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    Inside Korea's fiercest football derbies: Local rivalries fuel K League's passion

    Everywhere this summer, the World Cup is turning football into a global obsession — and Korea is no exception. But inside the country, interest in the sport doesn't begin or end with the national team; it lives week in, week out in the K League, where, much like in Europe's traditional football heartlands, club rivalries shape how fans see the game and themselves. Rival cities trade songs, banners and barbs, and even those who can’t explain the offside rule quickly understand what is at stake: pride, belonging and the right to say, “our side won.” For local fans who love their club, football is not just a game but a ritual where the city’s identity is tested and defended for ninety breathless minutes. With that in mind, The Korea Times mapped out four key K League derbies that, based on interviews with 12 devoted, lifelong fans who would do anything to see their club win, offer a vivid window into Korean football’s culture and dynamics. East coast derby: Ulsan vs. Pohang In the K League 1 with 12 teams, the east coast derby is a quintessential regional rivalry that puts two i

    8 MIN READBy Lee Hae-rin
    Inside Korea's fiercest football derbies: Local rivalries fuel K League's passion
  • Sports

    Defending champion Argentina reaches World Cup final by beating England 2-1

    2 MIN READBy AP
    Defending champion Argentina reaches World Cup final by beating England 2-1
  • Sports

    Why is 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, not Mexico's iconic Estadio Azteca?

    3 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Why is 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, not Mexico's iconic Estadio Azteca?
  • Sports

    Son Heung-min returns to LAFC with big smile on his face

    2 MIN READBy Xportsnews
    Son Heung-min returns to LAFC with big smile on his face
  • Sports

    World Taekwondo sends federation flag into orbit ahead of 2027 world championships

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    World Taekwondo sends federation flag into orbit ahead of 2027 world championships
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

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Sports

KBO's best team in June set for duels against title contenders

Having been the best team in Korean baseball in June, the Doosan Bears will have their mettle tested this week against a pair of title contenders. The Bears, in fifth place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) at 33-31-2 (wins-losses-ties), will open the new week with a three-game series against second-place KT Wiz (38-25-1) at home, Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, from Tuesday to Thursday. Then it will be followed by a three-game set against the Jamsil co-tenants, the KBO-leading LG Twins (41-24-0), from Friday to Sunday. The Bears own the best winning percentage this month at 8-3-1, a run powered by the pitching staff that has put up a league-best 2.67 ERA. They have lost four out of six meetings so far against both the Wiz and the Twins this season. The Twins hold a two-game lead over the Wiz for the top spot, with both of them having won two straight games. Before taking on the Bears, the Twins will visit fourth-place Kia Tigers (34-31-1) in the southwestern city of Gwangju. The Wiz will play the Tigers for the weekend series at their home in Suwon, just south of Seoul. Elsewhere

Jun 15, 2026By Yonhap
KBO's best team in June set for duels against title contenders
Sports

Lee Jung-hoo collects 2 hits, flashes leather for SF Giants

Lee Jung-hoo has returned to the hit column for the San Francisco Giants after going blank for two straight games, while also flashing the leather in right field for a defensive gem. Lee batted 2-for-4 and scored a run to help the Giants defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-1 at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sunday (local time). Lee had gone 0-for-7 in the past two games following the end of his career-best 18-game hitting streak. This was his 24th multihit game of the year. Batting seventh in the lineup, Lee led off the bottom of the third with a single and then got an infield single to third in the fifth. Lee's biggest moment of the game came on the field in the top of the eighth inning, with the Giants up 4-1. With two outs and a runner at second for the Cubs, Michael Busch smoked the first pitch he saw from Logan Webb toward the right field corner. Lee chased it down with a running catch and held on to the ball as he crashed into the wall and then tumbled to the ground. The South Korean outfielder returned to the dugout to the chants of "Jung Hoo Lee!" from the stands. The Giants pulled ahead wi

Jun 15, 2026By Yonhap
Lee Jung-hoo collects 2 hits, flashes leather for SF Giants
Sports

Korean duo finishes 2nd at LPGA team event

The Korean duo of Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo has finished in second place at an LPGA team event, leaving the former in search of her maiden title on the tour. Choi and Kim ended up two strokes behind the American tandem of Gina Kim and Yana Wilson at 15-under 265 at the Dow Championship at the par-70 Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan, on Sunday (local time). The South Koreans posted a bogey-free round of five-under 65, but it wasn't good enough against Kim and Wilson, who carded a 62 in the final round with six birdies and an eagle. The first and the third rounds had the alternate shot, or foursomes, format, in which teammates took turns hitting the same ball. The second and the final rounds were played in the fourball format, where players each hit their own ball and the better score of the two became the team's score on each hole. Choi and Kim began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Kim and Wilson at 10-under, as they were trying to become the second straight South Korean duo to win the Dow Championship after the tandem of Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi. Choi and Kim went

Jun 15, 2026By Yonhap
Korean duo finishes 2nd at LPGA team event
Sports

Impressive Korea starts World Cup with a bang

Korea came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 on Thursday evening (local time) in Guadalajara to start the 2026 World Cup with a deserved win, even if it was touch and go for a while. Some missed chances meant that for a while, it looked like the points were slipping away, but in the end it was a fine performance from coach Hong Myung-bo’s men. The Taegeuk Warriors' first opening win at the World Cup since 2010 sets them up nicely to get out Group A and into the knockout stages. The three points are welcome, but so is the fact that Korea played some exciting and attractive soccer, in contrast to the physical Czechs who mostly threatened from set pieces. Hwang In-beom was the star; the midfielder scored a fine equalizer and then assisted Oh Hyeon-gyu for the winning goal. After all the pretournament criticism and uncertainty, there were big smiles on the faces of the Korean players and their army of fans in Mexico. The first half belonged to the 2002 semifinalists. Lee Kang-in was pulling the strings going forward, picking out passes and finding space. Son Heung-min is still th

Jun 14, 2026By John Duerden
Impressive Korea starts World Cup with a bang
Sports

Lee Kang-in gearing up for match vs. ex-club coach: 'He's just an opponent'

ZAPOPAN, Mexico — In an intriguing subplot for Korea in their upcoming Group A match against Mexico at the FIFA World Cup, midfielder Lee Kang-in will try to beat his former club coach who is now in charge of Mexico, Javier Aguirre. It was under Aguirre at the Spanish outfit RCD Mallorca that Lee first demonstrated his playmaking chops during the 2022-2023 La Liga season. He set career highs with six goals and seven assists then, and parlayed that into a deal with the French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023. Aguirre saw potential in Lee that the Korean's other coaches might not have identified, and the Mexican tactician was once quoted as saying, "I believe that (Lee) is the most talented player in the squad and he's so lethal in one-on-one situations." Now 25, Lee is widely considered one of Korea's most important players, a creative force who can thread the needle through tight gaps. In Korea's 2-1 win over Czechia in their Group A opener on Thursday, Lee set up the team's equalizer by Hwang In-beom with a sharp through ball that punctured a hole on the opposing defe

Jun 14, 2026By Yonhap
Lee Kang-in gearing up for match vs. ex-club coach: 'He's just an opponent'
Sports

Every trial became blessing in disguise: Dad behind Korea’s new World Cup hero

"Compared to four years ago, the situation is completely different. The emotion I feel now is beyond words." The voice of Oh Hyeon-gyu's father, Oh Hae-seon,57, was noticeably hoarse. It was no surprise — earlier that day, he had shouted his son's name louder and more passionately than at any other moment in his life. Oh Hyeon-gyu, 25, who plays for the Turkish club Beşiktaş, became the hero of Korea's 2–1 victory over the Czech Republic on June 12 (Korea time) at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, scoring the decisive go-ahead goal in the 35th minute of the second half in their opening Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Meeting reporters at a hotel in Guadalajara after the match, Oh Hae-seon said, "When my son traveled to the 2022 Qatar World Cup as a reserve player without an official squad number, I remember thinking, 'I wish the final roster could include 27 players instead of 26.' Looking back, that experience became tremendous motivation for him and ultimately helped make him the hero he was today." Yet being a reserve player four years ago was far from the greate

Jun 13, 2026By Hankookilbo
Every trial became blessing in disguise: Dad behind Korea’s new World Cup hero
Sports

Kim Jae-youl re-elected ISU president, term extended through 2030

Kim Jae-youl, president of the International Skating Union (ISU), has secured re-election and will serve another four-year term through 2030. Kim was elected on June 12 at the 60th ISU Congress held in Tenerife, Spain. Running unopposed, he won re-election as president. As a result, he will retain his positions as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IOC Executive Board. Membership on both bodies is contingent upon holding the presidency of an International Federation (IF). With his re-election, Korea will continue to maintain a significant presence in international sports diplomacy. Kim becomes only the third Korean to win re-election as the head of an International Federation, following the late Kim Un-yong, former president of World Taekwondo, and Cho Jung-won, the current WT president. Kim first entered sports administration in 2011 while serving as president of Cheil Industries, when he became president of the Korea Skating Union. He later held several prominent positions, including vice president of the Organizing Committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter

Jun 13, 2026By Hankookilbo
Kim Jae-youl re-elected ISU president, term extended through 2030
Sports

Injured defender recovering quickly, available in group stage

ZAPOPAN, Mexico — On the heels of their opening victory at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, South Korea received some encouraging news on the injury front Friday. Defender Kim Tae-hyeon, dealing with an ankle injury that some feared could keep him out of the group stage, will be available as early as next Thursday for South Korea's second Group A match against Mexico. Kim picked up the injury during a training session Tuesday at Chivas Verde Valle in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, and a national team official told reporters the next day that the left-footed center back may miss the entire group stage -- which ends on June 24 for South Korea. However, Song Jun-seob, the senior team doctor, said Friday that Kim's injury wasn't serious as once feared. "The initial MRI confirmed a ligament tear but the picture wasn't clear enough for us to determine the exact degree," Song said. "We checked his swelling 24 hours later and determined that it was an average sprain. So we told the coaching staff that he should be able to play at the World Cup." Kim is one of just two left-footed center backs on the tea

Jun 13, 2026By Yonhap
Injured defender recovering quickly, available in group stage
Sports

World Cup opener sees Son Heung-min fever sweep Mexico stadium

ZAPOPAN — A festive atmosphere filled Guadalajara Stadium hours before kickoff as Korea opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on Thursday (local time). Fans began arriving hours before the opening match against the Czech Republic. Despite enduring nearly two hours of lines caused by massive crowds and security screenings by armed personnel, supporters maintained a vibrant mood. They waved at the guards and cheered, transforming the wait into a celebration. Inside, the energy continued as fans shopped for merchandise and competed in a volume-measured "Goal!" shouting contest to win prizes. While local Mexican fans formed the majority of the stadium crowd, a significant international contingent stood out in Korea's red jerseys. Gary Kiefer, 37, of Los Angeles, and his Mexico-based cousin Gabriela Manibez, 30, both wore Korean gear bearing the name and number of captain Son Heung-min, 34, who plays for Los Angeles FC. "I've been cheering for Son Heung-min since he played for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League," Kiefer said. "Personally, I'm an LA Galaxy fan, but despite tha

Jun 12, 2026By Hankookilbo
World Cup opener sees Son Heung-min fever sweep Mexico stadium
Sports

Tigers unable to come to terms with injury replacement player Rodriguez

The Kia Tigers said Friday they have failed to sign their injury replacement player Aderlin Rodriguez to an extension. The Tigers said the Dominican infielder cited "personal reasons" as he declined to sign a new deal with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club. Rodriguez signed a six-week contract on May 4 to fill in for outfielder Harold Castro, who was out with a quad injury. KBO clubs are allowed to acquire temporary replacements for foreign players who are sidelined for at least six weeks, and Rodriguez's deal will expire after Friday's game. Rodriguez made an immediate impact in the Tigers lineup by hitting four home runs in his first four games. Those four homers were also Rodriguez's first four hits to begin his KBO career, a new league record. Through Thursday's action, Rodriguez had 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in 31 games with a .274/.317/.573 line. The Tigers said Rodriguez will play Friday for his final KBO game. In 32 games since Rodriguez made his KBO debut on May 5, the Tigers have hit the most home runs in the KBO with 44. Castro, who only had two homers and 16 RBIs in 23

Jun 12, 2026By Yonhap
Tigers unable to come to terms with injury replacement player Rodriguez
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