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    Heroes, Bears make changes with foreign players

    Two Korean baseball clubs made changes with their foreign players Monday, with a former league home run leader switching teams midseason. The Kiwoom Heroes said they will pick up former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) home run king Matt Davidson, who was released by another KBO team, NC Dinos, over the weekend. To make room for Davidson, the Heroes released their American starting pitcher Nathan Wiles. KBO teams are each allowed to carry three non-Asian foreign players, with a maximum two pitchers. Clubs typically sign two starting pitchers and one position player from overseas, but the Heroes have elected to go with two hitters and one pitcher, as Davidson joins Keston Hiura in the lineup while Raul Alcantara will be the lone non-Asian pitcher. The Heroes previously bucked the trend at the start of last season, when they had outfielders Yasiel Puig and Ruben Cardenas, along with pitcher Kenny Rosenberg. Davidson led the KBO with 46 home runs in 131 games in 2024, his first campaign in Korea. He followed that up with 36 home runs last year in 112 games. Davidson had eight homers in 63 ga

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Heroes, Bears make changes with foreign players
  • Sports

    Can Korea, Japan still be considered 'football rivals'?

    3 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Can Korea, Japan still be considered 'football rivals'?
  • Sports

    'Red Devils' cheering squad turns on Hong Myung-bo after worst World Cup finish

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    'Red Devils' cheering squad turns on Hong Myung-bo after worst World Cup finish
  • Sports

    Korea's World Cup team members guaranteed $52,000 payouts despite humiliating exit

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Korea's World Cup team members guaranteed $52,000 payouts despite humiliating exit
  • Sports

    EXPLAINER How KFA mismanagement led to Korea's worst World Cup result

    3 MIN READBy Park Ung
    [EXPLAINER] How KFA mismanagement led to Korea's worst World Cup result
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Sports

Korea captain Son Heung-min 'proud' of young teammates

Watching his 20-something teammates make one great play after another to help Korea beat Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier Tuesday night, captain Son Heung-min beamed with pride. Still not fully recovered from a nagging foot injury, Son, 32, started Korea's 4-0 win on the bench. He came on in the 75th minute to help close out a 4-0 win at Seoul World Cup Stadium and marveled afterward how those youngsters had exceeded his expectations. "I was so proud of those young players who started today," Son said, with two of those new starters, Bae Jun-ho and Oh Hyeon-gyu, having combined for one goal and two assists. "They played so much better than I'd expected. They were not intimidated at all and played the way they're capable of playing. I felt really proud of them watching from the bench." Head coach Hong Myung-bo was able to experiment with his lineup because Korea had already clinched their World Cup berth with a 2-0 win over Iraq last week. Korea will be playing in their 11th consecutive World Cup, and although Korea ended the third round with an undefeated record of six wins and four draws

Jun 11, 2025By Yonhap
Korea captain Son Heung-min 'proud' of young teammates
Sports

Korea routs Kuwait to finish World Cup qualifiers with undefeated record

Korea defeated Kuwait 4-0 at home Tuesday to wrap up their World Cup qualifying campaign in style, celebrating their early qualification for the big tournament in front of delighted supporters. Jeon Jin-woo, Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Lee Jae-sung scored a goal apiece at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, with 41,911 fans on hand to watch the team's final Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. Korea, world No. 23, finished first in their group with 22 points from six wins and four draws, while 134th-ranked Kuwait finished last with five points on five draws and five losses. With the top two teams from three groups in this round qualifying for the World Cup, Jordan secured the second ticket out of Group B. Korea had already clinched their World Cup berth with a 2-0 away win over Iraq last Thursday. With the business taken care of, head coach Hong Myung-bo had said in the days leading up to Tuesday that the Kuwait match would be a proving ground for young and inexperienced players. Hong lived up to his word by changing seven players from the lineup that start

Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
Korea routs Kuwait to finish World Cup qualifiers with undefeated record
Sports

FC Barcelona to play preseason matches in Korea

Korean football fans will be treated to the sight of some of the world's best players this summer. FC Barcelona, the 28-time La Liga champions, will play FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on July 31 and then Daegu FC in the southern city of Daegu on Aug. 4, officials said Tuesday. Genesis BBQ, the local chicken franchise, announced it will serve as the main sponsor for the Seoul match, to be played at the 64,000-seat stadium in the capital city. Yoon Hong-keun, chairman of Genesis BBQ Group, said Tuesday the company will give away 30,000 tickets to customers and BBQ shop owners nationwide. Yoon said 20,000 of those tickets will be up for grabs through an event running on BBQ's app from Wednesday to July 25. The rest will be handed out through separate events on BBQ's social media platforms. Barca, as they are widely known, are among the most accomplished clubs in international football. They pulled off a double in the 2024-2025 season by winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles. Their star-studded squad features the Polish icon Robert Lewandowski, the 17-year-old Spanish ph

Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
FC Barcelona to play preseason matches in Korea
Sports

Team Korea officially embarks on 2026 World Cup preparations

Qualifying for the World Cup should never be taken for granted. For South Korea to do so 11 times successively is impressive. Only four countries — Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany — have a longer streak of appearances. Last Thursday, the Taeguk Warriors won 2-0 in Iraq to secure their spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That win means Tuesday’s game against Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium is both a celebration of a successful journey that has taken 18 months and 15 games, and the start of official preparations for the tournament itself. Unfortunately for both teams, Kuwait is at the bottom of the group and has nothing to play for, so the game may not be as competitive as coach Hong Myung-bo would like. "We will try our best in that match. And it's an opportunity for us to test young guys who may be able to play at the World Cup next year," Hong said. "We won't have too many opportunities like this. It's one thing for those guys to watch from the bench and quite another for them to play. "From this moment on, everything we do will be geared toward preparing for the World Cup."

Jun 9, 2025By John Duerden
Team Korea officially embarks on 2026 World Cup preparations
Sports

Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo becomes oldest winner of top KBO monthly award

Kia Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo became the oldest winner of the top monthly prize in South Korean baseball Monday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Choi as the winner of the Player of the Month honor for May. It was Choi's record sixth monthly award, as he broke a tie with his Tigers teammate Yang Hyeon-jong and Samsung Lions first baseman/designated hitter Park Byung-ho. Choi had last won this award for May 2017. At 41 years, five months and 24 days old as of Monday, Choi also became the oldest winner of this award since the KBO created it in 2010. Current NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-joon had the previous record at 39 years, three months and 26 days old when he won it for May 2015. For May this year, Choi led all KBO players with a .407 batting average, a .505 on-base percentage and a .721 slugging percentage. He tied for third with 35 hits and ranked fifth with 23 RBIs in 25 games. According to the KBO, Choi led all candidates by receiving 19 out of 35 votes cast by the media and finished second with 121,124 votes from fans. Those totals were converted to 37.14 voting poin

Jun 9, 2025By Yonhap
Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo becomes oldest winner of top KBO monthly award
Sports

Internal competition starts for Korean youngsters in final World Cup qualifier

Since Korea have already secured their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their one remaining qualifying match against Kuwait, scheduled for Tuesday night in Seoul, may not mean much to some players. But for up-and-comers trying to play their way onto the World Cup squad next year, there will be plenty at stake, for this match will signal the start of their internal competition. Korea will close out Group B play in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers by hosting Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium, starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Coached by Hong Myung-bo, Korea grabbed their World Cup berth with a 2-0 away victory over Iraq last Thursday. The Taegeuk Warriors improved to 19 points to stay atop the Group B tables, three points ahead of Jordan. With the top two teams from each of the three groups in the third round qualifying for the World Cup, the win over Iraq ensured that Korea will not finish lower than second regardless of how they fare against Kuwait. Korea, ranked 23rd, will be heavily favored over 134th-ranked Kuwait. Korea won the two teams' previous meeting in last November

Jun 9, 2025By Yonhap
Internal competition starts for Korean youngsters in final World Cup qualifier
Sports

LPGA veteran happy to have inspired others with near victory

With her LPGA career going nowhere, Korean player Lee Il-hee went back to school to finish her bachelor's degree last year — "15 years to finish my degree," in her words — and even found a job in finance. But Lee, now 36 years old, lasted only 100 days in her new career and then realized, well, she was still good at golf. She began teaching part time while rehabbing her shoulder, back and ankle in an attempt to give her stalled LPGA career, which started in 2010, another push. On Sunday in New Jersey, Lee showed just how good she can be at golf by finishing in second place at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Lee led the tournament by one stroke entering the final round of the 54-hole tournament, but ended up losing to Jennifer Kupcho of the United States by one shot, 15-under to 14-under. Lee missed an eagle putt on the par-5 18th and settled for a birdie, with Kupcho also making a birdie there to hang on for her first win in three years. Lee had an even longer drought, with her first and only LPGA win having come in May 2013, 4,396 days ago, according to the LPGA. She earned $164,136 with

Jun 9, 2025By Yonhap
LPGA veteran happy to have inspired others with near victory
Sports

Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong hits 1st career triple, makes big defensive play

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Kim Hye-seong has checked off a new box by hitting his first career triple while also making a catch in center field worthy of a highlight reel. Kim batted 1-for-2 in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday (local time), and that lone hit was a two-run triple in the top of the second inning. Facing right-hander Michael McGreevy with the Dodgers up 1-0 and runners at the corners, Kim sent a line drive to the deep right field corner to plate two runs. The speedy South Korean player easily beat the throw to third as the Dodgers took a 3-0 lead. Kim struck out in his next at-bat in the fourth inning and was lifted for pinch hitter Kike Hernandez to begin the top of the seventh when left-hander John King relieved McGreevy. Kim, who hits left, has had only two at-bats against left-handed pitchers this season, though he has recorded two hits, including a home run. For the season, Kim is batting .414/.443/.586 in 26 games. Kim also made a fine running grab on the warning track in center field to rob Masyn Winn of an extra-base hit wi

Jun 9, 2025By Yonhap
Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong hits 1st career triple, makes big defensive play
Sports

An Se-young wins Indonesia Open with thrilling comeback over Wang Zhiyi

World No. 1 An Se-young clinched her fifth title of the year by winning the Indonesia Open, marking her first victory at the tournament in four years. The Korean badminton star staged a thrilling comeback against China’s Wang Zhiyi in the women’s singles final held in Jakarta on Sunday. An defeated world No. 2 Wang 2-1 (13-21, 21-19, 21-15) in the final of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 1000 event. The win avenged her runner-up finish last year, when she lost to long-time rival Chen Yufei of China. With this triumph, An has now won five out of the six tournaments she has entered this season. She began the year with back-to-back titles at the Malaysia Open and India Open in January, followed by wins at the Orléans Masters and All England Open in March. Her only loss came at the Singapore Open, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Chen Yufei. An cruised to the final in Jakarta with straight-set wins over Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in the round of 32, Kim Ga-eun in the round of 16, Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the quarterfinals, and Jap

Jun 9, 2025By Hankookilbo
An Se-young wins Indonesia Open with thrilling comeback over Wang Zhiyi
Sports

Lee Il-hee falls short of 1st LPGA title in 12 years

Korean veteran Lee Il-hee has come up just short of ending her 12-year LPGA title drought. Lee finished as the runner-up to Jennifer Kupcho of the United States by one stroke at the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Seaview Golf Club's Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey, on Sunday (local time). A birdie-birdie finish on the par-71 course was not enough as Lee ended at 14-under 199, with Kupcho draining a clutch birdie putt on the closing hole to finish at 15-under 198 and claim her first win in three years. Lee had six birdies — five of them on the back nine — and three bogeys for a 68 in the final round. The 36-year-old is winless since earning her first career win at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic in May 2013. She earned US$162,834 for her effort, her first paycheck on the LPGA Tour since 2023. Lee came into this tournament ranked No. 1,426 in the world rankings. At 11-under through 36 holes, Lee took a one-stroke lead into the final round over four players, including three major champions: Kupcho, the 2022 Chevron Championship winner; Mao Saigo of Japan, who won the 2025 Chevron Champi

Jun 9, 2025By Yonhap
Lee Il-hee falls short of 1st LPGA title in 12 years
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