K League clubs at top, near bottom find more breathing room

With matches from the three-day weekend in the books in South Korean football, both a team pursuing an elusive title and another trying to avoid relegation next year have some much-needed breathing room. Ulsan Hyundai FC defeated reeling Daegu FC 4-0 on Saturday, with goals by four different foreign players. The list included their recent acquisition from Hungary, Martin Adam, with his first in the K League 1. Ulsan are going after their first title since 2005. Later that same evening, Jeonbuk H

SoccerAug. 16, 2022

S. Korean football's 2 worst clubs set for weekend showdown

While the title race has been drawing most of the attention in the top South Korean football league in recent weeks, the spotlight will turn to the bottom of the tables this weekend, with the two worst clubs gearing up for their third meeting of the season. Suwon Samsung Bluewings, ranked 11th out of the 12 K League 1 clubs, will host last-place Seongnam FC at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul. Seongnam have been in last place for most of the seas

SoccerAug. 12, 2022

Dinos sign new pitcher Matt Dermody amid late-season push

In the midst of their second-half surge, the NC Dinos announced Thursday they've acquired new American pitcher Matt Dermody. Dermody will make $220,000 for the rest of the ongoing Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, including a $40,000 signing bonus. Dermody, with 30 big league games to his credit, will replace Wes Parsons, who was released last week after posting a 1-2 record with a 3.56 ERA in eight starts. Parsons had not pitched since May 14 with a back injury. Dermody, a 32-year-

BaseballAug. 11, 2022

S. Korea stuns handball world with women's youth title

The undersized underdog South Korea has shocked the handball world, capturing the women's youth championship to cap off an undefeated run to the top. South Korea defeated Denmark 31-28 in the final of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Women's Youth World Championship at Boris Trajkovski Sports Center in Skopje, North Macedonia, on Wednesday (local time). South Korea became the first Asian team to win the gold medal at this under-18 competition. Coached by Kim Jin-soon, South

More SportsAug. 11, 2022

Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min tasked with carrying S. Korea to knockouts in Qatar

When Son Heung-min made his FIFA World Cup debut eight years ago in Brazil, he was far from being the international star that he is today, having just completed his first season with Bayer Leverkusen following three years with Hamburger SV. Son, then the youngest South Korean player at 21, scored his first career World Cup goal in Brazil, but it came in a 4-2 defeat to Algeria in the second group match, a loss so devastating that it overshadowed what should have been a shining moment for the you

SoccerAug. 11, 2022

S. Korea in for tough battle to reach knockouts as countdown to World Cup nears 100 days

With the countdown to the FIFA World Cup nearing 100 days, South Korea will be bracing themselves for a challenging battle for the knockout phase at football's grandest showcase for the first time in 12 years. The 22nd edition of the World Cup will kick off in Qatar on Nov. 12, and the countdown clock will hit 100 days Saturday. This is the first World Cup to take place in the Arab world and the second to be held in Asia, following the 2002 event co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. Qatar is

SoccerAug. 11, 2022

High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok finishes 2nd in Diamond League, inches toward season ender

South Korean high jumping sensation Woo Sang-hyeok has moved a step closer to a spot in the major season-ending competition, thanks to a runner-up performance in his latest international event. Woo finished second to Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar in the latest Diamond League stop at Stade Louis II in Monaco on Wednesday (local time). The two rivals, with Barshim having edged out Woo for the world title last month, needed a tiebreaking jump-off after finding themselves deadlocked at 2.30 meters. Th

More SportsAug. 11, 2022

LPGA major runner-up Chun In-gee reaches No. 10 in world rankings

South Korean LPGA player Chun In-gee has cracked the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in over four years, on the heels of a runner-up finish at the season's final major championship. Chun climbed a spot to reach No. 10 in the latest world rankings released Tuesday. The last time she had ranked inside the top 10 was in March 2018, when she was No. 8. Chun sat as high as No. 3 on different occasions in late 2016 and early 2017. Chun began this year ranked 35th. On Sunday in Sco

GolfAug. 9, 2022

Defending KBO champions Wiz making noise as season enters late stretch

The SSG Landers remain so far ahead of the pack in South Korean baseball this year that other contenders are essentially playing for second place. The defending Korean Series champions KT Wiz have entered the chat. The Landers hold an eight-game lead over the LG Twins with 44 games left in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, the Landers should be able to claim the regular season crown. The Twins and the Kiwoom Heroes kept trading places all last

BaseballAug. 8, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korean Kim Joo-hyung captures 1st PGA Tour title

  Powered by an impressive birdie flurry, South Korean phenom Kim Joo-hyung has seized his first career PGA Tour title. Kim shot a blistering final round of nine-under 61 to capture the Wyndham Championship by five shots over countryman Im Sung-jae and Korean-American John Huh at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday (local time). Kim finished at 20-under 260 and cashed in a winner's check of US$1,314,000. Kim jumped 13 spots in the world rankings to reach a caree

GolfAug. 8, 2022

S. Korean Chun In-gee finishes runner-up at final LPGA major of '22

South Korean LPGA star Chun In-gee has finished in second place at the final major of the season in Scotland, losing out on a chance to make history and join an exclusive company. Chun lost to Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa on the fourth playoff hole at the AIG Women's Open at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland, on Sunday (local time). After finishing regulation knotted at 10-under 274, the two players played the par-four 18th hole four times in the sudden-death playoff. They matched each

GolfAug. 8, 2022

Son Heung-min collects assist in Tottenham's season-opening win

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min is off to a fine start to the new Premier League season, picking up an assist in the club's season-opening victory at home. Son, the reigning co-Golden Boot winner, set up Eric Dier's go-ahead header in the 31st minute, as Spurs defeated Southampton 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday (local time). Son played the entire match. Son took a corner just past the half-hour mark, awarded after his close-range shot wa

SoccerAug. 7, 2022

K League's top 2 teams set for 3rd clash of season

So they meet again. Ulsan Hyundai FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the two best teams in South Korean football so far this year, will square off for the third time this season on Sunday. The kickoff is 7 p.m. at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonbuk's home located some 200 kilometers south of Seoul. They split the first two meetings. Ulsan lead the K League 1 with 51 points, and Jeonbuk trail them by six points, with 14 matches left this season. Both teams had rather uninspiring matches earlier in the

SoccerAug. 5, 2022

Son Heung-min goes for 2nd straight Golden Boot as new Premier League season kicks off

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min will begin his chase for another piece of history when the new Premier League season kicks off on the weekend. Spurs will open the 2022-2023 campaign by hosting Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London at 3 p.m. Saturday local time, or 11 p.m. Saturday in Seoul. Last season, Son became the first Asian player to lead the Premier League in scoring, sharing the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool by scoring 23 goals. Since

SoccerAug. 5, 2022

Padres' Kim Ha-seong falls homer short of cycle in 4-hit game

Few players in baseball are as hot as Kim Ha-seong right now. The South Korean infielder for the San Diego Padres enjoyed his first career four-hit game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park in San Diego on Tuesday (local time), going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored in a 13-5 victory. It was the first game of a doubleheader, Kim fell a home run shy of a cycle, as he had two singles, a double and a triple. Former Texas Rangers All-Star Choo Shin-soo is so far the only South Korean

BaseballAug. 3, 2022

S. Korean players taking season's last shot at LPGA major in Scotland

Eighteen players from South Korea, including four winners this year, will take their season's last shot at an LPGA major in Scotland this week. The AIG Women's Open will tee off at the historic Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland, on Thursday, as the fifth and final major of the 2022 LPGA season. The par-71, 6,728-yard course will host world No. 1 from South Korea, Ko Jin-young, and champions from the four previous majors this season: Jennifer Kupcho of the United States, Minjee Lee of

GolfAug. 3, 2022

Amid K League success, ex-Barca player Lee Seung-woo linked with Scottish club Hearts

In the midst of his strong first season in South Korea, former FC Barcelona player Lee Seung-woo is apparently drawing interest from Europe. Edinburgh Evening News reported Sunday (local time) that Heart of Midlothian FC, commonly known as Hearts, had offered Lee a three-year deal to leave Suwon FC and join the Scottish Premiership club. For days leading up to that report, there had been whispers that clubs in Europe and Asia were trying to pry the 24-year-old from the K League 1 team. According

SoccerAug. 2, 2022

S. Korean Premier Leaguer Hwang Hee-chan condemns racism after abuse in friendly

Wolverhamton Wanderers' South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan spoke up against racism Tuesday, some 24 hours after being subjected to discriminatory abuse during a preseason friendly in Portugal. "We are all the same human beings. We all need to have a mature attitude on enjoying sports," Hwang wrote on his Instagram page. "I really hope today could be the last day of people's suffering from racism. Not only in sport. But everywhere. No to racism." Hwang scored a pena

SoccerAug. 2, 2022

Top 2 clubs pulling away once again in K League

For the fourth consecutive season, the South Korean football title will likely come down to the two alpha dogs: Ulsan Hyundai FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Both clubs notched victories over the weekend in the K League 1, while three teams right below them in the tables all lost to fall even further behind in the race. Ulsan stumbled a bit coming out of an international break in June, allowing Jeonbuk to close the gap. But Ulsan still hold a five-point lead at the top, 50-45, following their 2-1

SoccerAug. 1, 2022

Subject to trade speculation, Rays' Choi Ji-man tops 2021 RBI total

Amid rumors that he could be dealt ahead of the annual trade deadline this week, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Choi Ji-man has surpassed his RBI total from last season. Choi collected two RBIs despite going hitless in four at-bats in a 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time). Choi was the designated hitter and got his second straight start at the leadoff spot. After striking out in the first inning, Choi knocked in a run with a groundo

BaseballAug. 1, 2022