PyeongChang formally nominates ex-commerce minister as new chief

Organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Wednesday formally nominated former Commerce Minister Lee Hee-beom as their new president.The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games made the decision at its executive committee meeting in Seoul, a day after Lee was tapped to replace Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho.Cho abruptly resigned Tuesday to tend to pressing issues at Hanjin Shipping, one of the group‘s affiliates mired in debts.Lee will be o

Olympic GamesMay 4, 2016

Public in favor of banned swimmer in Olympics

Through surveys and social media this week, South Koreans have been showing their support for beleaguered swimmer Park Tae-hwan, who is hoping to get his Olympic ban lifted.A survey by local pollster Realmeter showed Tuesday that 70.9 percent of South Koreans would like to see Park race at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.Park, who recently served an 18-month doping suspension, remains ineligible to make the national team under a controversial rule by the Korean Olympic Committe

SportsMay 4, 2016

Suwon eliminated from AFC Champions League despite win over Shanghai

South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings were eliminated from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Tuesday despite a 3-0 victory over Shanghai SIPG in their final group match.    In rainy and windy conditions at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, south of Seoul, the hosts routed group winners Shanghai, thanks to a double by forward Kim Gun-hee. The K League Classic club finished their Group G campaign at nine points with two wins, three draws and a loss, tied with Melbourne Vi

SoccerMay 3, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho hits first big league triple

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins hit the first triple of his major league career Monday against the Houston Astros.Park touched the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel for a two-run triple in the top of the fifth, making it 5-1 Twins at Minute Maid Park in Houston.With men at first and second with one out, Park sent an 85 mph fastball over center fielder Colby Rasmus, bringing both runners home.The three-bagger chased Keuchel from the game. It was Park's second hit

BaseballMay 3, 2016

Taekwondo star battling nerves ahead of Olympic debut

At the ripe age of 22, Kim So-hui has already been to numerous international taekwondo competitions. Yet the Olympics will be a completely different animal even to the stoic athlete.Kim will make her Summer Games debut in Rio de Janeiro in August. With two world championships and one Asian Games medal to her credit, it's a wonder Kim hadn't qualified for an Olympics before this year.Attending a corporate promotional event in Seoul on Tuesday, Kim said she is carrying a mixed bag of emotions with

SportsMay 3, 2016

Chief organizer for 2018 PyeongChang Olympics resigns

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho offered to resign as the chief organizer of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Tuesday, citing the need to tend to his corporate responsibilities.Cho announced his resignation in a statement released by the organizing committee, which will lose its leader with less than two years left until the first Winter Games in South Korea.The committee explained that Cho wanted to handle "urgent matters" within his business group, including rescuing Hanjin Shipping, t

SportsMay 3, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho records first hit with men in scoring position

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins got his first hit with a runner in scoring position Sunday at home against the Detroit Tigers.Park went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, as the Twins lost 6-5 at Target Field.Park drove in his one run of the game with two outs and men at first and second in the bottom of the first. Park hit a single to right off Mike Pelfrey to drive in Joe Mauer from second, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead.Park had gone 0-for-15 with men in scoring position prior to this game. He

BaseballMay 2, 2016

Jenny Shin captures 1st LPGA win in Texas

South Korean golfer Jenny Shin captured her maiden LPGA Tour win in Texas on Sunday.Shin had a bogey-free final round of four-under 67 at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in Irving, Texas, for a four-round total of 14-under 270.Shin beat out two fellow South Koreans, Hur Mi-jung and Amy Yang, by two strokes to take home US$195,000 in the winner's check.Shin, who joined the tour in 2011, had gone winless in 131 starts before this one.Shin began the day trailing overnight leader Gerina Pil

GolfMay 2, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo records 1st double in three-hit game

Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles picked up his first major league double as part of a three-hit game at home Saturday.Batting ninth and playing left field, Kim went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Kim is batting .600 in his first big league season.The former Korean All-Star outfielder was making only his sixth appearance of the season.Kim got his first career extra-base hit in his first at-bat in the bottom thir

BaseballMay 1, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyung-soo delivers pinch-hit single

Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles delivered a pinch-hit single against the Chicago White Sox at home Thursday.Kim came off the bench with a man on first and one out in the bottom eighth, replacing No. 3 hitter Chris Davis at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. With the O's leading 10-2, Kim hit a single off Daniel Webb to left field.Kim had missed the team's previous four games and this was his fifth appearance this season. The outfielder is now batting 6-for-11 with one RBI, two walks but no extra

BaseballApril 29, 2016

Korea eyes another strong Olympic performance at Rio 2016

South Korea marked the 100-day countdown to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics Wednesday with a pledge to put on another strong performance in the medal race.Sports officials and national team athletes who gathered at the National Training Center in northern Seoul for an open house event all expressed their desire to accomplish a common goal: finishing in the top 10 in medals for the fourth consecutive Olympics with at least 10 gold medals."I am certain that all the hard work put in by our

Olympic GamesApril 27, 2016

Park Tae-hwan wins 400m freestyle with 4th best time of season

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan collected his third gold medal in a local competition Wednesday with the fourth best time of the season in the men's 400-meter freestyle as he continues to rally in his first competitive swimming in 18 months. At the 88th Dong-A Swimming Competition in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul, Park finished first in the 400m free with a time of 3 minutes, 44.26 seconds. It was his third gold medal in the competition at the Nambu University Intern

More SportsApril 27, 2016

Seoul to celebrate 100-day countdown to Rio Olympics by lighting

Seoul will mark the 100-day countdown to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics on Wednesday by illuminating its landmark tower in the Brazilian colors, the South American country's mission here said.The Brazilian Embassy said N Seoul Tower on Mount Namsan in central Seoul will be lit up in yellow and green from 6:30 p.m. to midnight.The embassy said landmark monuments in major cities around the world will also be illuminated in those Brazilian colors.This year's Olympics will be held on Aug. 5

Olympic GamesApril 27, 2016

Korea will play every football match like it‘s final in Rio: coach

South Korea will play every match at the 2016 Olympic men's football tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, like it is their final one, the team's head coach said Tuesday.At a press conference in Seoul marking the 100-day countdown to their first match in Rio, Shin Tae-yong said South Korea will seek to match the country's bronze medal-winning performance at the London Olympics four years ago. It was the country's first-ever medal in Olympic football."I will not say at this moment that we can col

Olympic GamesApril 26, 2016

Park Tae-hwan wins race in long-awaited return

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan won a race in his first competition in nearly 18 months on Monday.　Park captured the men‘s 1,500m freestyle race at the 88th Dong-A Swimming Competition in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. He clocked 15 minutes and 10.95 seconds. He was nearly 15 seconds faster than the runner-up, Park Seok-hyun.　It was Park’s first competitive appearance since the National Sports Festival in November 2014. Park served an 18-month international doping su

More SportsApril 25, 2016

Olympic skating champ Lee Sang-hwa named PyeongChang 2018 honorary ambassador

Two-time Olympic speed skating champion Lee Sang-hwa was appointed honorary ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games on Monday.At a press conference in Seoul, Lee said she was honored to take the role in which she will promote South Korea's first Winter Olympic Games. "I will put my best effort forward to promote the PyeongChang Games as an ambassador and show a good performance as a skater," she said. Lee is the 16th honorary spokesperson for the Winter Games to be held in PyeongChang,

Olympic GamesApril 25, 2016

Rio Olympics 100 days away with Korea eyeing top-10 finish

The Summer Olympic Games will take place in South America for the first time this year, as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will host the 31st edition of the quadrennial competition.The countdown to the Aug. 5-21 Rio Games will reach 100 days Wednesday.The Olympic organizers expect to host 10,500 athletes from 206 countries. Over 17 days, they will take part in 42 sports, including two new additions, golf and rugby.Rio says 32 competition venues will be spread across four regions of the host city: Deodo

Olympic GamesApril 25, 2016

Nat'l training center chief calls for public support for Olympic athletes

As the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro approaches, the head of the country's top training ground called for more public support for Olympic athletes.Choi Jong-sam, who oversees the National Training Center in Seoul, told Yonhap News Agency last week that the athletes gearing up for the Aug. 5-21 event will feed off the energy of enthusiastic fans."There's nothing better than the people's support and backing to boost morale for our athletes," Choi said. "If the country can rally around these

Olympic GamesApril 25, 2016