'Robot umpire' system makes official debut in KBO minor league game

So-called robot umpires officially debuted in a Korea Baseball Organization minor league match Tuesday as the sports organization is preparing to use the system for the entire 2021 season. The automated ball-strike system, simply known as robot umpires, was used for the first time, in a Futures League game between the Hanwha Eagles and LG Twins at LG Champions Park in Icheon, southeast of Seoul. The debut came after the radar and camera-based ball-tracing system was installed at the baseball

BaseballAug. 4, 2020

Every player in S. Korean football league to be tested for coronavirus

The South Korean football league said Tuesday it will conduct a second round of coronavirus tests on all players and coaches on its 22 teams across two divisions by next week as part of precautionary measures against the virus. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said the 12 teams in the first-division K League 1 and 10 clubs in the K League 2 will be subject to testing, following their first all-inclusive tests in April. The test results should be reported to the K League secre

SoccerAug. 4, 2020

Choo Shin-soo homers to help Rangers beat San Francisco

Texas Rangers' veteran outfielder Choo Shin-soo belted his second home run of the season. Choo smacked a two-run homer off the Giant's starter Jeff Samardzija over the right field wall into McCovey Cove in the top of the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The Rangers beat the Giants 9-5. It is his second home run this season after hitting an opposite field homer on the game's first pitch Friday against the Giants. Batting leadoff, Choo struck out and grounded out in his first two

BaseballAug. 3, 2020

First-ever gaming audition program features new talent, legendary mentors

The first-ever gaming audition program in South Korea, “LoL the Next,” aired the first of seven episodes Sunday, introducing new talent to fans. This is the first program in the country that auditions nonprofessional League of Legends players. Sunday’s episode featured 40 contestants, who included trainees of LCK teams and former pro Hojin of the ROX Tigers. T1 Burdol, the current No. 1 in the Korean solo queue, was also shown. The contenders, all aged 16-29, are expected to

More SportsAug. 2, 2020

Football clubs set to welcome fans for 1st time this season

After months of waiting, South Korean football clubs will finally be playing in front of their supporters this weekend. Three matches on Saturday and three more matches on Sunday in the K League 1 will be open to fans. The K League received the green light from the government a week ago to go ahead and start admitting supporters into stadiums during the coronavirus pandemic. After putting some finishing touches on their preparations, the six home clubs for this weekend put tickets on sale. T

SoccerJuly 31, 2020

Coach for struggling football club resigns

Choi Yong-soo, head coach of the struggling football club FC Seoul, stepped down Thursday. The K League 1 club made the announcement less than 24 hours after FC Seoul were knocked out of the quarterfinals at the Korea Football Association Cup (FA Cup) with a 5-1 loss to Pohang Steelers at Seoul World Cup Stadium. In the league table, FC Seoul are stuck in 11th place among 12 clubs with 10 points from three wins, one draw and nine losses. They have allowed a league-high 29 goals in 13 matches

SoccerJuly 30, 2020

S. Korean women's golf tour cancels 3 tournaments as sponsors pull out

In cruise control since resuming its season in May during the coronavirus pandemic, the South Korean women's golf tour has canceled three tournaments set for August and September. The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) announced Wednesday the scrapped tournaments are: the HighOne Resort Ladies Open (Aug. 20-23), the Hanwha Classic (Aug. 27-30) and the All for You Renoma Championship (Sept. 10-13). Of the three, the Hanwha Classic is a major tournament. The KLPGA said title co

GolfJuly 29, 2020

KBO to hold All-Star fan voting despite not playing midsummer game

The South Korean baseball league said Tuesday it will hold fan voting to select All-Stars despite not organizing the annual midsummer festivities. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said voting to select 12 All-Star players per side will run from Aug. 10 to Sept. 4 on the league's website and mobile app, and also the mobile app for Shinhan Bank, the main sponsor for the KBO this season. The All-Star Game had been scheduled for July 25 but was canceled for this year. The start of the regula

BaseballJuly 28, 2020

Golfer banned for flipping off fans granted pardon, set for Aug. return

Kim Bi-o, a South Korean golfer initially banned for a year for making an obscene gesture toward fans at a domestic men's golf tournament last year, has been granted a special pardon and will be eligible to return next month. The Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) announced Monday that Kim will be reinstated before the end of his one-year suspension, which began last October. He'll be able to enter the Korean Tour's GS Caltex Maekyung Open, which begins on Aug. 21. In a statement,

GolfJuly 27, 2020

Son Heung-min finishes Premier League season with career high in offensive points

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min has finished his roller coaster of a season with a new career high in attacking points, though he failed to add to the tally in the Premier League season finale. Tottenham ended in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park Stadium in London on Sunday (local time), with Son not factoring in on offense before being lifted in the 79th minute. Son ended the Premier League season with 11 goals and 10 assists for a career-best 21 points. He

SoccerJuly 27, 2020

Look who's back: Fans return to KBO games during pandemic

Nearly three months after the start of the season, South Korean baseball teams finally welcomed fans into stadiums on Sunday. Three of the five stadiums opened their gates in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO): the Doosan Bears hosting the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul; the Kiwoom Heroes playing the Lotte Giants at home at Gocheok Sky Dome, also in the capital; and the KT Wiz bringing the NC Dinos to KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul. Two remaining games wer

BaseballJuly 26, 2020

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun walks tightrope for 1st MLB save

He didn't have a regular season save in 13 years in South Korea. And after one day in his first Major League Baseball season, St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean closer Kim Kwang-hyun has a save. The left-hander walked the tightrope while giving up two runs in the ninth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Friday, local time. This was the Cardinals' first game of the 60-game regular season. Kim, named the closer near the end of summer camp, came i

BaseballJuly 25, 2020

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin gets no-decision on Opening Day

Undone by a shaky fifth inning, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays came up an out shy of qualifying for a victory in his second straight Opening Day assignment. The South Korean left-hander was charged with three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday, local time. He left with two outs in the fifth and the Jays leading 6-3 with a man at second base. Reliever Jordan Romano walked the first batter he faced but struck ou

BaseballJuly 25, 2020

Ki Sung-yueng looks forward to fresh start in return to K League's FC Seoul

Ki Sung-yueng has come home again. And he believes he can regain the form that made him one of the top midfielders to come out of South Korea. Ki was reintroduced as the member of FC Seoul in the K League 1 on Wednesday. He signed with them Tuesday, 11 years after leaving the nation's capital to embark on an international club career that took him to Scotland, Wales, England and Spain. He's signed through the 2023 season, though financial terms were not disclosed under a mutual agreement. Th

SoccerJuly 22, 2020

KBO slugger's season-long slump an elephant in the room for manager

Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk is one of the most articulate skippers in South Korean baseball, and he often speaks with refreshing candor during his pregame media sessions, acknowledging his shortcomings as the first-year bench boss even as the Heroes remain in title contention. It may often seem as though Son hasn't met a baseball subject he isn't keen to discuss, but there's one elephant in the room for him: the protracted slump of his cleanup hitter, Park Byung-ho. "I am trying not

BaseballJuly 22, 2020

First round recap for LCK as World Championship remains uncertain with ongoing pandemic

League of Legends Champions Korea has crossed the halfway point of the summer season, finishing the initial round-robin pairings and starting the first week of the second round last week. For the 10 teams in the LCK, the ultimate goal of the summer season is to emerge from the playoffs and qualify for the World Championships. However, how the World Championships will play out remains to be seen as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause disruptions. With the second biggest tournament in LoL,

More SportsJuly 20, 2020

Blue Jays name S. Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin Opening Day starter

The Toronto Blue Jays have made official what had been a foregone conclusion: Ryu Hyun-jin will start Opening Day. The Blue Jays announced Sunday (local time) that the South Korean left-hander will take the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, the first day of the truncated, 60-game season, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ryu had been widely expected to start the original Opening Day in Toronto on March 28, before the coronavirus pandemic forced Major League Baseball (ML

BaseballJuly 20, 2020

No upsets as big league clubs advance in nat'l football tournament

When the dust settled following eight knockout matches at the nation's largest football tournament, there were no upsets. Top-flight clubs that took on lower-tier opponents all advanced to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on Wednesday night. FC Seoul of the K League 1 defeated the K League 2 side Daejeon Hana Citizen 4-2 on penalties, with coach Choi Yong-soo prevailing over his predecessor Hwang Sun-hong. In three other K League 1 vs. K League 2 matchups, the upper-tier teams all prevailed.

SoccerJuly 16, 2020

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores in 2nd straight match

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min has scored in his second straight match. Son opened the scoring against Newcastle United in the Spurs' 3-1 victory in Premier League action at St. James' Park in Newcastle, Britain, on Wednesday (local time). It was Son's 11th goal in the league and 18th goal in all competitions this season. Son had also scored against Arsenal on the weekend. Those 18 goals plus 12 assists in all matches give Son a new career high in the combined goal-assist

SoccerJuly 16, 2020

KBO's emerging slugger surprised with own power surge

It wasn't supposed to come this early. No, when Kiwoom Heroes' outfielder Lee Jung-hoo got to work with his team trainers during the offseason, the idea was to put on muscle so he could start hitting with more power in about two to three years. The 2017 Rookie of the Year in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) had already been one of the league's premier contact hitters, boasting bat-to-ball skill that's almost unparalleled. Since his debut, Lee leads all KBO players in batting average (.34

BaseballJuly 15, 2020