League, helping Tottenham Hotspur tighten their grip on fourth place in the tables. Son is now up to 17 goals for the season after netting three past Aston Villa in Tottenham's 4-0 rout at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on Saturday (local time). The South Korean star sits alone in second place in goals, three back of Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Son has also matched his Premier League single-season career high in goals. He had al

SoccerApril 10, 2022

[Graphic News] Pro baseball's popularity in steady decline: poll

　The popularity of professional baseball in South Korea is in decline, especially among people in their 20s, the exact demographic that teams are trying to attract, a national poll showed. 　Gallup Korea released results of its survey of 1,004 South Koreans aged 18 or older from March 15-17. 　And only 31 percent of the polled said they had at least some interest in the Korea Baseball Organization, the lowest since 2013 and well off the record high of 48 percent in 2014. 　Among different age b

SportsApril 8, 2022

Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits 1st spring homer; Pirates' Park Hoy-jun extends hitting streak

San Diego Padres' South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong has gone deep for the first time in spring training, while his countryman for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Park Hoy-jun, has extended his hitting streak to six games. The one other South Korean hitter in the bigs, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays, continues to be cold at the plate. Kim smacked a three-run home run off D.J. McCarty of the Texas Rangers in the top of the third inning of the teams' spring training game at Surprise Stadium in Surpris

BaseballApril 5, 2022

S. Korea's winless streak at LPGA majors reaches 6

South Korea's LPGA major championship drought has now reached six tournaments. Jennifer Kupcho of the United States enjoyed a two-shot victory at the Chevron Championship, after shooting 14-under 274 at Mission Hills Country Club's Dinah Shore Tournament Course in Rancho Mirage, California, on Sunday (local time). Kim Hyo-joo was the highest-ranked South Korea, as she tied for eighth place at eight-under 280. Rookie Choi Hye-jin and 12-time winner Kim Sei-young were next. They tied for 17th at f

GolfApril 4, 2022

Son Heung-min nets 14th goal of season, lifts Tottenham to 4th place in Premier League

With a goal and an assist Son Heung-min has pushed Tottenham Hotspur into fourth place in the Premier League tables. Tottenham routed Newcastle United 5-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday (local time), erasing a 1-0 deficit with five unanswered goals. Son assisted on Ben Davies' equalizer in the 43rd minute and then scored one for himself in the 54th minute. The goal was Son's 14th of the season, as the South Korean star stayed tied with Diogo Jota of Liverpool for second place i

SoccerApril 4, 2022

S. Korea to face Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana at FIFA World Cup

South Korea will take on Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana in the group stage of this year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The draw for the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 tournament took place Friday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, the capital city of the host country, Qatar. South Korea, competing in their 10th consecutive World Cup and 11th overall, ended up in Group H. South Korea, ranked 29th in the world, will open the tournament against No. 13 Uruguay at 4 p.m. on Nov. 24 at Education City

SoccerApril 2, 2022

2nd-generation KBO star thanks rookie phenom for bringing back father's memories

Whenever Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jung-hoo sees Kia Tigers rookie sensation Kim Do-yeong play, he sees a bit of his father, the retired South Korean baseball legend Lee Jong-beom. Perhaps comparisons aren't fair, but it is not difficult to notice similarities between Kim, an 18-year-old phenom with an enviable skill set, and Lee Jong-beom, the ultimate five-tool star in his heyday in the 1990s. Kim is an athletic shortstop with power and speed just like Lee, who could flirt with the elusive

BaseballApril 1, 2022

KBO introduces wild card tiebreaker game

The South Korean baseball league said Thursday it will have a new tiebreaker game for the final postseason spot in the case of a tie between two teams. The new play-in game is one of several changes announced by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) ahead of the 2022 regular season, which begins Saturday with all 10 teams in action. In the KBO, the fifth-best team in the regular season faces the No. 4 seed in the wild card game. But if two teams are tied for the fifth spot, then they will play o

BaseballMarch 31, 2022

Ex-MLB stars to visit Seoul for home run derby in Sept.

Former major league stars will visit Seoul in September for a global home run derby competition. Major League Baseball (MLB) announced Wednesday (US time) that its new bracket-style competition, called "Home Run Derby X," will make a stop in the South Korean capital on Sept. 17. London will host the event on July 9, and Mexico City will also get its look at former big league sluggers on Oct. 15. The MLB said the competition will feature four teams representing the Boston Red Sox, the N

BaseballMarch 31, 2022

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young seeking 3rd career LPGA major in California

Ko Jin-young, world No. 1 in women's golf from South Korea, will be California dreaming this week, as she chases her third career LPGA major title. Ko, the reigning LPGA Player of the Year and money leader, will be among the favorites to capture the Chevron Championship, which starts Thursday (local time) at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. Ko won this tournament in 2019, and this will be the final time the event will take place at M

GolfMarch 30, 2022

Returning stars, new faces tasked with helping KBO return to prominence

It would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, but professional baseball is fighting to regain relevance in the national sporting landscape. From declining television ratings to discouraging poll numbers, there is plenty of evidence that suggests the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) isn't what it used to be: the undisputed king of professional sports in the country. TV ratings dropped so precipitously that the four cable networks with KBO rights even demanded the league office and 10 clu

BaseballMarch 30, 2022