9 foreign players not tendered contract for 2024 KBO season

Nine foreign players are among dozens of players not receiving a contract for next season in the top South Korean baseball league. The Korea Baseball Organization unveiled a list of 59 non-tendered players Thursday evening. Other than a handful of players in the group who have announced their retirements, non-tendered players immediately became free agents. Underachieving foreign players, including KT Wiz outfielder Anthony Alford, SSG Landers pitcher Kirk McCarty and NC Dinos pitcher Tanner Tul

BaseballDec. 1, 2023

Footballer Hwang Ui-jo banned from nat'l team during police probe into illegal filming charges

The South Korea football governing body announced Tuesday forward Hwang Ui-jo will be banned from the national team until the conclusion of an ongoing police investigation into charges that he'd filmed a sexual encounter with a woman without consent. The Korea Football Association (KFA) reached the decision following a meeting of representatives from its ethics committee and national team technical committee earlier in the day. The KFA held the meeting after being criticized for putting Hwa

SoccerNov. 28, 2023

Former England soccer manager Terry Venables dies aged 80

Terry Venables, the former manager of England's national soccer team and clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, has died aged 80 after an illness, his family said on Sunday. "We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness," the family said in a statement. (Reuters)

SoccerNov. 26, 2023

Gimcheon Sangmu FC earn promotion to top division in S. Korean football

In a dramatic turn of events on the final day of the regular season, Gimcheon Sangmu FC earned a direct promotion to the top division in South Korean football on Sunday. Gimcheon defeated Seoul E-Land FC 1-0 to finish atop the K League 2 tables with 71 points and secure a spot in the top-flight K League 1 for 2024. Kim Hyeon-ug's 37th-minute goal stood as the winner. Gimcheon, a military club made up of players fulfilling their mandatory service duties, were relegated after the 2022 season

SoccerNov. 26, 2023

SSG Landers strip general manager of duties over mishaps

The South Korean baseball club SSG Landers said Saturday they have stripped general manager (GM) Kim Sung-yong of his duties over a recent series of mishaps. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team said Kim will instead lead its research & development center, which oversees player development. Kim's reassignment is the latest development in what has been a tumultuous offseason for the Landers. They abruptly fired manager Kim Won-hyong on Oct. 31, soon after the team's eliminat

BaseballNov. 25, 2023

Suwon Fencing Federation seeks to foster dreams of youth athletes

Despite not being the most populous country in Asia, South Korea has won more fencing medals than any other state in Asian Games history, winning 134 to edge out China by two as of 2023. At the root of such success are efforts to aid growth of young prospects in the sport, such as Suwon Fencing Federation’s Korea Club Championship - Fencing that took place at Aju University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 11-12. The event was attended by some 100 athletes from elementary, middle and h

More SportsNov. 24, 2023

S. Korea to face Japan, China, UAE in Olympic football qualifying tournament

South Korea will play Japan, China and the United Arab Emirates in the Asian qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic men's football tournament next spring. South Korea will play out of Group B at the 2024 Asian Football Confederation U-23 Asian Cup, whose draw was held Thursday in Doha, the capital city of the tournament host, Qatar. There will be four groups of four countries. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The three best teams at the U-23 Asian Cup will punc

SoccerNov. 23, 2023

Klinsmann hoping for quick release of S. Korean footballer detained in China

Jurgen Kinsmann, head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, said Wednesday he hopes China will release detained South Korean football player Son Jun-ho before Christmas, saying it was his "only one wish" for the holiday. Son, a national team veteran, was detained by Chinese authorities in May and was placed under formal arrest in June. Few details are known about the circumstances of Son's detention, with Chinese officials only saying he is facing bribery

SoccerNov. 22, 2023

Latest LPGA winner Amy Yang reaches No. 15 in world rankings

South Korean golfer Amy Yang has reached a year-high 15th in the world rankings on the strength of her victory in the LPGA Tour season finale on the weekend. Yang jumped 21 spots to No. 15 in the latest rankings released Tuesday. The 34-year-old won the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Sunday for her fifth career title and first since February 2019. It was also Yang's first win in America; she had previously won once in South Korea and three times in Thailand. Yang, whose

GolfNov. 21, 2023

T1, Faker unrivaled at 2023 LoL World Championship

  Korea's League of Legends team T1 has hoisted the Summoner’s Cup for the first time in seven years, beating the Pro League’s Weibo Gaming of China in the LoL World Championship Finals on Sunday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, southern Seoul. Sunday night's victory marked T1 and team superstar Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s fourth win in the World Championship following stunning victories in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Faker became the player with the most championship tit

More SportsNov. 20, 2023

South Korea's T1 win record fourth League of Legends world title

South Korean powerhouse T1 swept aside China's Weibo Gaming on Sunday to clinch a record fourth League of Legends world championship, widely considered the Super Bowl of e-sports. T1 won three straight games in the best-of-five final at the Gocheok Sky Dome stadium in the South Korean capital, roared on by a capacity crowd of 18,000. Legions of fans descended on Seoul for the final of the League of Legends world championship, which has rapidly grown since the first edition in 2011 into one

More SportsNov. 19, 2023

Korean Series champions Twins re-sign 1B Austin Dean

The reigning Korean Series champions LG Twins announced Friday they have re-signed first baseman Austin Dean for one more season. The Korea Baseball Organization club said Dean, 30, has agreed to a new contract that could pay him up to $1.3 million. He will earn $800,000 in annual salary and $300,000 in a signing bonus, plus another $200,000 in incentives. The announcement comes four days after Dean helped the Twins win their first Korean Series crown in 29 years. Dean made $700,000 in 2023, his

BaseballNov. 17, 2023

[Graphic News] South Korean LPGA Rookies of the Year

South Korean Ryu Hae-ran has clinched the LPGA Rookie of the Year award with one tournament left this season. Since the rise of superstar Pak Se-ri more than two decades ago, Korean female golfers have become an international force to be reckoned with in women’s professional golf tournaments. This trend has been marked by a consistent stream of LPGA Rookie of the Year awards going to Korean women every few years. Fourteen of the past 26 rookies of the year (including this year’s) hav

GolfNov. 17, 2023

[Wang Son-taek] Global interests and the US-China summit

It is very welcome that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the APEC summit in San Francisco. The fact that the summit was held can be a success this time because the negative opinions of the US and China on the other side are strong. However, when looking at the dialogues between the two, we find that the approaches of both sides are short-sighted, narrow, and reactionary. If they want a practical solution for peaceful coexistence, they must take a long-term vision, g

Olympic GamesNov. 16, 2023

Facing S. Korea in Seoul dream come true moment for naturalized Singaporean footballer

Football player Song Ui-young grew up in South Korea hoping to one day play at Seoul World Cup Stadium, considered the mecca of football here. That dream will come true for the 30-year-old on Thursday, but with a twist. Song, who became naturalized as a Singaporean citizen in August 2021, will represent his adopted country against his native country in their World Cup qualifying match. "I dreamed of being here when I first started playing football as a kid. I am excited and nervous at t

SoccerNov. 15, 2023

Seoul mayor to consider street festivities for LG Twins' victory

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that the Seoul Metropolitan Government will consider holding street celebrations to commemorate the LG Twins’ victory during this year’s Korean Series on Monday. “As the mayor of Seoul, I am overjoyed that the LG Twins won the Korean Series, for the first time in 29 years,” said Oh in a post on his Facebook account. “The city government will actively consider organizing public celebrations at Seoul Plaza to congratulate the LG Twins.&rd

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2023

LG Twins makes 29-year-long dream come true

The LG Twins nabbed the Korean Series trophy for the first time in 29 years, beating KT Wiz 6-2 in Game 5 of the Korean Series on Monday on their home turf at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul. After getting ahead with a victory in Suwon on Nov. 10 -- putting them at 3 games to 1 in the best of seven series -- the Seoul-based Twins hoped to close the series with a final victory in front of their 23,750 fans at Jamsil. The game was scoreless for two innings, but then Twin

BaseballNov. 14, 2023

Led by in-form stars, S. Korea pursuing 4th straight win as World Cup qualifying begins vs. Singapore

With their Europe-based stars enjoying strong club seasons, South Korea will chase their fourth consecutive win under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann this week against Singapore in Seoul, as their qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins. It will be the first Group C match for both teams in the second round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. The kickoff is at 8 p.m. Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. South Korea will then travel to Shenzhen, China, to face China next Tuesday. South K

SoccerNov. 14, 2023

LG Twins crowned champions for 1st time since 1994 as S. Korean baseball season ends

The 2023 season in South Korean baseball ended Monday night the way it hadn't for nearly three decades: with the LG Twins as the champions. The Twins defeated the KT Wiz 6-2 in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, claiming the best-of-seven series 4-1 for their first championship since 1994. The drought-busting victory capped a memorable season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), which saw the attendance figure surpass the 8 million mark for the first time in fi

BaseballNov. 14, 2023

LG Twins capture 1st Korean Series title in 29 years

The wait is over. The LG Twins are the champions of South Korean baseball for the first time in 29 years. The Twins defeated the KT Wiz 6-2 in Game 5 of the Korean Series on Monday, winning their fourth straight game after dropping the opener of this best-of-seven competition. This is the Twins' first title since 1994 and it ends one of the longest title droughts in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), dating to 1982. The Seoul-based Twins got to celebrate their long-awaite

BaseballNov. 13, 2023