KBO signs record-breaking streaming deal with CJ ENM, moves games behind paywall

The South Korean baseball league announced Monday it has signed a record-setting streaming rights deal with CJ ENM, with its games moving behind a paywall for the first time. For the next three seasons, CJ ENM, the media and entertainment arm of CJ Group, will carry Korea Baseball Organization games on its streaming platform, Tving. According to the KBO, the deal is worth 135 billion won ($101.6 million), compared with the previous five-year, 110 billion-won contract with a consortium of portal

BaseballMarch 4, 2024

LeBron James reaches 40,000 points to extend his NBA career scoring record

LeBron James reached 40,000 points Saturday night, still going strong in his 21st NBA season as he tries to put the career scoring record out of reach. James drove past Michael Porter Jr. and hit a layup with 10:39 left in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 124-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets for the historic basket. “Being the first player to do something, it’s pretty cool in this league, just knowing the history, the greats that’s come through the league, and

More SportsMarch 3, 2024

Son Heung-min scores 1st Premier League goal in 2 months

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has scored his first Premier League goal in two months. Son scored the team's third goal in the 88th minute of their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. After pouncing on the loose ball in the opponent territory just past the halfway line, Son went on a mad dash toward the box and fired a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner for his team-leading 13th marker of the campaign. It was Son's first

SoccerMarch 3, 2024

Hwang Sun-hong chosen as caretaker boss of nat'l football team

U-23 Korean national team manager Hwang Sun-hong was chosen Tuesday to concurrently helm the senior national team as its interim manager. The Korea Football Association (KFA) made the announcement following a meeting of its National Team Committee, which is responsible for appointing coaches for national teams across different age brackets. "Hwang is a coach affiliated with the KFA and has recently demonstrated his achievements with his team's victory at the Hangzhou Asian Games,"

SoccerFeb. 27, 2024

Ryu Hyun-jin determined to take Eagles to KBO postseason in return from MLB

Having returned home to begin another chapter in his illustrious career, South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin said Friday he will try to push his new team back to the postseason. Ryu reunited with the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization by agreeing to an eight-year, 17 billion-won ($12.8 million) contract Thursday. By the total amount, Ryu is the highest-paid player in KBO history. Ryu first pitched for the Eagles from 2006 to 2012, before spending the next 11 years in Major League Bas

BaseballFeb. 23, 2024

S. Korean women lose to China in quarterfinals at table tennis worlds

The host country South Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women's tournament at the table tennis world championships Thursday, following a crushing loss to world No. 1 China. Boasting the world's top three-ranked female players, China shut down South Korea 3-0 in the quarterfinals at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan. In the team tournament, each match is made up of up to five singles matches in a best-of-five

More SportsFeb. 22, 2024

National team's 'ping pong gate' comes to close after Son-Lee make up

South Korea's soccer governing body said it was "overjoyed" over recent news that Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in of the national team have buried the hatchet after their highly-publicized quarrel during the Asian Cup 2023, seemingly putting an end to what the public and the local media dubbed "ping pong gate." "After hearing the news (of Son-Lee's reconciliation), I was as happy and excited as if (the team) won in a tournament. ... As for whether the two players

SoccerFeb. 22, 2024

Football federation leaning toward hiring full-time men's coach despite tight schedule

South Korea's national football federation will likely appoint a full-time head coach to fill the vacancy at the men's national team instead of a temporary one as rumored, a senior executive in charge of the process said Wednesday. Chung Hae-sung, named the new head of the National Teams Committee at the Korea Football Association (KFA) on Tuesday, met with new members of his committee Wednesday to discuss the hiring of the new men's national team bench boss. The KFA fired the pre

SoccerFeb. 21, 2024

Lee Kang-in apologizes to Son for Asian Cup scuffle

Soccer star Lee Kang-in said Wednesday that he recently visited national team captain Son Heung-min in London to apologize for his actions in a scuffle during the Asian Cup 2023 earlier this month. "I thought it was important to visit (Son) Heung-min and apologize in person, and through a long conversation with him, I came to understand the weight he shoulders as the captain and look back upon myself," he wrote in the official apology posted on in Instagram page, saying that he paid a

SoccerFeb. 21, 2024

KBO's Eagles likely to finalize deal with Ryu Hyun-jin by Wednesday

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles will likely finalize their deal with free agent pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin by Wednesday and make him the highest-paid player in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), sources said Tuesday. The Eagles have reportedly offered Ryu a four-year deal worth 17 billion won (US$12.7 million), the largest deal ever in the KBO both by average annual value and total amount. The Eagles have taken necessary administrative steps to finalize their deal with the 36-year

BaseballFeb. 20, 2024

Short track World Cup champions eye more glory at world championships

Having earned their big prizes during the World Cup season, South Korean short trackers Park Ji-won and Kim Gil-li said Tuesday they will pursue more medals at the upcoming world championships. Park and Kim returned home from Poland on Tuesday, after being crowned the men's and women's overall champions for the 2023-2024 International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Short Track Speed Skating season. They each received the Crystal Globe trophy for their effort. Park, 27, claimed his secon

More SportsFeb. 20, 2024

With swimming world title in tow, Kim Woo-min confident he can go faster

South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min has been improving his personal best times in the 400-meter freestyle at an impressive rate. The 22-year-old isn't about to stop, not with the Olympics on the horizon. Kim arrived back home Monday evening from Qatar, where he won the men's 400-meter freestyle gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships with a personal-best time of 3:42.71. He also helped South Korea capture silver in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. In the 400m freestyle, Kim s

More SportsFeb. 19, 2024

Swimming world champion Hwang Sun-woo eyes Olympic medals

One by one, South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo has been crossing things off his to-do list. Next up for the freshly minted world champion in the men's 200-meter freestyle will be an Olympic medal -- or make that medals. Hwang returned home Monday after grabbing two medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar earlier this month. First, he won the 200m freestyle gold medal for his first world title and his third career medal from the competition. Then he capped it off by anchoring Sou

More SportsFeb. 19, 2024

S. Korea finishes swimming world championships with record 5 medals

South Korea has finished the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Qatar with a record five medals, nearly matching the total it had won at all previous competitions combined. With three medals from swimming and two more from diving, South Korean athletes set themselves up nicely for the Paris Olympics this summer. Prior to the Feb. 2-19 competition in Doha, South Korea had won six medals at all previous world championships. In collecting a handful of medals in Qatar, South Korean athletes also m

More SportsFeb. 19, 2024

S. Korean Kim Min-sun grabs silver at speed skating worlds

South Korean speed skater Kim Min-sun has captured her first career world championship medal with a silver in the women's 500 meters. Kim finished second in the 500m at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships in Calgary, Canada, on Friday (local time), with a time of 37.19 seconds. Femke Kok of the Netherlands won the gold medal at 36.83 seconds. Kimi Goetz of the United States took bronze in 37.21 seconds. In addition to reaching the world p

More SportsFeb. 17, 2024

Free agent infielder Choi Ji-man signs with Mets

South Korean free agent infielder Choi Ji-man has found a new home with the New York Mets, his agency announced Saturday. G-Man Sports Management said Choi has signed a one-year split contract with the Mets worth up to US$3.5 million, including performance-based bonus, if Choi makes the Opening Day roster. He also had an invitation to spring training. Under a split contract, a player earns different amounts of money based on the time he spends in the majors and in the minors. If Choi makes the M

BaseballFeb. 17, 2024

Host South Korea wins opening matches at table tennis worlds

The host South Korea notched victories in its men's and women's opening matches at the world table tennis championships Friday. In the first Group 3 match on the men's side at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships, South Korea beat Poland 3-1. In the women's first Group 5 match, South Korea cruised past Italy 3-0. The southeastern port city of Busan will host the competition, which will wrap up Feb. 25. In even-numbered years,

More SportsFeb. 16, 2024

Klinsmann fired as national team soccer coach

South Korean men's national soccer team head coach Juergen Klinsmann was fired on Friday, following the team's disappointing semifinal exit at the Asian Cup 2023 in the previous week. Chung Mong-gyu, chief of the Korea Football Association, held a press conference at the KFA headquarters in Seoul to announce the German coach's sacking. "As the head of the organization operating the national team, I humbly accept the criticism toward the KFA and me. ... The KFA decided to replace the nationa

SoccerFeb. 16, 2024

Lee Kang-in's 'mutiny' frowned upon in country with strict pecking order

Soccer star Lee Kang-in is facing mounting criticism over his highly-publicized altercation with the men's national soccer team captain Son Heung-min, with some going as far as to call for him to be permanently banned from playing for the country ever again. According to the Korea Football Association, petitions asking for a lifetime ban from the national team for Lee have been submitted, along with petitions for the resignation of KFA Chief Chung Mong-gyu and national team head coach Juerg

SoccerFeb. 16, 2024

S. Korean soccer federation committee calls for Klinsmann's dismissal

National Team Committee of the Korea Football Association said Thursday that its members have agreed that Jurgen Klinsmann should be replaced as the men's national team head coach, following the team's disappointing performance at the Asian Cup 2023. The committee pointed out the coach's insufficient tactical preparation for South Korea's disappointing semifinals match against Jordan, his lack of commitment as the national team coach, and questioned his leadership over the recent quarrel among k

SoccerFeb. 15, 2024