League of Legends fans question impartiality of Swiss stage draw

A total of 16 League of Legends esports teams started competing for the grand prize of the Summoner’s Cup at the annual LoL World Championship on Thursday. But some esports fans are questioning the fairness of the tournament. Controversy erupted Thursday night when an online post surfaced with a screenshot image of the Swiss stage draw. The Swiss stage is a newly introduced nonelimination tournament that offers a fixed number of matches, allowing the players to qualify for the next round b

More SportsOct. 20, 2023

American ace captures Triple Crown, veteran earns 1st career batting title in KBO

A first-year American pitcher made history, and a veteran outfielder captured his first career batting title, as the 2023 South Korean baseball regular season drew to a conclusion Tuesday night. NC Dinos starter Erick Fedde became the first foreign pitcher, and only the fourth pitcher overall, to win the Triple Crown in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history, as the league leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Fedde finished with 20 wins, 209 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. He is also the fifth pitc

BaseballOct. 17, 2023

KBO postseason brackets set on final day of regular season

The 2023 regular season in South Korean baseball wrapped up Tuesday, with the playoff brackets finally set after all 10 clubs completed their 144-game schedule. The final postseason spot up for grabs in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) was the No. 3 seed, and the defending champions SSG Landers claimed it with a 5-0 victory over the Doosan Bears on Tuesday. The NC Dinos, who were holding down the No. 3 spot Sunday, dropped their final two regular season games to end up in fourth place. Th

BaseballOct. 17, 2023

Korean sports administrator Kim Jae-youl elected as IOC member

South Korean sports administrator Kim Jae-youl was elected as a new member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday, becoming the 12th person from the country to join the top Olympic body. Kim, 55, was one of eight new members whose candidacy was ratified during the IOC Session in Mumbai, about a month after the IOC's Executive Board first recommended their nomination. The vote by IOC members at the session was considered a formality. A successful candidate needed a majority

More SportsOct. 17, 2023

Klinsmann hoping to keep beloved Lee Kang-in grounded: 'Pop star doesn't score goals'

As South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in walked off the pitch at Seoul World Cup Stadium, having contributed two goals in an eventual 4-0 win over Tunisia in a friendly, he seemed to bask in a thunderous ovation from an adoring crowd of some 59,000. Lee's national team head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, isn't so sure if such a show of adulation is a good thing for the 22-year-old, who is especially popular among female fans. Lee, midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, is one of South Korea'

SoccerOct. 14, 2023

Golf icon Pak Se-ri announces namesake LPGA Tour event

Five-time major winner and LPGA Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri is launching an LPGA Tour event named after her, set to take place in March 2024 in Palm Springs, California. The announcement of the Se Ri Pak LPGA Tour came during a press conference following the 2023 Maum Pak Se-ri World Match Golf Tournament at Stonegate Country Club in Gijang, Busan. The two-day event, hosted by Pak’s Hope Foundation, featured prominent sports figures like fellow LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, five-time LP

GolfOct. 12, 2023

S. Korea chasing 2nd straight win under Klinsmann with Asiad gold medalists on hand

The South Korean men's national football team will look to win their second straight match under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, with youngsters fresh off their gold medal-winning performance at the Asian Games in the fold. South Korea, world No. 26, will host 29th-ranked Tunisia at 8 p.m. Friday at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. It will be the first of two friendlies for South Korea this month, with Vietnam to follow next Tuesday. It will be South Korea's seventh match with Klinsmann

SoccerOct. 12, 2023

N. Korea dominates in weightlifting in return to int'l sports competition

HANGZHOU(Yonhap) -- Marking its return to international multisport competition after a five-year absence, North Korea dominated in weightlifting at the 19th Asian Games in China. Athletes and officials from the reclusive regime also generated headlines away from the field of play in and around Hangzhou. North Korea had been absent from the past two major international sports competitions. It skipped the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021, citing COVID-19 concerns. The International Olympic Committe

More SportsOct. 9, 2023

19th Asian Games draw to conclusion with ceremony celebrating memories of Hangzhou

HANGZHOU (Yonhap) -- The 19th Asian Games ended Sunday with a celebration of the memories created over the past two weeks in the Chinese host city of Hangzhou. With nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 nations in action, this was the largest-ever edition of the Asian Games, which began in 1951. These competitors vied for 481 gold medals in 61 disciplines in 40 sports. The Hangzhou Asiad was initially set for September 2022 but was postponed by a year due to lingering COVID-19 concerns. China made it

More SportsOct. 9, 2023

Men's, women's nat'l volleyball coaches let go after disappointing Asiad

The South Korean volleyball governing body announced Sunday it has parted ways with the head coaches of both the men's and women's national teams, in light of their disappointing performances at the 19th Asian Games in China. The Korea Volleyball Association (KVA) said Im Do-hun, the men's coach, will not be brought back after his contract expired following his team's early exit from the Asian Games tournament in Hangzhou in late September. For the women's team, Cesar He

More SportsOct. 8, 2023

Hyundai’s decadeslong support for archery pays off at Asian Games

Hyundai Motor Group’s decadeslong sponsorship for the Korean archery team has once again stepped into the spotlight as the national team swept up a total of 11 medals across individual and team categories over the past week at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Industry watchers say the Korean auto giant’s systemic support, led by Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his son and Executive Chair Chung Euisun, has laid the foundation for the national team to demonstrate their f

IndustryOct. 8, 2023

Swimmer Kim Woo-min, archer Lim Si-hyeon voted S. Korean MVPs

Swimmer Kim Woo-min and archer Lim Si-hyeon, who each won three gold medals for South Korea at the 19th Asian Games in China, were named the country's male and female most valuable players of the competition on Sunday. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced the results of the voting cast by members of the South Korean media covering the continental competition in Hangzhou during its wrap-up press conference. The Asiad will draw to a conclusion with the closing ceremony scheduled

More SportsOct. 8, 2023

World badminton champ An Se-young claims Asian Games singles gold

HANGZHOU, China -- Reigning world champion An Se-young claimed the women's singles badminton title at the 19th Asian Games on Saturday, becoming the first South Korean to win the Asiad gold in 29 years. An beat China's Chen Yu Fei 2-1 (21-18, 17-21, 21-8) in the women's singles final at Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China. This medal is An's first singles title at the Asian Games and the second gold at the Hangzhou Games following the one in the women's team event. I

More SportsOct. 8, 2023

S. Korea defeat Japan for 3rd straight men's football gold

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea captured a record third straight Asian Games men's football gold medal Saturday in China, rallying past Japan 2-1 after conceding an early goal. Midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong scored his tournament-best eighth goal to level the score at 1-1, and forward Cho Young-wook netted the eventual winner in the second half at Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou. Coached by Hwang Sun-hong, South Korea's under-24 squad went undefeated in the competition, with t

SoccerOct. 7, 2023

S. Korea beats Chinese Taipei for 4th straight baseball gold

SHAOXING, China (Yonhap) -- South Korea won an unprecedented fourth straight Asian Games baseball gold medal Saturday, with a 2-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the final. Starter Moon Dong-ju struck out seven in six shutout frames, while South Korea scored its two runs without the benefit of hits on this rainy night at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Centre in Shaoxing, China, southeast of the main host city of Hangzhou. South Korea manager Ryu Joong-il won his second career Asiad gold

BaseballOct. 7, 2023

S. Korean women dominate recurve archery at Asian Games

South Korean women's archery team continued its dominance in the recurve archery of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, winning gold medal in the team event on Friday while two South Koreans cometed in the finals of the individual event on Saturday. Lim Si-hyeon beat her compatriot An San 6-0 in the finals held in Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre, winning her third gold medal in the Asian Game. The two archers and their teammate Choi Mi-sun had won the gold medal in the women's recurve team

More SportsOct. 7, 2023

Mun Hye-gyeong wins women's singles gold in soft tennis

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea's Mun Hye-gyeong struck gold in the women's singles event in soft tennis at the Asian Games on Saturday, bringing the country its first soft tennis title in China. Mun defeated Noa Takahashi of Japan 4-0 (4-2, 4-2, 4-0, 4-0) at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre in Hangzhou. Before Mun's breakthrough, South Korea previously won bronze medals in the men's and women's team events, mixed doubles and men's singles. In soft tenn

More SportsOct. 7, 2023

S. Korean Lim Si-hyeon wins women's recurve archery gold over teammate An San

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korean archer Lim Si-hyeon defeated teammate An San for the gold medal in the women's individual recurve event at the Asian Games in China on Saturday. Lim beat An by the set score of 6-0 at Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou on the last day of archery competition here. Lim became the second triple gold medalist for South Korea in Hangzhou, after swimmer Kim Woo-min. Lim had earlier won gold medals in the mixed team and women's team events. Lim is also th

More SportsOct. 7, 2023

So Chae-won wins silver, Yang Jae-hoo wins bronze in compound archery

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea picked up two medals in compound archery at the Asian Games in China on Saturday, the final day of archery. So Chae-won took silver in the women's individual compound after losing to Jyothi Surekha Vennam of India 149-145 at Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou. It was So's third medal in Hangzhou, after her silver in the compound mixed team event and bronze in the women's team event. In the individual compound final, archers each take 15 arrows,

More SportsOct. 7, 2023

Ju-jitsu champion soars to gold after starting career by chance

HANGZHOU, China -- Koo Bon-cheol brought South Korea its first gold medal in the martial art of ju-jitsu at the ongoing Asian Games on Friday, the high point of a career launched by an innocent mistake. Now 26, Koo signed up for a membership at a local gym when he was 20, hoping to learn mixed martial arts (MMA) as a hobby -- except that the place wasn't teaching MMA. "After a while, I realized the gym was specifically built for ju-jitsu," Koo said after capturing gold in the me

More SportsOct. 6, 2023