S. Korea looking to move closer to knockouts in 2nd group match vs. Jordan

Coming off a solid win over Bahrain earlier in the week, South Korea will try to move closer to a knockout berth at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup when they take on Jordan on Saturday in Qatar. The showdown between world No. 23 South Korea and No. 87 Jordan in Group E kicks off at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha at 2:30 p.m. Saturday local time, or 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Coached by Jurgen Klinsmann, South Korea are trying to win their first Asian Cup since 1960. Lee Kang-in's double car

SoccerJan. 18, 2024

Mixed gender events to replace mixed country competition at Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics

The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics taking place in South Korea's Gangwon Province has a few "firsts" to its credit. This is the first Winter Youth Games taking place outside Europe, with Austria, Norway and Switzerland having held the previous three editions. Gangwon 2024 is also the first Olympic Games whose host was selected in a revamped International Olympic Committee bidding process. Instead of pitting candidates against one another in a vote, the IOC chose a "preferred host

More SportsJan. 18, 2024

Teen luger hoping to use Youth Olympics as 'stepping stone' for 2026 Winter Games

Kim Bo-keun grew up playing baseball in the baseball-crazed city of Busan. While he was taking a break from the sport, Kim found himself at a national luge start competition in July 2020, after some nudging from his older brother, who had already taken up the sliding sport. Kim finished third in that event. Impressed with Kim's raw athleticism, a luge coach on the scene approached him. Once the coach found out Kim was 14 years old, he told the teenager that he would be eligible for the Wint

More SportsJan. 17, 2024

S. Korea defeat Bahrain to open group stage behind Lee Kang-in's brace

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in scored a brace as South Korea defeated Bahrain 3-1 to open their title bid at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Qatar on Monday. Lee broke the 1-1 deadlock in the 56th minute at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha and then netted an insurance marker a dozen minutes later for his sixth goal in the past six international matches. Midfielder Hwang In-beom scored the first goal for 23rd-ranked South Korea in the 38th minute, before Abdullah Al Hash

SoccerJan. 15, 2024

Klinsmann expects 'very difficult game' vs. Bahrain to start group stage

South Korea may be the heavy favorites against Bahrain when the two countries clash to start Group E action at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Qatar on Monday, but that is not how South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann sees the matchup. "Based on information we've collected, we'll have a very difficult game tomorrow," Klinsmann said at his prematch press conference in Doha on Sunday. The match between world No. 23 South Korea and No. 86 Bahrain kicks off at Jassim b

SoccerJan. 14, 2024

Loaded with talent, S. Korea set to kick off Asian Cup title bid vs Bahrain

South Korea's quest to quench its 64-year title thirst at the top Asian men's football tournament will begin Monday against Bahrain, a team they have beaten 11 times out of 16 meetings so far. Loaded with Europe-based stars, South Korea will play their first Group E match of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha. South Korea won the first two editions of the top AFC men's tournament, in 1956 and 1960, but have been shut out of titl

SoccerJan. 14, 2024

Gangwon Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony to celebrate each young person's potential

The focus of the opening ceremony for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be on celebrating each young individual’s potential, said Yang Jeong-woong, executive creative director for the ceremony, Thursday. The opening ceremony will take place on Jan. 19. Yang, who served as executive producer of the opening ceremony for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, likened the potential of the youth to the universe, which is the main theme of the opening ceremony, set to take place si

More SportsJan. 12, 2024

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s Asian Cup squad

On Dec. 28, South Korean men’s soccer national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced his star-studded roster for the 26-man squad, which is seeking to win the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 1960. There were few surprises for the team, which will be brandishing star players like Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-jae. South Korea’s arch-rival,

SoccerJan. 12, 2024

Gangwon gets ready for 2024 Winter Youth Olympics

The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games will commence on Jan. 19 in Gangwon Province in the eastern part of the Korean Peninsula, bringing together a record 1,803 young athletes from 79 countries across the world. Held under the slogan of "Grow Together, Shin Forever," the event is the fourth edition of the Youth Winter Olympic Games and the first one ever hosted in Asia. The participants will compete in 15 disciplines across seven sports, in a total of 81 events. The sports to be

More SportsJan. 11, 2024

S. Korea coach Klinsmann pays tribute to late Beckenbauer

Jurgen Klinsmann, German-born head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, bid an emotional farewell to his late former coach and German football legend Franz Beckenbauer on Tuesday, calling him a mentor and a father-like figure for players on the 1990 FIFA World Cup champion West Germany team. Beckenbauer passed away in Austria on Sunday at age 78. His family first sent a note to the German news agency dpa, and the German football federation later confirmed Beckenbauer�

SoccerJan. 9, 2024

IOC President Bach says Winter Youth Olympics in S. Korea will be 'enriching experience'

With South Korea preparing to open the fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympics next week, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach believes the event will offer "a very enriching experience for everybody." In an online interview with Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, 10 days before the start of the youth competition in Gangwon Province on the east coast, Bach acknowledged that the level of interest in and awareness of the Youth Olympic Games, whose history only dates to

More SportsJan. 9, 2024

6 years after PyeongChang 2018, Gangwon Province back in spotlight as host of Winter Youth Olympics

Six years after hosting the Winter Olympic Games, the South Korean eastern province of Gangwon will be back in the winter sports spotlight this month, as it stages the fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympics. The youth competition will open Jan. 19 and wrap up Feb. 1. It will be the first Winter Youth Olympics to take place outside Europe, after Austria, Norway and Switzerland took turns. The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics will use many of the venues from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, ma

More SportsJan. 8, 2024

10-man S. Korea defeat Iraq in final Asian Cup tuneup

South Korea held off Iraq 1-0 in their final tuneup match before the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Midfielder Lee Jae-sung scored the first goal late in the first half at New York University Abu Dhabi Stadium, but the Taegeuk Warriors were unable to add to that lead in the second half despite dominating the run of play. South Korea played the final handful of minutes a man down after Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in was sent off on his second yellow c

SoccerJan. 7, 2024

Kia Tigers sign KBO's all-time RBI leader to 2-yr deal

The Kia Tigers announced Friday they have signed veteran designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo to a new two-year deal. Choi, 40, is the oldest non-free agent player to sign a multiyear contract in Korea Baseball Organization history. The Tigers said Choi's contract has a guaranteed first year with a vesting option for a second season, meaning that it will become guaranteed if Choi meets a performance incentive threshold. In all, Choi can make up to 2.2 billion won ($1.7 million). In June last y

BaseballJan. 5, 2024

S. Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk signs with San Diego Padres

South Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk is now a member of the San Diego Padres. The Padres announced Wednesday that Go has agreed to a two-year contract with a mutual option for a third year in 2026. The Padres did not disclose financial details. Earlier in the day, New York Post columnist Joel Sherman tweeted that Go had signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million. A major league source confirmed to Yonhap News Agency that the guaranteed amount of Go's contract is indeed $4.5 million over t

BaseballJan. 4, 2024

Klinsmann says S. Koreans have 'a lot of belief' that they can win Asian Cup

Jurgen Klinsmann, head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, said Tuesday his players are confident they can end a decadeslong drought at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup kicking off this month in Qatar. "We're ready to go to Qatar. We're full of energy. We have a lot of belief that we can do well in Qatar and bring the Asian Cup back to Korea after 64 years," Klinsmann said during the annual Korea Football Association (KFA) Awards ceremony in

SoccerJan. 2, 2024

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae voted top S. Korean footballer of 2023

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae was named the top South Korean male football player for 2023 on Tuesday, earning his first annual honor and snapping a four-year winning streak by Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Tuesday that Kim won the Male Player of the Year award after earning 137 points in a vote by football journalists and members of the KFA's technical development committee and national team committee. Son, who has won a record se

SoccerJan. 2, 2024

Samsung Lions sign ex-MLB pitcher Seabold

The Samsung Lions announced their signing of former major league pitcher Connor Seabold on Friday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Seabold, 27, agreed to a one-year deal that could pay him up to $1 million. He will make $800,000 in salary and $100,000 in signing bonus, with another $100,000 available in incentives. A third-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2017 draft, Seabold made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2021, appearing in one game. After fi

BaseballDec. 22, 2023

Wolves announce extension for S. Korean attacker Hwang Hee-chan

Wolverhampton Wanderers have announced their new deal with South Korean international Hwang Hee-chan, keeping him on board until 2028 with an option for an extra year. The deal was first reported by Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano early last week and then confirmed by Wolves head coach Gary O'Neil last Friday, before the club made it official Thursday. Hwang leads Wolves this season with a career-high eight goals in the league and nine goals in all competitions. He is sixth over

SoccerDec. 22, 2023

S. Korea remain at No. 23 in last FIFA rankings before Asian Cup

South Korea stayed at No. 23 in the last edition of the FIFA rankings before the top Asian men's competition kicks off next month. FIFA unveiled its final edition of the men's rankings for 2023 on Thursday evening. Coached by Jurgen Klinsmann, South Korea remained at No. 23. They are the third-highest ranked team in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), trailing Japan (No. 17) and Iran (No. 21). That trio will be among the favorites to be crowned the champions at the AFC Asian Cup, w

SoccerDec. 22, 2023