Natl. football team trying to schedule friendlies in Europe in Oct.

South Korea's national football team is trying to schedule friendly matches on the road in October if it qualifies for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, an official with the Korea Football Association said Wednesday.The KFA official told Yonhap News Agency that South Korea will have two friendly matches in Europe during FIFA's international match period in October. The official said the KFA is currently in search of opponents, who will likely be non-European nations."During the FIFA match day in October,

SoccerAug. 23, 2017

KEPCO signs on as sponsor for PyeongChang 2018

Korea Electric Power Corp., the state-run public utility firm, signed on as a corporate sponsor for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Wednesday.KEPCO is the first public corporation to lend support to PyeongChang 2018.As a "Tier One" partner, KEPCO reserves a wide range of marketing rights, including the use of intellectual property and the use of PyeongChang's logo in their advertising campaigns.The organizing committee for PyeongChang declined to disclose the amount of the sponsorship co

More SportsAug. 23, 2017

Natl. football coach tries to implement 'tiki taka' style of play

New South Korean football head coach Shin Tae-yong wants his team to play a "tiki-taka" style of football, as he aims to speed up the game with quick passing and movement.Shin, who succeeded Uli Stielike last month, opened camp at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul, on Monday for South Korea's last two matches in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Taeguk Warriors, currently second in Group A, the last automatic qualification spot, are scheduled to

SoccerAug. 23, 2017

Korea's Ryu Han-su wins gold at world wrestling championships

South Korean wrestler Ryu Han-su has claimed a gold medal at the world championships, as he washed away his painful memories of last year's Olympics.Ryu topped the men's Greco-Roman 66 kilograms at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in Paris on Tuesday (local time) after beating Mateusz Bernatek of Poland 2-1 in the final. This was Ryu's second gold medal at the worlds after earning his first one in 2013. In 2015, he settled for silver."When I first became a (world) champion, it seemed unrea

More SportsAug. 23, 2017

Korean football club Gangwon to move to new home next season

South Korean football club Gangwon FC said Tuesday they will move into a new home stadium next season.Gangwon currently uses the Olympic Ski Jumping Centre in PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Gangwon Province, as their home. But for next season, Gangwon said they will play at Songam Stadium in Chuncheon, also a city in Gangwon Province, located some 85 kilometers east of Seoul, after reaching an agreement with Chuncheon city government."We've received offers from se

SoccerAug. 22, 2017

PyeongChang, US Olympic body launch youth mentorship program

The organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the United States Olympic Committee on Tuesday announced their launch of a Korean youth mentorship program.In a statement, the organizations said the goodwill campaign is part of the USOC's "Thank You, PyeongChang" initiative, designed to "contribute to the positive legacy" of the first Winter Olympics to take place in South Korea.In the mentorship program, American ice dance tandem of Maia and Alex Shibutani will mentor stude

More SportsAug. 22, 2017

Korean football prospect Paik Seung-ho moves to Girona

South Korean football prospect Paik Seung-ho has joined newly promoted La Liga outfit Girona FC.The club announced Monday (local time) that Paik signed a three-year deal, although he will spend this season with Girona's B side, Peralada, in the third-tier Segunda Division B."I'm very happy to start my new career at Girona FC," Paik wrote on his Instagram. "I want to give back to fans for their support with hard work."The move ends Paik's stint with FC Barcelona, where he has spent the last seven

SoccerAug. 22, 2017

Pak Se-ri hoping to see own US junior tournament grow

CHICO, California -- Retired South Korean golf legend Pak Se-ri is hosting a US junior tournament for the first time this week in California, and it's an event she'd like to see grow both in size and prestige."This is just the beginning, and I'll take it slowly from here," Pak said in an interview Monday at Butte Creek Country Club in Chico, the site of the inaugural Se Ri Pak Junior Championship.This is Pak's first tournament with the American Junior Golf Association, but the World Golf Hall of

GolfAug. 22, 2017

Hot-shot amateur achieves new career high in women's golf rankings

Hot-shot amateur Choi Hye-jin has achieved a new career high in the women's world golf rankings, just days before turning professional.Choi moved up three spots to No. 22 in the latest rankings released Tuesday. Choi, who turns 18 on Wednesday, won the Bogner MBN Ladies Open on the Korea LPGA Tour on Sunday, becoming the first amateur in 18 years to win twice in South Korea in one season. In this photo provided by the Korea LPGA Tour, Choi Hye-jin celebrates her victory at the Bogner MBN Ladies

GolfAug. 22, 2017

Veteran striker urges players to sacrifice for natl. football team

PAJU, South Korea -- After returning to the national football team for the first in nearly three years, South Korean striker Lee Dong-gook said Monday the players need to sacrifice themselves for the team in the World Cup qualifying campaign.Lee, 38, will become the second-oldest player to appear in an international match for South Korea if he takes the field either against Iran on Aug. 31 or Uzbekistan on Sept. 5 in World Cup qualifiers.Lee, who last appeared on the national team in October 201

SoccerAug. 21, 2017

Korea football coach aims to beef up defense for World Cup qualifiers

PAJU, South Korea -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Monday the national team's primary focus will be on organizing defense in practices ahead of two crucial World Cup qualifiers.Shin's side began training with 16 players at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul, for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Iran on Aug. 31 and Uzbekistan on Sept. 5. For this early call-up, which is one week ahead of the usual schedule, Shin will work with players based in the Asian

SoccerAug. 21, 2017

Korea's 2nd most expensive footballer readies for solid natl. team career

PAJU, South Korea -- South Korean footballer Kwon Kyung-won said Monday he is ready to build up a solid national team career after joining the senior squad for the first time.Kwon is one of 26 players selected for South Korea's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Uzbekistan. South Korea will host Iran on Aug. 31 and take on Uzbekistan five days later in Tashkent for the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.Kwon, 25, became the second most expensive South Korean foo

SoccerAug. 21, 2017

Korean Barca prospect nearing move to Italy: source

FC Barcelona's South Korean prospect Lee Seung-woo is nearing a move to Italy, a source close to the player said Monday.The source said FC Barcelona are in talks with Italian club Hellas Verona FC over Lee's transfer and added the move could be finalized sometime this week.Lee has been training with Barca's "B" team, the Spanish giants' reserve squad, but he wasn't expected to receive much playing time. With Honduran forward Choco Lozano and Brazilian attacking midfielder Vitinho having filled B

SoccerAug. 21, 2017

K.J. Choi to retain PGA Tour status on special exemption

South Korean veteran Choi Kyoung-ju will retain his PGA Tour status for next season thanks to a special exemption category, his agency said Monday.Choi, better known on the tour as K.J. Choi, ranked 177th on the 2016-2017 season FedEx Cup points standings after last weekend's Wyndham Championship and failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs open to the top 125.Those ranked inside the top 125 earn full-time status for the following season, while those ranked from 126th to 150th have condition

GolfAug. 21, 2017

Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan earns 19th save of season

Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals has earned a save for the first time in 41 days as he escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve his club's victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Oh gave up an unearned run in the ninth inning against the Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Friday (local time) but collected his 19th save of the season as the Cards hung on to win the game 11-10. This was Oh's first save since he picked up his last one on July 8 against the New York Mets. With his latest pe

SportsAug. 19, 2017

Korean baseball club to face ownership change after losing court battle

South Korea's professional Nexen Heroes baseball club are set to face a change in their ownership structure after they lost a trial against a US-based businessman on Friday.The Heroes filed a lawsuit claiming that it doesn't owe a debt to Hong Sung-eun, chairman of the Atlanta-based real estate developer Rainier Group, but the Seoul High Court dismissed the ball club's appeal and upheld the lower court's decision. Hong has been saying that he did not get a 40 percent stake of the ball club that

BaseballAug. 18, 2017

Diminutive hitter chasing elusive .400 batting average

One of South Korean baseball's smallest players is in hot pursuit of one of the most hallowed and elusive marks in the game: a .400 batting average.Kim Sun-bin of the Kia Tigers, all of 165 centimeters, is leading the Korea Baseball Organization with a .392 mark through Thursday's games.After closing out the first half batting .380, Kim, the league's second shortest player, hasn't cooled off in the dog days of summer. He is batting at a .450 clip since the All-Star break. For the month of August

BaseballAug. 18, 2017

Young forward in fine form ahead of natl. team duty

Austria-based South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan showed he is in fine form ahead of his national team duty later this month, as he scored a goal in a playoff for a European club competition.Hwang struck the opening goal in Red Bull Salzburg's 3-1 win over Viitorul Constanta in their first leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie at Central Stadium Hagi Academy in Ovidiu, Romania, on Friday. The 21-year-old found the back of net with his right-footed shot just two minutes after the kickoff foll

SoccerAug. 18, 2017

Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan to get save opportunities following closer's injury

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Oh Seung-hwan is expected to get more save opportunities following an injury to the club's incumbent closer.The South Korean right-hander, who started the season as the closer but was removed from the role last month, could be back in his old job after Trevor Rosenthal was placed on the 10-day disabled list with right posterior elbow irritation Thursday (local time).Rosenthal left Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox early. He'd converted seven consecutive save

BaseballAug. 18, 2017

Park Ji-sung tells Korean footballers to overcome World Cup qualifying pressure

South Korean football icon Park Ji-sung said Thursday that the national team players should overcome World Cup qualifying pressure to earn good results in upcoming matches.South Korea, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, will host Iran on Aug. 31 and take on Uzbekistan five days later on the road in their final World Cup qualifying campaign. Both are considered must-win matches for the Taeguk Warriors, who are barely holding on to the last automatic qualification spot in Group A in the final Asian

SoccerAug. 17, 2017