Son Heung-min ends drought in Tottenham's Premier League victory

A long drought is over for Son Heung-min. The South Korean star for Tottenham Hotspur netted his fifth goal of the Premier League season against Brentford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Thursday (local time), helping the club to a 2-0 victory. Son was also involved in a first-half own goal by Brentford midfielder Sergi Canos. Son's 65th-minute marker was his first goal in the Premier League since Oct. 17 against Newcastle United. He now has five goals in 13 league matches. Across a

SoccerDec. 3, 2021

Choi Ji-man to stay with Rays on new one-year deal

South Korean big league first baseman Choi Ji-man has signed a new one-year contract to stay with the Tampa Bay Rays. MLB.com reported that Choi agreed to a $3.2 million deal Tuesday (US time), avoiding salary arbitration for the second straight offseason. Choi, not yet eligible for free agency, earned $2.45 million in 2021 after winning his first arbitration case. Choi, 30, made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. He bounced around for a bit before thriving as a full-

BaseballDec. 1, 2021

Women’s volleyball drama leaves bitter taste

Drama at the Hwaseong IBK Altos of the Korean women’s volleyball V-League appears to be nearing an end, as the team confirmed Tuesday a plan to appoint a new head coach as soon as possible, which would end Kim Sa-ni’s brief but turbulent tenure as acting coach. It was unclear as of Wednesday whether this would mean Kim’s return to the previous post as assistant coach. A former star player of the Altos and member of coaching staff since May 2020, Kim has been at the center of

More SportsNov. 30, 2021

Jeonbuk on verge of record 5th straight K League title after latest win

  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors moved to the brink of a historic fifth straight title in the top South Korean football league on Sunday.    Hong Jeong-ho and Moon Seon-min scored a goal apiece to lead Jeonbuk past Daegu FC 2-0 in the clubs' penultimate match of the 2021 K League 1 season on Sunday at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.    Jeonbuk improved to 73 points, two points ahead of their closest competitor, Ulsan Hyundai FC, with one

SoccerNov. 28, 2021

New coach looking to pull Gangwon FC out of K League relegation zone vs. ex-team

  Former South Korea international Choi Yong-soo will make his Gangwon FC coaching debut against his former team, FC Seoul, in the K League 1 on Sunday, but there's much more riding for Choi than just trying to get his first win over familiar faces. When Choi was hired on Nov. 16, he was immediately tasked with trying to rescue Gangwon FC from being relegated to the second-tier K League 2 next year. With two matches left this season, Gangwon FC are in 11th place, second from the bottom, w

SoccerNov. 26, 2021

Former MVPs, MLB players headline list of KBO free agents

Former MVPs and major league players are among 14 free agents in South Korean baseball this winter. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Thursday 14 out of 19 players eligible for free agency had decided to exercise their rights. Those 14 are free to sign deals starting Friday. The 2018 regular season MVP Kim Jae-hwan is entering the open market for the first time at age 33 after 14 years with the Doosan Bears. Kim had 27 home runs and 102 RBIs – the fifth time in the past six

BaseballNov. 25, 2021

Busan to host 2024 table tennis world championships

The southeastern metropolitan city of Busan will host the world table tennis championships in 2024 -- four years after losing the competition to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced Busan as the host of the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships during its annual general meeting in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday (local time). Houston is currently staging the world championships with individual events -- singles, doubles and mixed doubles. I

More SportsNov. 25, 2021

Short trackers to take final shot at Olympic quotas amid off-ice woes, underperformance

South Korean short track speed skaters will compete in the last event with Olympic quota places at stake in the Netherlands this week, amid trouble off the ice and continued underperformance on it. The fourth and final International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup of the season will open in the Dutch city of Dordrecht on Thursday morning (local time), or Friday afternoon in Seoul. The first two days will feature qualifying races, while medals will be won over Saturday and Sunday. Based on their

More SportsNov. 25, 2021

Methodical S. Korea pick apart Iraq in resounding World Cup qualifying win

South Korea have defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iraq in succession in their World Cup qualifying campaign, using identical starting lineups. But how they achieved those results couldn't have been more different, as the Taeguk Warriors proved that they can win matches in a variety of ways. Three different players scored in South Korea's 3-0 victory over Iraq at Thani bin Jassim Stadium in Doha on Tuesday (local time). It was South Korea's fourth win in six contests in Group A durin

SoccerNov. 17, 2021

Legend grows for Son Heung-min with milestone goal in World Cup qualifier

He is still very much active, but Son Heung-min's latest goal for South Korea made it feel like his career had come full circle. Son scored his 30th international goal in a 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Iraq at Thani bin Jassim Stadium in Doha on Tuesday (local time). Son is now tied for sixth with three others on the all-time South Korean goal scoring list, and leads all active national team players. Son now has 96 caps, four from joining the Century Club, and his legacy as one of the

SoccerNov. 17, 2021

S. Korea blank Iraq to extend undefeated run in World Cup qualifying campaign

Captain Son Heung-min scored his 30th international goal while young midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong netted his first, as South Korea beat Iraq 3-0 in their World Cup qualifying match in Doha on Tuesday. Midfielder Lee Jae-sung opened the scoring in the first half for the clean sheet victory at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, helping South Korea extend their undefeated streak to six matches in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With 14 points from four victories and two draws,

SoccerNov. 17, 2021

Gangwon FC appoint ex-national team star Choi Yong-soo as new coach

South Korean football club Gangwon FC announced Tuesday they've hired former national team striker Choi Yong-soo as new head coach. Choi, 48, is taking over a team in danger of relegation from the top-flight K League 1. With two matches remaining this season, Gangwon FC are in 11th place, second from last, with 39 points, only three ahead of Gwangju FC. The last-place club in the K League 1 will be automatically relegated to the K League 2 for next year. The 11th-place team will face a K Leagu

SoccerNov. 16, 2021

Much riding on ace's shoulders as Bears try to rally in Korean Series

Having dug themselves into an early hole in the Korean Series, the Doosan Bears will now turn to their best starter from the regular season. The Bears have dropped the first two games of the best-of-seven set against the KT Wiz. They will have left-hander Ariel Miranda start Game 3 when the series resumes at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. But it will be a much different version of Miranda than the one the Bears saw during an MVP-worthy regular season. This will be the first

BaseballNov. 16, 2021

What nerves? KT Wiz's Korean Series debutants playing like veterans

Entering this year's Korean Series against the Doosan Bears, the KT Wiz only carried two players with prior experience in the South Korean baseball championship stage. One was 40-year-old designated hitter Yoo Han-joon, who'd played in one in 2014. The other was backup catcher Hur Do-hwan, who'd only been a part-time player in the 2014 and 2018 Korean Series. Compare that to the Bears, who are playing in their seventh consecutive Korean Series. Other than rookies, virtually everyone has some e

BaseballNov. 16, 2021

S. Korea looking to build on robust performance in World Cup qualifier vs. Iraq

Fresh off a wildly entertaining performance, South Korea will seek to give their fans even more to cheer about in their next World Cup qualifying match against Iraq. The second meeting between the two teams in Group A of the final Asian qualifying round will kick off at Thani bin Jassim Stadium in Doha at 6 p.m. Tuesday local time, or midnight in Seoul. Iraq are playing their home matches at neutral venues for security reasons. Following a 1-0 win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last Thur

SoccerNov. 15, 2021

Defense, relief pitching betray Bears in opening Korean Series loss

Errors aren't always the most accurate measure of defense in baseball, but untimely miscues on the field can come bite a team when they least expect them. Just ask the Doosan Bears, whose defense failed them in an opening 4-2 loss to the KT Wiz in the Korean Series on Sunday. Three of the Wiz's runs were unearned, having been a direct result of fielding errors that preceded them. The Bears committed two errors. First, third baseman Heo Kyoung-min, one of the better defenders at the hot corner

BaseballNov. 15, 2021

S. Korea fails to qualify for 2022 Olympic women's hockey tournament

South Korea will miss the women's hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics, four years after competing as a host as a historic unified team with North Korea. South Korea dropped all three games of the final qualifying tournament that wrapped up in Sweden on Sunday (local time). The latest blow came in the form of a 7-1 loss to Slovakia at Coop Norrbotten Arena in Lulea, northern Sweden. South Korea had earlier lost to France 4-0 and to Sweden 15-0. At No. 17, South Korea was the lowest-r

More SportsNov. 15, 2021

KT Wiz manager trying to stick to guns in 1st Korean Series

If there's anything that KT Wiz skipper Lee Kang-chul learned last year managing in his first postseason, it's that he shouldn't mess with what got him there in the first place. The Wiz got knocked out of the penultimate round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason in 2020, losing to the Doosan Bears in four games. This year, the Wiz have taken an extra step, earning a bye to the Korean Series as the regular season champions. And once again, the Wiz will face the Bears, which, aft

BaseballNov. 14, 2021

Revenge not on mind of sophomore starter in Korean Series

Though he will be facing the same opponents that eliminated his team from the postseason last year, KT Wiz right-hander So Hyeong-jun won't be out to get his revenge. "All I am thinking about is winning our first championship," So told reporters Sunday before Game 1 of the Korean Series against the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "It just happened that we'll be playing the Bears again, and I know my teammates and our fans have talked about avenging our loss from last y

BaseballNov. 14, 2021

Fully healed from injury, Cuban ace ready to chase 3rd championship ring

As he was watching his Doosan Bears teammates battle through postseason games this month, the competitor in the team's Cuban ace Ariel Miranda was itching to get going and join them on the field. Miranda missed time at the end of the regular season in late October and then the early portion of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason this month with shoulder fatigue. But instead of leaving South Korea for rehab and treatment, Miranda stayed with the club, healing and hoping that his tea

BaseballNov. 14, 2021