Close friends set to clash in Premier League

Two of South Korea's best football imports to Europe, midfielders Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong, will have a chance to go head-to-head in the same league for the first time during the 2015-16 Premier League season.The two close friends go back nearly a decade, when they both joined the South Korean club FC Seoul in 2006. Lee, 27, left the domestic league first when he signed with the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers in 2009.Ki, 26, joined his friend on the way out, though he signed with C

SoccerAug. 6, 2015

S. Korea plays Japan to draw at men's East Asian Cup football tourney

South Korea played its long-time rival Japan to a 1-1 draw in the men's East Asian Cup football tournament here Wednesday.   Midfielder Jang Hyun-soo put South Korea on board with a penalty in the 27th minute at Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, before Hotaru Yamaguchi equalized for Japan 12 minutes later.   South Korea still holds the edge in all-time meetings with 40 wins, 23 draws and 14 losses. South Korea had lost the previous three matches against Japan prior to Wednesday.   South Korea, which

SoccerAug. 5, 2015

Koreans most proud of the nation's advance to World Cup

South Koreans consider the country's first-ever advance to the semifinals in the FIFA World Cup as the most honorable moment in history since the Korean liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a survey showed Wednesday.Public broadcaster MBC surveyed 3,000 adults via Gallup Korea, and 29.5 percent of the respondents cited the advance to the semifinals in the World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan in 2002 as the nation's top moment of pride.The figure was followed by 19 percent who chose th

SoccerAug. 5, 2015

S. Korean Park In-bee completes LPGA career grand slam with Women's British Open

South Korean golfer Park In-bee completed the career grand slam on the LPGA Tour here Sunday by capturing the Ricoh Women's British Open.Park rallied to win her seventh career major at 12-under 276, beating fellow South Korean Ko Jin-young by three, thanks to a strong final round of seven-under 65 at Trump Turnberry Resort.Park, who has now won 16 times on the tour and grabbed six of the past 14 majors, cashed in $450,000 in the winner's check.Park, ranked first in the world, became only the sev

GolfAug. 3, 2015

Top organizer vows hard work in PyeongChang Games prep

The top organizer for South Korea's first Winter Games assured international Olympic officials on Saturday that he will put in the hard work necessary for the multisport competition.   PyeongChang, located some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, is preparing for the 2018 Winter Games with Cho Yang-ho, also chairman of conglomerate Hanjin Group, at the helm.   Cho, who took over the organizing committee on July 31 last year after having earlier served as PyeongChang's bid leader, told the Internationa

Olympic GamesAug. 1, 2015

S. Korean Olympic medalists apply for IOC membership candidacy

Four South Korean Olympic medalists have applied for International Olympic Committee (IOC) membership candidacy, the country's top sports body announced Friday.   The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) said former weightlifting champ Jang Mi-ran, reigning shooting gold medalist Jin Jong-oh, ex-table tennis champion Ryu Seung-min and fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee have submitted their applications.   The KOC said it will choose one final candidate for a seat on the IOC's Athletes' Commission by mid-Au

Olympic GamesAug. 1, 2015

PyeongChang faces race against time in Olympic prep: IOC official

Despite having made progress in its 2018 Winter Games preparations, South Korean host PyeongChang faces a race against time, a senior international Olympic official said Thursday.Gunilla Lindberg, head of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission on PyeongChang, told Yonhap News Agency in Kuala Lumpur that time will be of essence for host South Korea's first Winter Olympics."Time is very crucial," Lindberg said when asked about challenges for PyeongChang, whose preparations h

Olympic GamesJuly 30, 2015

Kazakh-Korean figure skater dreams of Olympics at home

Denis Ten has been the most accomplished figure skater to come out of Kazakhstan, having bagged an Olympic bronze and a world championships silver. Now the 22-year-old is trying to duplicate such success off the ice, as Almaty tries to win the right to host the 2022 Winter Games.As an athlete ambassador for the bidding committee for the largest city in Kazakhstan, which is battling Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Ten on Wednesday gushed about the progress Almaty has made."Our idea and conc

Olympic GamesJuly 29, 2015

S. Korean FIFA presidential hopeful meets potential rival

South Korean FIFA presidential hopeful Chung Mong-joon said Monday he has met with a potential rival during his trip to the United States.Chung, former FIFA vice president, said he held talks with Michel Platini, head of the Union of European Football Associations, in Philadelphia on Sunday.Chung declared his intention to run for the top football job last week and plans to formally announce his candidacy next month.He is visiting the U.S. to meet football officials from the Americas during the G

SoccerJuly 27, 2015

IOC concludes 'very good' review of PyeongChang's Winter Games preparation

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Friday it concluded "a very good" review of PyeongChang's preparations for the 2018 Winter Games, saying the South Korean host has its focus on the right places.An IOC delegation, led by Gunilla Lindberg, head of its Coordination Commission, wrapped up its fifth project review over two days in PyeongChang, 180 kilometers east of Seoul and South Korea's first Winter Olympics host.According to PyeongChang's organizing committee, the IOC officials

SportsJuly 24, 2015

S. Korea replaces two injured players on Women's East Asian Cup football squad

South Korea replaced two injured players on its Women's East Asian Cup football squad Friday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said forward Yoo Young-a will miss the regional tournament with a sprained left knee, while defender Kim Hye-yeong will be sidelined with a torn right quadriceps.The KFA named midfielder Lee Min-a and forward Lee Hyun-young as replacements.Both Yoo and Kim were members of the national team that reached the round of 16 at the FIFA Women's World Cup last month in Canad

SoccerJuly 24, 2015

U.S. Women's Open champ enjoying near perfect season

Fresh off her first career LPGA major victory, South Korean golfer Chun In-gee said Tuesday she's enjoying a near perfect season for herself.  At a press conference in Seoul ahead of a Korean LPGA Tour event, Chun, who captured the U.S. Women's Open earlier this month, said she's already accomplished four of the five goals she'd set before the start of the season.  "I've won three times on the KLPGA Tour, matching my win total from last year, and I've won the match play tournament here, defended

GolfJuly 21, 2015

Ex-FIFA VP sets sights on top position

Former FIFA Vice President Chung Mong-joon on Tuesday expressed his intent to run for the world's top football job.  "I am thinking of running (for FIFA president)," Chung told Yonhap News Agency on the phone. "I will try to usher in a new era for FIFA."  Chung served as FIFA's No. 2 man from 1994 to 2011. He has been a vocal critic of the world's football governing body since several officials were implicated in corruption scandals.  Sepp Blatter, who was elected to his fifth mandate as FIFA ho

SoccerJuly 21, 2015

Head of PyeongChang Winter Games says efforts under way to cut costs

The chief organizer for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Monday that efforts are already under way to reduce the cost of running South Korea's first Winter Games.  At a press conference also marking his first anniversary as the head of the organizing committee, Cho Yang-ho said he hopes to learn from the recent Summer Universiade held in another South Korean city, Gwangju.  The multisport competition for student athletes received positive reviews from international officials for its fru

Olympic GamesJuly 20, 2015

Director for PyeongChang Winter Olympics ceremonies vows to expand cultural influence

The creative chief of the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Monday he will try to stage shows that can help expand the country's cultural influence.  Song Seung-whan, actor-turned-director and head of a local production firm, was named earlier in July as the executive creative director of the ceremonies at South Korea's first Winter Games. Meeting the press for the first time Monday, Song said he will embrace what he thinks will be the biggest challenge

Olympic GamesJuly 20, 2015

U.S. envoy Lippert to be named honorary ambassador for S. Korean baseball league

Mark Lippert, U.S. ambassador to Seoul, will be named an honorary ambassador for the top South Korean baseball league, its officials announced Thursday.The Korea Baseball Organization said Lippert will be introduced as its honorary ambassador Saturday during its annual All-Star Game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul.Lippert's love for baseball has been well-documented. Last fall, he attended a game during the Korean Series -- the KBO's championship fin

BaseballJuly 16, 2015

Central S. Korean town to host World Cup qualifier in Sept.

The central town of Hwaseong will host South Korea's World Cup qualifier against Laos this fall, the national football federation said Wednesday.Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, south of Seoul, will play host to Laos on Sept. 3, the Korea Football Association said. The kickoff time hasn't been determined.It will be South Korea's second match in the ongoing second round of Asian qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.South Korea defeated Myanmar 2-

SoccerJuly 15, 2015

[Gwangju Universiade] Athletes bag multiple medals, set new world record

At the Gwangju Universiade which closes its 12-day run on July 14, a swimmer claimed four gold medals and an artistic gymnast hauled six medals. In addition, an archer established a new world record, while a female sprinter won both 100m and 200m for the first time in 28 years.Shannon VreelandSwimmer Shannon Vreeland from the United States clinched four golds in the women’s 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 4x100 freestyle relay and 4x200 freestyle relay.Aside from the four victories, she took a b

More SportsJuly 15, 2015