S. Korean volleyball star mulling options over future

South Korean volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung said Wednesday she is mulling over her future options, as her contract with a Chinese club expires next month. Kim returned home after helping Shanghai Guohua Life to finish runner-up in the Chinese volleyball league. The 30-year-old, considered one of the world's best attackers today, signed a one-year contract with Shanghai last year.  (Yonhap)Kim said she has yet to decide her destination for the next season. Before going to China, Kim played with T

More SportsApril 4, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin shaky in 1st start of season

PHOENIX -- Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin looked shaky in his first start of the new season here on Monday, as he was unable to make an early lead stand.Ryu was charged with three earned runs on five hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix. Ryu left the game with the score tied at 3-3.Pedro Baez got the final out of the fourth inning, and Ryu got the no-decision, as the Diamondbacks outlasted the Dodgers 8-7 in a mar

SportsApril 3, 2018

Korean Park In-bee loses LPGA major in playoff

South Korean golfer Park In-bee has lost an LPGA major in a sudden-death playoff.Park fell to Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden on the eighth playoff hole at Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, on Monday (local time). The sudden-death showdown was contested over two days because Park and Lindberg remained deadlocked after four playoff holes on Sunday and play was suspended due to darkness.Lindberg clinched her first professional victory by draining

GolfApril 3, 2018

Chung Hyeon cracks top 20 in ATP rankings for 1st time

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has cracked the top 20 in the men's world rankings for the first time.Chung climbed four spots to a new career-high No. 19 in the latest ATP Tour's singles rankings released on Monday. Chung Hyeon of South Korea hits a shot against John Isner of the United States during their quarterfinal match at the Miami Open on the ATP Tour in Miami, Florida, on March 28. (Yonhap)Chung is the fourth Asian man to rank among the top 20 in the world. The 21-year-old also b

More SportsApril 2, 2018

Korea officially designates taekwondo as nat'l martial art

Korea has officially designated taekwondo as its national martial art.The National Assembly on Friday passed a revised act on taekwondo promotion, which states that the sport is the Korean national martial art.The amendment bill was signed by 225 lawmakers led by the Bareunmirae Party's Lee Dong-sup, who heads the National Assembly Taekwondo Federation. (Yonhap)Taekwondo has customarily been perceived as the national martial art but wasn't officially recognized by the law. The revision will pave

More SportsApril 2, 2018

Park In-bee deadlocked in suspended playoff at LPGA major

South Korean golfer Park In-bee will have to play an extra day of playoff for a chance to win the first LPGA major of the season.Park and Pernilla Lindberg remained tied after four playoff holes at the ANA Inspiration at Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, on Sunday (local time), before play was suspended due to darkness.The sudden-death competition will resume at 8 a.m. Monday local time, or midnight Monday in South Korea.Park is in pursuit

GolfApril 2, 2018

Newly promoted club surprises football fans with early lead in Korean league

Newly promoted club Gyeongnam FC are creating a sensation early as they find themselves atop the top South Korean football league standings. Gyeongnam, led by head coach Kim Jong-boo, notched their fourth-straight win to start the 2018 season in the K League 1 after beating Gangwon FC, 3-1, Sunday on the road. Kim's side is the only one among the 12 K League 1 teams with a perfect record after four matches. Kim previously said his side's goal is to survive in the K League 1. Although there are s

SoccerApril 2, 2018

Oh Seung-hwan earns 1st save for Blue Jays

South Korean right-hander Oh Seung-hwan now has a save for the Toronto Blue Jays.Oh tossed a scoreless ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday (local time) to lock down a 7-4 victory. He gave up a hit and struck out a batter for his first save for the new club.The Jays' usual closer, Robert Osuna, had pitched in each of the past two days, and manager John Gibbons summoned Oh, who recorded 39 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals in the last two seasons, to tak

BaseballApril 2, 2018

Hot-hitting rookie attributes fast start to luck

SUWON -- Kang Baek-ho, a hot-hitting rookie in South Korean baseball, attributes his fast start to mere luck.And given his strong numbers so far in the Korea Baseball Organization, a lot of other hitters would love to be as lucky as the KT Wiz outfielder.Kang, still just 18, is tied for the league lead, with four homers through the first eight games of the season. He is second in RBI, with 11, and is also batting a robust .333.In the KBO's 36-year history, only one rookie, Park Jae-hong of the H

BaseballApril 2, 2018

811 players registered for 2018 S. Korean pro football league

A total of 811 players will be eligible to play in South Korea's pro football leagues this year, its operator said Friday. The K League said that 442 players registered for the top-tier K League 1 and 369 for the second division K League 2 this season. The player registration for the 2018 season ended Thursday. There are 12 clubs in the K League 1 and 10 clubs in the K League 2. Daegu FC had the most players among K League 1 clubs with 44 players, while military football club Sangju Sangmu only

SoccerMarch 30, 2018

Brewers' Choi Ji-man scores winning run off bench; Rangers' Choo Shin-soo gets one hit

Milwaukee Brewers' Choi Ji-man has opened the new major league season by scoring the winning run in extra innings.Choi hit a pinch-hit double and crossed home plate for the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning, as the Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres 2-1 at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on Thursday (local time).After reaching a minor league deal with the Brewers in January, Choi was a non-roster invitee in spring training. He played his way onto the Opening Day roster, hitting

BaseballMarch 30, 2018

With so much accomplished, LPGA star focuses on 'enjoying' golf

South Korean LPGA golfer Park In-bee has accomplished virtually everything a golfer can in a career: seven majors among her 19 LPGA wins, an Olympic gold medal and a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.And what's left for the 29-year-old? Just to enjoy the game of golf."I should be really ready to enjoy tournament golf. But that's something that I haven't been able to do, and that's what I'm trying to do," Park told a press conference before the start of the ANA Inspiration, the season's first major,

GolfMarch 29, 2018

With his 1st int'l goal, S. Korean midfielder eyes World Cup selection

INCHEON -- South Korean midfielder Lee Chang-min said Thursday he'll keep working hard to be part of the World Cup squad after scoring his first international goal in a friendly football match against Poland.Lee, who plays with Jeju United in the K League 1, earned his first goal for South Korea at Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, Poland, on Tuesday when his right-footed strike from the penalty arc found the net in the 85th minute. With his goal, South Korea cut the deficit to one and later got an e

SoccerMarch 29, 2018

Football coach says friendlies in Europe boosted S. Korea's World Cup preparations

South Korea men's national football team head coach Shin Tae-yong said Thursday that its two recent friendly matches in Europe have boosted their preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.Shin returned home after suffering consecutive defeats in their World Cup warmup matches against European opponents. South Korea fell 2-1 to Northern Ireland last Saturday and lost 3-2 to Poland three days later.Despite the losses, Shin claimed that the two matches gave them a big help for their World Cup prepar

SoccerMarch 29, 2018

Koreans enter new major league season with much to prove

South Korean players will enter the 2018 Major League Baseball season with much to prove on the mound and at the plate.Four players have been assured of big league jobs to start the season Friday morning (South Korea time): Los Angeles Dodgers' starter Ryu Hyun-jin, Texas Rangers' outfielder Choo Shin-soo, Toronto Blue Jays' reliever Oh Seung-hwan and Milwaukee Brewers' first baseman/outfielder Choi Ji-man.Choi had been on the bubble all spring as a non-roster invitee. But he played his way onto

BaseballMarch 29, 2018

Korean Chung Hyeon knocked out of ATP Tour quarters in Miami

Korean Chung Hyeon has crashed out of an ATP Tour quarterfinals in Miami.The 23rd-ranked Korean was eliminated in the final eight at the Miami Open in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday (local time), as the 17th-ranked John Isner beat him in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, in 67 minutes.Chung was making his sixth straight quarterfinal appearance on the tour.Isner, known for his powerful serves, recorded 13 aces, against Chung's three, and improved to 3-1 all time against Chung. The Korean committed four doub

More SportsMarch 29, 2018

Top-20 ranking in sight for Chung Hyeon after 6th straight ATP quarters

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has reached his sixth straight quarterfinals on the ATP Tour, a performance that will likely take him inside the top 20 in the next world rankings.The world No. 23 defeated the 80th-ranked Joao Souza 6-4, 6-3 at the Miami Open on Tuesday (local time), and has now reached the final eight in his sixth consecutive tournament, dating back to the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, in January. The streak also includes a shocking run to the semifinals at the Au

More SportsMarch 28, 2018

Son Heung-min says S. Korea need better efforts for World Cup

CHORZOW -- South Korean forward Son Heung-min believes that the national team needs to make better efforts after suffering two friendly losses in Europe in the runup to the World Cup.South Korea fell 3-2 to Poland in their friendly match at Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, Poland, on Tuesday. It was their second straight defeat following a 2-1 loss to Northern Ireland in Belfast last Saturday.Against Poland, South Korea leveled the score from two goals down but surrendered the winner to Piotr Zielin

SoccerMarch 28, 2018

Korea women's football coach vows to grab 2019 World Cup ticket

PAJU -- South Korean women's football coach Yoon Duk-yeo said Tuesday his side is determined to grab a ticket to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.Yoon's team will depart for Jordan on Thursday to compete in the 2018 Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup that will be held from April 6 to 20. The competition will double as the final Asian qualifier for the 2019 World Cup in France, with the top five nations qualifying for the showpiece event of women's football.Yoon already unveiled his 23

SoccerMarch 27, 2018

Son Heung-min vows to overcome opponents' tight marking in int'l football

CHORZOW, Poland -- South Korean attacking ace Son Heung-min will be the primary target for opponents when he is on international duty, but the Tottenham Hotspur man has claimed that he is ready to overcome tough challenges. Son, who has netted 18 goals for Spurs this season, is one of the 23 players who have been called up for South Korea's friendly matches against Northern Ireland and Poland. South Korea suffered a 2-1 loss to Northern Ireland on Friday and are scheduled to face Poland on Tuesd

SoccerMarch 27, 2018