Top 2 regular season clubs clash for baseball championship

The top two clubs from the regular season will clash for the 2017 South Korean baseball championship starting this week.The Kia Tigers and the Doosan Bears will duke it out in the best-of-seven Korean Series, the championship final in the Korea Baseball Organization. It opens Wednesday at the Tigers' home, Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul.The Tigers have the home field advantage after finishing with the best record in the regular season at 87-56-1 (wins-losse

BaseballOct. 23, 2017

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores 1st EPL goal of season

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-min has scored his first league goal of the season in his club's 4-1 win over Liverpool.Son scored Tottenham's second goal against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday (local time). With Spurs leading 1-0, Son found the net with his left foot as he redirected a cross from Harry Kane in the 12th minute.This was Son's first Premier League goal in the 2017-18 season. The 25-year-old South Korean scored in Spurs' 3-1 win over Borussia Do

SoccerOct. 23, 2017

Korea crushed 6-0 by US in women's football friendly

South Korea have suffered their second straight defeat against the United States in women's football.South Korea, world No. 15, were blanked by the top-ranked US 6-0 at Sahlen's Stadium in Cary, North Carolina, on Sunday (local time) after giving up four goals in the first half.This was South Korea's second straight loss to the US, which beat the visitors 3-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans last Thursday. The Taeguk Ladies now mark two draws and nine losses against the US in their

SoccerOct. 23, 2017

Korean Ji Eun-hee captures 1st LPGA win in 8 years

South Korean Ji Eun-hee won the LPGA championship in Taiwan on Sunday -- her first LPGA victory in eight years.Ji cruised to take the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taipei by six strokes over Lydia Ko. After shooting a bogey-free seven-under 65 in the final round at par-72 Miramar Resort and Country Club, Ji finished at 17-under 271.This was Ji's third career LPGA win and her first since her US Women's Open victory in July 2009. In this EPA photo, Ji Eun-hee of South Korea tees off

GolfOct. 22, 2017

Justin Thomas wins first PGA Tour event in Korea in playoff

SEOGWIPO, South Korea -- American star Justin Thomas won the first PGA Tour event held in South Korea in a playoff Sunday.Thomas won the inaugural CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges at the Club at Nine Bridges on the southern resort island of Jeju thanks to a birdie on the second playoff hole against Marc Leishman.This was the seventh career PGA victory for Thomas, the reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year and money winner, and his first win in a playoff. Justin Thomas of the United States hoists the champion

GolfOct. 22, 2017

Doosan Bears flex serious muscles in baseball postseason

In reaching their third straight championship final in the Korea Baseball Organization, the Doosan Bears flexed some serious muscles.The Bears slugged past the NC Dinos 14-5 on Saturday at Masan Stadium in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and claimed their best-of-five second round postseason series in four games.First baseman Oh Jae-il had a historic game, becoming the first player to hit four home runs in a KBO postseason game. He knocked in nine runs, also a postseason record.Clea

BaseballOct. 22, 2017

[Newsmaker] Ex-UFC heavyweight champ enjoys time in Korea, plans to come back next year

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez said Friday that he still isn't 100 percent fit enough to return to the octagon this year, although he expects to come back in the middle of next year. Velasquez said making a comeback isn't his priority at the moment, since his wife is pregnant. "She's going to deliver pretty soon, probably next month, and I want to focus on that," Velasquez said. "I want to experience the whole thing. I want to be there for my fami

More SportsOct. 20, 2017

Korean football chief apologizes for natl. team’s poor performance

South Korean soccer chief Chung Mong-gyu on Thursday apologized for the national team’s recent poor performance and vowed to use all available resources to help the Taeguk Warriors at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 　Chung, who leads the Korea Football Association, said he is aware of fans’ concern ahead of the World Cup and feels responsible for the current situation. 　“As the KFA president, I’m very sorry for the national team’s poor performance and any continued criticism against us,” Chung said at

SoccerOct. 19, 2017

Doosan Bears win slugfest to even baseball postseason series

The Doosan Bears beat up on the NC Dinos 17-7 to even their Korea Baseball Organization postseason series at one game apiece on Wednesday, prevailing in a slugfest for the ages.Doosan's designated hitter Choi Joo-hwan pounded a go-ahead grand slam in the eight-run sixth inning at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, and cleanup Kim Jae-hwan crushed a pair of three-run jacks in the wild affair.The Bears exacted revenge after getting beat up 13-5 on Tuesday. Game 3 is 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Dinos' home, Masa

BaseballOct. 19, 2017

Robbed of hits, star outfielder praises opponent

A day after getting robbed of two hits in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason, Doosan Bears' outfielder Min Byung-hun was effusive of the man responsible for the great defensive plays.NC Dinos' center fielder Kim Jun-wan, 26, made two spectacular diving grabs -- one by accident -- in Tuesday's Game 1 of the clubs' second round series at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium. Both balls came off the bat of Min, the Bears' leadoff man.The first one came with two outs in the bottom fourth. The Bears were l

BaseballOct. 18, 2017

Taekwondo has most corruption complaints among Korean sports: lawmaker

Taekwondo has generated the most corruption complaints among South Korean sports, a local lawmaker said Wednesday.According to Rep. Kwak Sang-do of the Liberty Korea Party, 742 corruption cases were reported to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's center for sports corruption between 2014 and August 2017. The ministry's data showed the center completed investigations into 559 cases and 122 of them were transferred to law enforcement authorities or processed with disciplinary actions.  T

SportsOct. 18, 2017

President Moon promises full support for PyeongChang Paralympic Games

President Moon Jae-in promised all-out efforts Tuesday to help make the upcoming Winter Olympic Games and Paralympics in South Korea a success.The president's remarks came in a meeting with Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.The new IPC chief arrived here Sunday for what he called a "mid-term" inspection of local venues for the Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to be held early next year. President Moon Jae-i

Olympic GamesOct. 17, 2017

After injury-plagued regular season, American pitcher confident of postseason bounceback

After an up-and-down regular season marred by shoulder issues, Doosan Bears' right-hander Michael Bowden said Tuesday he's confident of a bounceback in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason.The Bears, two-time defending champions, are scheduled to take on the NC Dinos in the best-of-five second round series starting Tuesday at home, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.Bowden is slated to start Friday's Game 3, which could potentially be a series-clinching contest or even an elimination game for the Bea

BaseballOct. 17, 2017

Park Ji-sung to hold soccer training session via online platform

Former soccer player Park Ji-sung will give an online class to share his skills and thoughts with the audience, Naver Sports said Tuesday.  (Yonhap)Park will serve as the first master of the “The Legend Class” series. The internet giant plans to help young and amateur soccer players by providing sports masters’ training tips and skills through the online video series. Park’s classes, filmed in London, are set to be aired via Naver Sports section every Monday from Oct. 19 to Dec. 21. Viewers can

SoccerOct. 17, 2017

Ex-teammates meeting as opposing managers in 3rd straight postseason

The Doosan Bears and the NC Dinos are colliding in their third straight Korea Baseball Organization postseason this week, but it isn't just the two ball clubs that will be renewing their rivalry.Managers for the respective clubs, Kim Tae-hyung for the Bears and Kim Kyung-moon for the Dinos, will also be going toe-to-toe for the third straight fall. Game 1 of their second round series, a best-of-five affair, is Tuesday.But the two skippers actually go further back.The two former catchers were tea

BaseballOct. 17, 2017

Korea fall out of top 60 in Oct. FIFA rankings

South Korea have dropped out of the top 60 in FIFA rankings following their disappointing losses in recent friendly matches. According to the October rankings unveiled by FIFA on Monday, South Korea fell 11 spots to No. 62 with 588 points, down 71 points from September. The men's national team, which qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup last month, started 2017 as the world's 37th-ranked team. South Korea, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, suffered two straight losses in friendly football matche

SoccerOct. 16, 2017

LPGA stars extol virtues of intl. team event

INCHEON -- International stars of women’s golf extolled the virtues Monday of an up-and-coming international competition that has given them a rare opportunity to play for their nation.　The UL International Crown, inaugurated by the LPGA Tour in 2014, will come to South Korea for its third edition in 2018. It’s a new international team event in women’s golf alongside the Solheim Cup, the match play contest between the United States and Europe.　The International Crown is more inclusive. It invite

GolfOct. 16, 2017

Korean golf legend Pak Se-ri named honorary director of women's intl. team competition

INCHEON -- South Korean golf legend Pak Se-ri was named an honorary executive director Monday for an LPGA international match play competition to be held in South Korea next year.Pak, a World Golf Hall of Famer, will serve in that role for the UL International Crown from Oct. 4 to 7 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, just west of Seoul.This will be the third edition of the biennial competition and the first to be held outside the United States. In this file photo provided by the Korea

GolfOct. 16, 2017

Soccer legend Cha Bum-kun to be inducted into Korea's Sports Hall of Fame

South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun will enter the country's Sports Hall of Fame, the national Olympic committee announced Monday.The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said Cha has been named as its "sports hero" for 2017. The 64-year-old took the honor after a panel of experts at the KSOC's sports hero selection committee evaluated his contributions to sports development and national prestige. Cha is the first footballer to be inducted into South Korea's Sports Hall of Fame. The KSOC said t

SoccerOct. 16, 2017

Baseball championship series foes set to renew postseason rivalry

Two clubs that clashed for the South Korean baseball championship last year will renew their postseason rivalry this week.The Doosan Bears and the NC Dinos will meet for the third straight year in the Korea Baseball Organization playoffs starting Tuesday at the Bears' home, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.There's less at stake this year than the last, though. The Bears swept the Dinos in four straight games in the Korean Series last year to capture their second straight league championship. This time, t

BaseballOct. 16, 2017