S. Korea coach vows to end away drought in World Cup qualifier

South Korea men's football head coach Uli Stielike has said his team is ready to end an ongoing away drought in the World Cup qualifying stage this week.South Korea will take on Qatar at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday in a key qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The kickoff is 10 p.m. Tuesday (local time) and 4 a.m.Wednesday in Seoul.At a press conference held on the eve of the contest, Stielike said his players are prepared for a victory. Uli Stielike, head coach of the S

SoccerJune 13, 2017

Korean president proposes 2030 FIFA World Cup in Northeast Asia

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday suggested forming a regional bloc with communist North Korea and other Northeast Asian countries to jointly host the FIFA World Cup in 2030.Moon‘s proposal came in a meeting with Gianni Infantino, chief of FIFA. The FIFA president arrived here last week to watch the FIFA Under-20 World Cup final between England and Venezuela held Sunday.South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) meets with the visiting head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, at the presidenti

More SportsJune 12, 2017

FIFA chief says Korea's U-20 World Cup 'successful'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Monday South Korea hosted a successful Under-20 World Cup, congratulating local organizers and thanking people for their support for the men's youth football tournament.South Korea staged the U-20 World Cup from May 20 to last Sunday in six cities and welcomed 24 teams. Infantino landed in South Korea on Saturday to watch the final between England and Venezuela, and to meet with football officials here."It was fantastic," Infantino said of South Korea's first

SoccerJune 12, 2017

Korea faces roadblocks in bid to bring FIFA World Cup to NE Asia

South Korea will face roadblocks in its bid to bring the world's greatest football competition to Northeast Asia.In his meeting with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino on Monday, President Moon Jae-in suggested forming a regional bloc with communist North Korea and other Northeast Asian countries to jointly host the FIFA World Cup in 2030.According to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, Infantino said there will likely be "difficulties," but also said such a vision itself "can be a very powerful mes

SoccerJune 12, 2017

NK yet to ask S. Korea to approve taekwondo team's visit

North Korea has yet to ask South Korea to approve a plan by a North Korean taekwondo demonstration team to visit the South for an international competition, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.The North Korea-led International Taekwondo Federation will bring its demonstration team to South Korea for the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul, to be held from June 24-30.This photo carried by North Korea's state news agency on June

More SportsJune 12, 2017

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin hurt by long balls in shaky start

Hurt by long balls yet again, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers has barely avoided a loss in a shaky start.Ryu gave up three home runs against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time). Ryu was lifted for pinch hitter Franklin Gutierrez in the bottom fourth with the Dodgers trailing 4-2.The Dodgers' offense came alive after Ryu left the game and rallied for a 9-7 victory thanks to a six-run eighth.(Yonhap)The four innings matched Ryu's shortest start of th

BaseballJune 12, 2017

Chun In-gee loses in playoff for 4th runner-up finish of '17

South Korean Chun In-gee has posted her fourth runner-up finish of the 2017 LPGA season, as her search for her first win of the year continues.Chun lost in the first playoff hole to Ariya Jutanugarn at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, on Sunday (local time). Lexi Thompson was another player involved in the sudden-death affair, and Jutanugarn beat both with a long birdie putt.(Yonhap)The three players finished the regulation tied at 17-under 271 at the par-72 Whistle Bear

GolfJune 12, 2017

Kim Meen-whee finishes career-best 2nd on PGA Tour

South Korean Kim Meen-whee has set a new career high on the PGA Tour with a runner-up finish.Kim tied for second with Charl Schwartzel at the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the par-70 TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday (local time). At nine-under 271, the two finished one stroke back of the champion, Daniel Berger.(Yonhap)Kim, who has been playing on the tour since 2015, previously had a pair of third-place finishes that year. For 2017, he had just one top-10 finish -- a tie for fifth at

GolfJune 12, 2017

England edge past Venezuela to win FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea

SUWON -- England won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea after edging out Venezuela 1-0 in the final on Sunday.Dominic Calvert-Lewin's first-half strike lifted England to their first U-20 football title in their 11th tournament appearance. It was also England's first title in a FIFA men's competition since their senior team's victory at the 1966 World Cup at home.England's previous best U-20 World Cup finish was in 1993 when they finished third in Australia.England`s under-20 national footbal

SoccerJune 11, 2017

N. Korean taekwondo demonstration team to perform in Seoul during visit

A North Korean taekwondo demonstration team visiting South Korea for an international competition will have a separate performance in Seoul during its stay, officials said Friday.The North Korea-led International Taekwondo Federation will bring a demonstration team to South Korea for the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul. The ITF's team is scheduled to perform during the event's opening and closing ceremonies on June 24 and 30 wi

More SportsJune 9, 2017

Korean football club Jeju United to appeal AFC suspensions

South Korean football club Jeju United said Friday they will appeal penalties handed down by the Asian Football Confederation following their on-field brawl against a Japanese team last month.The K League Classic club said the AFC suspended Cho Yong-hyung for six months with a fine of $20,000, Baek Dong-gyu for three months with a fine of $15,000, and Kweon Han-jin for two matches with a fine of $1,000 for their involvement in a brawl during the AFC Champions League (ACL) round of 16 second leg

SoccerJune 9, 2017

Midfielder says back four suits S. Korea better than back three

South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung is not a tactician, but as a player who actually performs on the pitch, he thinks a four-man defense suits the national team better than a back three system.South Korea, led by head coach Uli Stielike, were held to a scoreless draw by Iraq in their friendly match here Wednesday. The match was a tune-up for South Korea's crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Doha next Tuesday. South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung speaks to reporters at Emirates Clu

SoccerJune 9, 2017

FIFA president to visit Korea for U-20 World Cup final

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will visit South Korea for the final of the ongoing U-20 World Cup, local organizers here said Friday.The organizing committee, led by Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, said Infantino will attend the final between England and Venezuela at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sunday. This will be Infantino's second trip to South Korea since he became the world football chief in February 2016. In this file photo

SoccerJune 9, 2017

Baseball club acquires former US minor league hitter

The South Korean baseball club KT Wiz on Friday signed former US minor league hitter Mel Rojas Jr.The Korea Baseball Organization team said Rojas agreed to a $400,000 deal for the rest of the season. (Yonhap)A third round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010, Rojas doesn't have any major league experience. He has spent eight years in the minor leagues, with 46 home runs, 325 RBIs and 94 steals in 837 games.In 2017, Rojas, a switch hitter, had been playing for the Gwinnett Braves, the Tri

BaseballJune 9, 2017

In midst of hitting streak, outfielder growing into No. 2 hole

As base hits pile up, KT Wiz outfielder Oh Jeong-bok is growing into his role as the Korea Baseball Organization club's No. 2 hitter.Oh is working on a 15-game hitting streak, which began May 20.In nine of those games, Oh had at least two hits. Through Thursday's action, he's batting a robust .407 (55-for-135), though he doesn't have enough at-bats yet to qualify for the batting title. In this file photo taken May 10, 2017, Oh Jeong-bok of the KT Wiz watches his base hit against the Kia Tigers i

BaseballJune 9, 2017

Year after being named monthly MVP, baseball player biding time in minors

What a difference a year can make -- and not in such a positive way for SK Wyverns first baseman Choi Seung-jun.Choi came out of nowhere to win the Player of the Month in the Korea Baseball Organization in June 2016, after belting 11 home runs in 26 games. That included a three-homer game on June 28 against the KT Wiz, and Choi also led the league with a .783 slugging percentage that month. In this file photo taken on July 7, 2016, Choi Seung-jun of the SK Wyverns (R) celebrates a home run again

BaseballJune 9, 2017

Top Korean sports body to name candidate for IOC membership

South Korea's top sports body decided on Thursday to begin the process for naming a candidate for International Olympic Committee membership.At its board of directors meeting, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee discussed the need for South Korea to have a full IOC member, especially with the country preparing to host the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next February. Lee Kee-heung (center), head of the KSOC, presides over the board of directors meeting in Seoul on June 8, 2017. (Korean Sport & Oly

More SportsJune 8, 2017

Int'l footballers' union executive says S. Korean players need voice

South Korea's pro football players need to have a voice and they deserve to have a representative organization here, a high-ranking official at the international pro footballers' union said Thursday.Theo van Seggelen, secretary-general at FIFPro, said South Korea will officially become a member of the global footballers' association in its general congress in Cairo in December. At its two-day Asia-Oceania Congress in Seoul, FIFPro officials discussed ways to help South Korean footballers set up

SoccerJune 8, 2017

Tale of two fates for S. Koreans in minor leagues

Player A: 115 home runs in 1,184 games in South Korea. Zero 30-homer seasons. Two .300 seasons.Player B: 210 home runs in 868 games in South Korea. Four 30-homer seasons, including back-to-back 50-homer seasons in 2014 and 2015. Regular season MVP awards in 2012 and 2013.Both players are currently biding their time in the U.S. minor leagues, hoping for a shot in the Big Show. And as it turns out, Player A has a much better shot at cracking a major league roster this year, despite less impressive

BaseballJune 8, 2017