Tottenham's Son Heung-min wraps up three-week military training with flying colors

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min completed a three-week military training program with the best performance among all trainees Friday, as he excelled in shooting skills and other areas, officials said. Son is one of the top five trainees to receive a prize at the camp's graduation ceremony at a Marine Corps unit on the southern island of Jeju on Friday. The exact scores of the trainees were not disclosed, but officials said Son was the top among a total of 157 trainees. Son

May 8, 2020

Clubs looking to hit the ground running at start of new football season

There's no time to mess around. The K League 1, South Korea's top pro football competition, will kick off its abbreviated 2020 season on Friday, with the three-time defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors hosting the reigning FA Cup holders Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The match will begin at 7 p.m. at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul. The coronavirus pandemic delayed the start of the new season by more than two months. It was initially set to begin on Feb. 29

May 7, 2020

S. Korean football season opener to be streamed live on YouTube, Twitter

The South Korean football league announced Wednesday it will stream its upcoming season-opening match live on YouTube and Twitter, complete with English-language commentary for international viewers. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said the 2020 K League 1 opening contest on Friday between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings will be available at K League's official YouTube channel (youtube.com/withkleague) and at its official Twitter account, @kleague. The matc

May 6, 2020

Short and sweet: Shortened pro football season to kick off Friday, with champs chasing history

It's going to be a shorter-than-usual season in South Korean men's professional football this year. Fans of the beautiful game are hoping it will be sweeter too. In one of the growing signs that life is returning to normal -- or at least some semblance of it -- amid the coronavirus pandemic, the K League football season will kick off Friday. After more than two months of delay, the three-time defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will host the 2019 FA Cup winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings a

May 4, 2020

Ex-Premier Leaguers hoping to take K League by storm in 2020

Of the many new faces who have newly arrived or switched kits for the 2020 K League 1 season, former Premier League player Lee Chung-yong may just find himself under the brightest spotlight. For one, the new Ulsan Hyundai FC midfielder brings impressive credentials -- he has 89 caps and played in two FIFA World Cups, with a solid run in the Premier League along the way. Plus, before even playing a match for his new club, Lee immediately became the new face of a team trying to shake off a devas

May 4, 2020

Football league announces kickoff times for opening weekend

The South Korean football league announced kickoff times and matchups for the upcoming opening weekend on Wednesday. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said the official season opener for the K League 1 between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings will begin at 7 p.m. on May 8. Jeonbuk are the three-time defending champions, and Suwon won the 2019 FA Cup. Jeonbuk will host the showdown at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul. The leagu

April 29, 2020

Nat'l football tournament to kick off May 9 after long delay

The national football governing body said Tuesday its signature tournament will kick off May 9. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the 2020 FA Cup will begin with the first round featuring 32 semi-pro and amateur clubs from the K3, K4 and K5 Leagues. The tournament, which will also feature top-tier pro clubs, was slated to have begun March 14 but was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Early matches will be played without fans in the stands to prevent the spread of the virus. The

April 28, 2020

Every player in S. Korean football league to be tested for coronavirus before new season

The South Korean football league said Monday all players and coaches on its 22 teams across two divisions will be tested for the coronavirus before the start of their seasons next month. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said the 12 teams in the first-division K League 1 and 10 clubs in the K League 2 will be subject to testing, prior to the May 8 kickoff. The 2020 season was slated to begin on Feb. 29, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the league to postpone the start. Last

April 27, 2020

Kickoff around corner, S. Korean football league sells broadcasting rights to 10 countries

With the start of the new season around the corner, the South Korean football league said Monday it has sold broadcasting rights to 10 countries this year, mostly in Asia and Europe. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) added that its international rights holder, Sportsradar AG, has been fielding more inquiries from other countries since announcing its new kickoff date last week. The K League said last Friday its 2020 season, in both the top-flight K League 1 and second-tier K Le

April 27, 2020

Pro football season to kick off May 8

After more than two months of delay caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the South Korean men's professional football season will kick off on May 8. The Korea Professional Football League (K League) announced Friday that its top-flight K League 1 and the second-tier K League 2 will both begin their 2020 season on May 8. The official opening match will have three-time defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors host Suwon Samsung Bluewings at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers so

April 24, 2020

Pro soccer league to meet with clubs Friday over new kickoff date

The Korean soccer league will meet with club officials Friday to determine the new kickoff date for the season delayed by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The K League said Wednesday that its board meeting with club executives will take place at 2 p.m. Friday at the Korea Football Association House in Seoul. There are 12 teams in the top-flight K League 1 and 10 clubs in K League 2. Their season was slated to kick off on Feb. 29, but the league postponed it indefinitely five days prior due to

April 22, 2020

Tottenham's Son Heung-min starts military training with Marines

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min reported to a Marine Corps unit on Monday to begin his three-week military training on the southern island of Jeju. Son will be in camp until May 8, fulfilling requirements of the military service exemption he earned by winning the men's football gold medal for South Korea at the 2018 Asian Games. Able-bodied South Korean men must serve about two years in the armed forces. But Son only needs to complete basic training and 544 hours of commun

April 20, 2020

Tottenham's Son Heung-min to begin military training in S. Korea this week

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min will begin his three-week military training this week at a Marine Corps boot camp on the southern island of Jeju to fulfill his minimum military duty after he was given an exemption from mandatory military service. Son, 28, will join the 9th Brigade of the Marine Corps on Monday and undergo training until May 8. He earned his exemption from the military service by winning the gold medal for South Korea at the 2018 Asian Games. Instead of serving around

April 19, 2020

Tottenham star Son Heung-min to start 3-week military training

Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min will take part in a three-week basic training for mandatory military service required by South Korea, sources familiar with that matter said Thursday. He is exempt from conscription but will receive the training at a Marine Corps camp on Jeju Island from April 20. All able-bodied South Korean men must serve active duty for at least 18 months, but athletes who win gold at the Asian Games or a medal of any color at the Olympics can complete a basic train

April 2, 2020

Injured Tottenham star Son Heung-min returns home to continue rehab

Tottenham Hotspur's injured South Korean star Son Heung-min has returned home to continue his rehab for a fractured arm, due to the spread of the coronavirus in Britain, sources said Monday. They said Son arrived back in South Korea from London on Saturday afternoon. Son suffered a broken right forearm during a Premier League match against Aston Villa on Feb. 16 and underwent surgery in Seoul five days later. He returned to London earlier this month, and following a two-week self-isolation pe

March 30, 2020

National football governing body to temporarily cut pay in coronavirus crunch

Faced with a financial crunch stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the South Korean national football federation will temporarily slash the pay of its executives. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Thursday the monthly salaries for its senior executives, starting from department directors and above, will be cut by 20 percent beginning this month. The pay cut may remain in effect through the end of the year, according to a KFA official. The KFA's revenue is expected to fall by an est

March 26, 2020

Postponed football season unlikely to begin in March

In normal circumstances, the men's professional football season in South Korea should be under way by now. But with the novel coronavirus wreaking havoc throughout the country, these are far from normal times. And the 2020 K League season, which was supposed to have started Feb. 29 but has been postponed indefinitely, may not even kick off in March. A league official said Wednesday it has become "unlikely" that the season will start this month. The K League is preparing for further

March 11, 2020

S. Korea's Olympic football qualifying matches rescheduled for April

Postponed Olympic women's football qualifying matches between South Korea and China have been rescheduled for June in light of the coronavirus outbreaks in both countries. The Korea Football Association said Monday it was informed by the Asian Football Confederation that the home-and-home playoff series between the nations will be played on June 4 and 9. Venues will be determined later. The winning team, based on the aggregate score after the two matches, will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympi

March 9, 2020

Premier League drop pre-match handshake over coronavirus concern

LONDON (AFP) -- Premier League players and officials will not take part in the traditional pre-match handshake from this weekend over fears about the spread of the coronavirus. Teams have been told by Premier League chiefs that they will still line up as usual before kick-of, but the home team will walk past the away side without shaking hands. The measure is in respond to the threat of the potentially deadly virus, with more than 90,000 cases reported in 87 countries. "The Premier Leag

March 6, 2020

Asian football body on verge of postponing World Cup qualifiers due to coronavirus

The Asian football governing body has inched closer to postponing World Cup qualifying matches following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said Tuesday it has had preliminary discussions with some East Zone member associations regarding fixtures for the 2022 FIFA World Cup regional qualifiers. The East Zone nations include South Korea, China, Japan and Australia. The AFC added that it will meet with West Zone nations -- those in Central Asia and th

March 3, 2020