Suspended swimmer Park Tae-hwan to train in Japan

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan, currently serving a doping suspension, has relocated to Japan to continue training, his management company said Tuesday.  Team GMP said Park left for Tokyo with his manager and physical trainer on Monday, and will begin training at Hosei University on Thursday. Park will stay in the Japanese capital until December, Team GMP added.  In March, Park, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the men's 400-meter freestyle, received an 18-month ban from FINA, t

More SportsSept. 22, 2015

Chung Mong-joon renews call for 'fair' FIFA election

South Korean FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon  Friday renewed his call for a fair election for the world's top football job, saying the sport's international governing body should step up its efforts to ensure transparent campaigns.Last week, Chung held a press conference in Seoul to accuse the Asian Football Confederation of violating rules to openly back his rival candidate, UEFA President Michel Platini. Chung provided a copy of form letters that he said the AFC had sent to its mem

SoccerSept. 11, 2015

Son Yeon-jae falls short of medal in ribbon, clubs at worlds

South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae failed to win a medal in ribbon and clubs at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Germany on Thursday.Son finished fifth in ribbon with 18.083 points, 0.183 point worse than her score in the qualification round.Yana Kudryavtseva of Russia won the ribbon title with 18.866 points, followed by fellow Russian Margarita Mamun with 18.850 points. Ganna Rizatdinova of Ukraine was third with 18.383 points.In the clubs, Son dropped her apparatus en rou

More SportsSept. 11, 2015

S. Korean Bae Sang-moon makes Presidents Cup as captain's pick

South Korean golfer Bae Sang-moon will make his Presidents Cup debut on home soil this fall as a captain's pick for the International Team.Bae, whose future after the current PGA Tour season is in limbo with mandatory military service looming, was one of two choices made by Nick Price Tuesday in the United States. Steven Bowditch of Australia was the other selection.The Presidents Cup, the biennial competition between the United States and a team of non-European international stars inaugurated i

More SportsSept. 9, 2015

Red-hot striker to start for S. Korea vs. Laos in World Cup qualifier

South Korea has tasked red-hot striker Suk Hyun-jun with carrying the offense against Laos in Thursday's World Cup qualifier at home.   Suk, a 24-year-old forward making his first international appearance in five years, will start as the featured striker, as the 57th-ranked South Korea take on the No. 174 Laos at Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.   Suk, who plays for Vitoria de Setubal in Portugal, has scored three goals in his last two club matches. He is look

SoccerSept. 3, 2015

S. Korea coach hoping to see efficient offense in World Cup qualifier

On the eve of his team's World Cup qualifying match against Laos, South Korea head coach Uli Stielike said Wednesday he hopes to see efficient offense.The 54th-ranked South Korea will take on the 177th-ranked Laos at 8 p.m. Thursday at Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium. South Korea have won all three meetings against Laos so far.Stielike predicted that Laos, as the underdog, will try to sit back and play a tight defense on the South Koreans. He called on his players to use their smarts to bre

SoccerSept. 2, 2015

Son Heung-min joins Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League

Son Heung-min has signed with Tottenham Hotspur, the English Premier League club announced Friday, making him the 13th South Korean to play in the competition.Tottenham snatched the 23-year-old wing forward from Germany-based Bayer Leverkusen and signed him through 2020. The financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed, though the transfer fee is reportedly around 30 million euros (US$33.8 million).Tottenham added that the deal is subject to work permit and international clearance,

SoccerAug. 28, 2015

Bolt trumps Gatlin to retain world 100m title

BEIJING (AFP) -- Jamaican Usain Bolt trumped American rival Justin Gatlin to retain his world 100m title on Sunday.Bolt, also the double Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in the blue riband event, ran a season's best of 9.79 seconds.Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, was just one-hundredth of a second off Bolt, taking silver in 9.80sec with fellow American Trayvon Bromell rounding out the podium, taking bronze in 9.92sec.

SportsAug. 23, 2015

PyeongChang Olympics organizers release sustainability report

Organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang announced Thursday they've released the country's first Sustainability Report blueprint for hosting major sporting events.The report, titled "PyeongChang 2018: Opening New Horizons for Sustainability -- Furthering Benefits to Human and Nature," is based on the Global Reporting Initiative, G4, Event Organizers Sector Supplement Guidelines, which deal with the sectors of the economy, the environment and society.The organizing committee said the

Olympic GamesAug. 20, 2015

Samsung heir meets IOC chief over 2018 Winter Olympics

Lee Jae-yong, the heir apparent of Samsung Group, has met with the head of the International Olympic Committee to discuss cooperation for the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea, industry sources said Thursday.Samsung Electronics Co., the group's flagship unit, is an official sponsor for the games under its agreement with the IOC that will run through 2020.During their meeting, IOC President Thomas Bach wished for the recovery of Lee Kun-hee, the de facto head of the Samsung empire, w

Olympic GamesAug. 20, 2015

IOC President Bach to visit S. Korea

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, will visit South Korea this week to meet with sponsors of the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held here, officials said Tuesday.The organizing committee of the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang said Bach will arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for a two-day visit. He will attend a luncheon hosted by Cho Yang-ho, head of the organizing committee, with representatives from the corporate sponsors of the 2018 Olympics also on hand.Bach wil

Olympic GamesAug. 18, 2015

Chung Mong-joon to stand for FIFA presidency, calls for new leadership

Veteran South Korean football administrator Chung Mong-joon announced Monday he will stand for the FIFA presidency, saying it's "time to restore common sense" at the sport's international governing body mired in corruption allegations.Chung, formerly a FIFA vice president, launched his bid for the top job in world football at a press conference in the French capital, where FIFA was founded in 1904.Chung had previously told the South Korean media that he would run for FIFA president, but this was

SoccerAug. 17, 2015

Eric Thames of NC Dinos becomes first KBO player with two cycles in one season

Eric Thames of the NC Dinos on Tuesday became the first player in South Korean baseball to hit for the cycle twice in one season.The American slugger completed his second cycle of the season against the Nexen Heroes at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul. It was the 18th cycle in the 33-year history of the Korea Baseball Organization.Thames, formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, had his first cycle on April 9.Yang Joon-hyuk, a retired legend and the KBO's all-time leader in hits, is

BaseballAug. 11, 2015

S. Korean goalkeeper named best of Women's East Asian Cup

South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi has been named the best netminder of the 2015 Women's East Asian Cup football tournament.The regional competition wrapped up late Saturday with North Korea on top for the second consecutive edition, thanks to a 2-0 victory over South Korea at Wuhan Sports Center Stadium in China.Japan defeated China 2-0 to earn its first victory of the competition. China closed out with three losses.Kim, a 30-year-old veteran, blanked China 1-0 and made key saves in a 2-1 win

SoccerAug. 9, 2015

Ki Sung-yueng suffers hamstring injury in Premier League opener

South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City injured his hamstring in the club's Premier League season opener against Chelsea, though his coach expects to have him back in the fold in the next match.Ki left the game in the 41st minute after he went down with pain in his right hamstring and was replaced by Jack Cork. Ki walked off the pitch on his own, and head coach Garry Monk told local media that the South Korean should be ready to face Newcastle United next weekend.Swansea City held

SoccerAug. 9, 2015

Chung Mong-joon to announce FIFA candidacy in France

South Korean FIFA presidential hopeful Chung Mong-joon said Thursday he will announce his candidacy in Paris later this month.He told a press conference in Seoul that he will officially join the race on Aug. 17 in the French capital. He will first travel to Georgia on Aug. 12 for UEFA Super Cup, where he will hold talks with key European football officials, and make stops through some European cities before arriving in Paris."FIFA was founded in Paris (in 1904) and it's a transportation hub," sa

SoccerAug. 6, 2015