[Graphic News] Kim Yeon-koung most impressive Korean athlete at Tokyo Olympics: poll

　Forget medalists: South Korean volleyball icon Kim Yeon-koung was the most impressive athlete from the country at the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics, a poll showed. 　In a Gallup Korea survey conducted from Aug. 10-12, Kim, who fell short of a bronze medal in Japan, received 63 percent support from 1,002 respondents. 　People were allowed to select up to two athletes. 　An San, a triple gold medalist from archery, ranked second with 35 percent. Kim Je-deok, who won two gold medals in arc

SportsAug. 17, 2021

Tottenham's Son Heung-min nets winner in Premier League opener vs. Man City

Son Heung-min wasted little time making his mark on the new Premier League campaign, scoring Tottenham Hotspur's winning goal in their season-opening victory over Manchester City. Son's left-footed shot from outside the box in the 55th minute sealed Spurs' 1-0 win over the defending champion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday (local time). Son, now in his seventh season with Tottenham, also put his new boss, Nuno Espirito Santo, on a victorious start to his Tottenham tenure. Esp

SportsAug. 16, 2021

Title race heats up while undefeated streaks end in K League

By notching their third straight victory at home over the weekend, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have made the battle for the South Korean football title more interesting than it should be. By beating FC Seoul 3-2 on Sunday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul, Jeonbuk improved to 42 points after 22 matches. Thanks to Han Kyo-won's two-goal effort, Jeonbuk sit three points back of the K League-leading Ulsan Hyundai FC but also have two matches in hand. Ulsan only manag

SoccerAug. 16, 2021

Volleyball great Kim Yeon-koung finalizes retirement from int'l play

  South Korean volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung finalized her retirement from international play on Thursday, following a meeting with the head of the sport's national governing body. The Korea Volleyball Association (KVA) announced that Kim reaffirmed her decision to leave the national team in a meeting with KVA President Oh Han-nam earlier Thursday. Kim had first revealed her plans to retire from international play on Sunday, moments after South Korea's loss to Serbia in the bronze meda

Olympic GamesAug. 12, 2021

LCK to hold summer playoffs in empty stadium

The 2021 League of Legends Champions Korea summer season finals will take place in an empty CJ ENM Studio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 28, LCK said in a press release Wednesday. In compliance with the social distancing guidelines, all playoff games will be held without spectators. With one week remaining in the LCK summer season, all six of the teams that will advance to the playoffs starting Aug. 18 have yet to be determined. While Liiv Sandbox is currently in the No. 1 spot, the rank

More SportsAug. 12, 2021

Teen swimming sensation Hwang Sun-woo eyes Olympic medals in 2024

Having had his first taste of the Olympics at age 18, South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo is turning his focus to the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Hwang competed in two finals at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. He set an Asian record with 47.56 seconds in the semifinals of the 100-meter freestyle and finished in fifth place in the final. He became the first Asian swimmer in 65 years to even race in an Olympic final for the 100m freestyle. In the 200m freestyle earlier in Tokyo, Hwang set

More SportsAug. 11, 2021

A KBO player under further review after failing doping test

A player in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) is undergoing an additional review after failing a doping test, national authorities said Tuesday. The Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA) said a player for the Doosan Bears, whose identity is being withheld, tested positive for a banned substance last month but has since appealed his case. The player insisted in his hearing in July that he has never taken any illegal drug. The KADA is reviewing possibilities that a prohibited substance might have

BaseballAug. 10, 2021

Volleyball great Kim Yeon-koung leaves door open for return to int'l play

Will she stay or will she go? It was on Sunday that the South Korean volleyball icon Kim Yeon-koung announced her retirement from international play, following the team's loss to Serbia in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics. But a little over 24 hours later, Kim didn't seem so sure anymore. Kim and the rest of her team arrived back home Monday night from Tokyo, greeted by dozens of fans at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after making a surprising run to the semifinals

Olympic GamesAug. 10, 2021

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun lands on injured list with elbow inflammation

St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun has landed on the injured list (IL) for the third time this season. The Cardinals announced Monday (US local time) that Kim is back on the 10-day IL with left elbow inflammation and the move is retroactive to Sunday. The left-hander had previously made two trips to the IL, first in April and then in June, with lower back issues. After giving up two runs in four innings against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, Kim admitted he had been

BaseballAug. 10, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea's 1st Olympic modern pentathlete 'proud' of the country's breakthrough medal

TOKYO -- It was nearly six decades ago in Tokyo that Choi Kui-sung became the first South Korean modern pentathlete to participate in the Olympic Games. Now in 2021, the country finally has an Olympic medalist in the sport, as Jun Woong-tae captured the historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. History has come full circle, and Choi, now 80, couldn't be prouder. "Not just anyone can win an Olympic medal. (Jun) has done such a wonderful job and I am proud of him," Choi

Olympic GamesAug. 9, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Teammates bid adieu to volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung

TOKYO -- Over the past decade or so, South Korean middle blocker Yang Hyo-jin has had a front row seat watching her longtime national teammate, Kim Yeon-koung, evolve from a 20-something prospect to one of the world's best volleyball players. After Kim, 33, announced her retirement from international play Sunday, in the aftermath of South Korea's loss to Serbia in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, Yang reflected on what Kim has meant to her and to volleyball in South Korea. "I

Olympic GamesAug. 9, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Pandemic-era Tokyo Olympic Games draw to close

The Olympic flame that has been burning for the past two weeks in Tokyo was extinguished Sunday, closing the first Summer Games held during the global coronavirus pandemic with a celebration of great athletic feats. That the Tokyo Olympics even happened, albeit one year later than scheduled, is an accomplishment in and of itself. The buildup to the multisport competition was met with skepticism from both home and abroad, with many wondering if it was feasible to bring over 11,000 athletes fro

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] No medal for S. Korea on final day

TOKYO -- South Korea has concluded the Tokyo Olympics with six gold, four silver and 10 bronze medals. The country didn't pick up any medal Sunday, the final day of competitions. The women's volleyball team had South Korea's last opportunity for a medal but lost to Serbia in the bronze medal match by 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-15) at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Ranked 12th in the world and not considered a medal threat, South Korea made a valiant run to the semifinals here. With captain Kim Yeon-koung l

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] [Tokyo Olympics] Moon applauds women's volleyball team for 'touching' Olympic match

President Moon Jae-in applauded the South Korean women's volleyball team Sunday, praising its unsuccessful but "extraordinarily touching" bid to win a medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. "The team extraordinarily touched (the hearts of Koreans)," Moon wrote on social media after the women's team ended its Olympic competition in fourth place. In the bronze medal match held earlier in the day at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, the South Korean women's team lost to Serbia 0-3, fallin

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympcis] S. Korean Olympians set 5 new records in Tokyo

South Korea may have received disappointing results at the Tokyo Olympics, which closes Sunday, recording its lowest gold medal haul of six in 37 years. But some of its players pulled off their best performances at the world's biggest sporting competition, breaking one Olympic record and setting four national records. Archer An San, who won three of the country's six gold medals in Tokyo, set new Olympic records in the women's ranking round on July 23 with a total of 680 points. It is the firs

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] New stars soar, past medalists stumble in Tokyo

TOKYO -- It didn't take long for new stars to emerge for South Korea at the Tokyo Olympics. In fact, it happened just hours before the opening ceremony on July 23. An San set an Olympic record score of 680 out of a maximum 720 to finish first in the women's archery ranking round. As the top seed, the 20-year-old would represent the country in the inaugural mixed team event, alongside Kim Je-deok, the 17-year-old who won the men's ranking round. The fiery Kim fist-pumped and screamed his way i

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] S. Korea falls short of medal target in 1st Olympics during pandemic

TOKYO -- South Korea's streak of finishing in the top 10 in the Summer Olympic medal race came to an end at four events in Tokyo, though the competition still provided many memorable moments and records for the country that prides itself in being a consistent Olympic force every four years. South Korea ended with six gold, four silver and 10 bronze medals, a handful of gold medals shy of cracking the top 10. For Tokyo, the wait between the Olympic Games ended up being five years, after the COV

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] After journey ends in defeat, volleyball players believe foundation laid for future

TOKYO -- All good things must come to an end, and a feel-good story of South Korea's improbable run to the final four at the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament was no exception. South Korea lost to Serbia in straight sets in the bronze medal match Sunday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Ranked 12th, South Korea wasn't expected to beat the sixth-ranked Serbia. In fact, few had predicted South Korea would even get this deep into the tournament. South Korea made it out of the group stage thanks

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Volleyball coach hails outgoing captain: 'incredible human being, amazing player'

TOKYO -- Following his team's loss to Serbia in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament Sunday, South Korea head coach Stefano Lavarini stood only a few feet away from his captain Kim Yeon-koung as she was announcing her retirement from international play. With Lavarini's contract also expiring at the conclusion of the Olympics and Kim unlikely to change her mind at age 33, the pair may just have played their final match together. The Italy-born coach reserved

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021

[Tokyo Olympics] Volleyball great Kim Yeon-koung retires from int'l play

TOKYO -- South Korean volleyball legend Kim Yeon-koung announced her retirement from international play Sunday, an hour after the team's straight-set loss to Serbia in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympics. Fighting back tears after South Korea fell short of a medal at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Kim said she has played her last match for the national team. "Today was my last game as a national team player," Kim said. "It's disappointing to end the Olympics like this. But I am

Olympic GamesAug. 8, 2021