Senior official handling men's football coaching search offers to resign

A senior South Korean football executive in charge of the men's national team coaching search has offered to resign, officials said Saturday, as the country's bid to hire a new bench boss took an unexpected turn. According to officials at the Korea Football Association, Chung Hae-soung, head of the National Teams Committee at the KFA, expressed his intent to step down during his visit to the KFA headquarters in Seoul on Friday. Chung cited his declining health as a reason, but the KFA

SoccerJune 29, 2024

Summer exhibitions featuring Tottenham sold out

Tickets for summer exhibition matches in Seoul involving the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur have all sold out, organizers announced Saturday. South Korean streaming service Coupang Play said tickets for two matches in the "2024 Coupang Play Series" were all snapped up after going on sale at 8 p.m. Friday on its website. Tickets were only available to paying members of Coupang WOW services. Tottenham, captained by South Korean star Son Heung-min, will first face Team K League, ma

SoccerJune 29, 2024

Korea to face 5 Middle East foes in World Cup qualification

South Korea will play five Middle East teams in the next phase of their qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea ended up with Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait in Group B in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification, following the draw in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The 18 qualified teams from the second round were divided into six pots based on their FIFA world rankings released last Thursday. Each group contained one from each of the six pots. As world

SoccerJune 27, 2024

Top vote getter to miss KBO All-Star Game due to injury

Kia Tigers closer Jung Hai-young, the top vote getter for the All-Star Game, will miss the midseason exhibition due to shoulder injury, his manager said Tuesday. The Tigers put Jung on the injured list on Monday with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder. The Tigers initially held out hope that Jung would be able to appear in the All-Star Game for the Korea Baseball Organization, scheduled for July 6, as he led all players by receiving about 1.39 million votes from fans. However, Tigers

BaseballJune 25, 2024

With undersized delegation, S. Korea fears worst Olympic outing in nearly 50 years

July 26 will mark the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympics, but the French-bound South Korean delegation for the international sporting event is expected to be the smallest in recent years. A lackluster performance by the men's soccer team in April, and bitter losses by both men's and women's volleyball teams last year, meant that the country would not be participating in these events for the first time in several decades. The women's basketball team also lost its bid for qua

More SportsJune 25, 2024

All-Star closer for Tigers sidelined with shoulder injury

The Kia Tigers announced Monday their All-Star closer Jung Hai-young will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury. The Tigers, currently in first place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), said Jung, the 22-year-old right-hander, has been diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder. Jung was lifted during Sunday's game against the Hanwha Eagles after facing four batters due to shoulder discomfort. He had a preliminary test done on Sunday and went thr

BaseballJune 24, 2024

Tigers' Kim Do-yeong joins 20-20 club with homer off Ryu Hyun-jin

Kia Tigers infielder Kim Do-yeong joined the 20-20 club in South Korean baseball Sunday with a home run off former Major League All-Star Ryu Hyun-jin. Kim swatted a solo home run off Ryu, the starter for the Hanwha Eagles, to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. It was Kim's 20th home run of this Korea Baseball Organization season. Kim already had 22 steals prior to Sunday's game. At 20 years, eight mont

BaseballJune 23, 2024

[Graphic News] Son Heung-min named 10th-best forward

ESPN’s FC 100 has ranked Son Heung-min among the world’s top soccer players, placing him 10th in the forwards category. The FC 100 list features the world’s top 100 soccer players, with selections divided into 10 goalkeepers, 30 defenders, 30 midfielders and 30 forwards. Son, ranked 10th among forwards, received praise from ESPN: “One of the most steadily successful players — and best finishers — in the Premier League kept right on going at age 31 this seaso

SoccerJune 17, 2024

Ex-MVP Son Jun-ho returns to K League after release in China

South Korean international and former MVP Son Jun-ho is returning to the top-flight K League 1, a little more than a year after being detained by Chinese authorities over alleged bribery charges. Suwon FC announced Friday they have acquired the 32-year-old midfielder. Financial terms were not disclosed. Son, considered a smart playmaker who can play on both ends, will join the team for training immediately but will be formally registered next Thursday. Son, who began playing for Chinese club S

SoccerJune 14, 2024

Son Heung-min logs 127th cap, moves into tie for 4th on S. Korean list

South Korean captain Son Heung-min collected his 127th cap for the national team Tuesday, moving into a tie for fourth place on the country's all-time list. Son was in the starting XI for the host South Korea in their World Cup qualifying match against China at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Son is now level with former left back Lee Young-pyo. Two retired legends, Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo, are tied atop the rankings with 136 caps. The match against China is the final Group C contest for b

SoccerJune 11, 2024

Faker makes history again with Hall of Legends induction

South Korean esports legend Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, an undisputed superstar in the world of competitive gaming, etched his name as the first-ever inductee to the Hall of Legends at The Shilla Seoul in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Thursday. “With his mastery of League of Legends, Faker inspired millions of esports fans across the globe and brought numerous contributions to the sport. We sincerely congratulate Faker for this stunning achievement and hope for great performances in the

CultureJune 7, 2024

Tottenham's Son scores twice as South Korea rout Singapore 7-0

SINGAPORE (AFP) -- PSG's Lee Kang-in and Tottenham's Son Heung-min both scored twice as South Korea trounced Singapore 7-0 on Thursday to seal their passage into the final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Watched by a crowd of 49,097 at Singapore's National Stadium, the visitors took the lead after nine minutes when Son was denied by a fine save by Hassan Sunny but Joo Min-kyu retrieved the loose ball and laid it off for Lee to fire home a fierce right-foot

SoccerJune 6, 2024

KBO club Eagles hire Olympic gold medal-winning skipper Kim Kyung-moon as new manager

The Hanwha Eagles announced Sunday that Kim Kyung-moon, who led South Korea to the 2008 Olympic baseball gold medal, will be their new manager. The Eagles signed Kim to a three-year deal worth 2 billion won ($1.4 million), including a signing bonus of 500 million won. Kim's hiring comes six days after his predecessor, Choi Won-ho, resigned to take the fall for the team's struggles. Kim, 65, will be managing in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the first time since June 2018. Ki

BaseballJune 2, 2024

Eagles' Ryu Hyun-jin scratched from start due to arm discomfort

The Hanwha Eagles' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin was scratched from his start Friday evening against the Samsung Lions because of left arm discomfort. Ryu had been scheduled to take the mound at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, but the Eagles replaced him about an hour before the 6:30 p.m. first pitch. In Ryu's stead, right-hander Kim Kyu-yeon, who had been pitching in relief all season, made his first career start. The Eagles did not provide further de

BaseballMay 31, 2024

S. Korea eyes multiple gold medals in fencing at Paris Olympics

JINCHEON -- With the Paris Olympics two months away, the South Korean national fencing team said Monday its goal is to bring home multiple gold medals. South Korea has won at least one fencing gold medal at every Olympics since 2012, with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals in Tokyo three years ago. That lone gold came from the men's team sabre event, with Gu Bon-gil, Oh Sang-uk, Kim Jung-hwan and Kim Jun-ho coming through for South Korea's third straight Olympic gold in that

More SportsMay 27, 2024

Over 100 fans banned from K League matches over bottle-throwing incident

The South Korean football club Incheon United announced Thursday they have banned 124 fans from attending their home matches after throwing water bottles onto the field after a recent loss. Incheon said the 124 fans had reported themselves to the team and acknowledged their involvement in the incident in the aftermath of Incheon's 2-1 loss to FC Seoul at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, just west of the capital city, on May 11. They will be banned from coming to Incheon's home matc

SoccerMay 23, 2024

Choi Kyoung-ju becomes oldest winner on S. Korean golf tour on 54th birthday

South Korean veteran golfer Choi Kyoung-ju made history on his 54th birthday Sunday, becoming the oldest winner on the domestic men's tour. Choi defeated Park Sang-hyun on the second playoff hole to capture the SK Telecom Open title on the KPGA Tour at Pinx Golf Club in Seogwipo on the southern island of Jeju. The two had finished 72 holes tied at three-under 281 on the par-71 course, and Choi clinched the historic title with a par on the second playoff hole, where Park made bogey. At 54, C

GolfMay 19, 2024

Giants' Lee Jung-hoo lands on injured list with dislocated shoulder

The San Francisco Giants' South Korean rookie Lee Jung-hoo has landed on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated left shoulder. The Giants placed Lee on the sidelines Monday, a day after Lee crashed into the center-field wall at Oracle Park in San Francisco while trying to make a grab during the Giants' game against the Cincinnati Reds. Lee crumpled to the ground and immediately grabbed his left shoulder. A few minutes later, the Giants' head athletic trainer, Dave Groeschner, e

BaseballMay 14, 2024

2 S. Korean players suffer injuries during MLB games

Two South Korean players in Major League Baseball this season, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants and Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres, have both suffered injuries that forced them to leave their games. The San Francisco Giants center fielder Lee Jung-hoo suffered a dislocated left shoulder after crashing into the outfield fence attempting to make a catch against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sunday. Kim Ha-seong, shortstop for the San Diego Padres, took a pitc

BaseballMay 13, 2024

S. Korean Kim Hyo-joo takes opening-round lead at Ladies European Tour event at home

South Korean veteran Kim Hyo-joo grabbed the first-round lead at the very first Ladies European Tour taking place on her home soil Friday. Kim shot a four-under 68 to seize sole possession of the lead at the Aramco Team Series at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, on the northwestern outskirts of Seoul. This is the second leg of the Aramco Team Series, presented by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. This $1 million event is a hybrid of an individual competition

GolfMay 10, 2024