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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, called "derbies," 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 riva

    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

Korean players arrive in Mexico base camp ahead of World Cup

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The Korean men's national football team arrived in their FIFA World Cup base camp in Mexico on Friday, six days before their first group stage match. Coached by Hong Myung-bo, Korea checked into the Westin Guadalajara in the Mexican city of Guadalajara around 4 p.m. Friday, greeted by dozens of fans. Korean fans and local residents alike gathered around the entrance hours before the team's arrival. Others lined up in the balcony of Expo Guadalajara, a convention center standing next to the hotel. They shouted words of encouragement and screamed out players' names as the athletes stepped off the team bus. Captain Son Heung-min was the last to leave the bus and drew the loudest cheers, though neither Son nor his teammates stopped to sign autographs or accept gifts from fans. Korea had been in the U.S. state of Utah for the past three weeks for altitude training. The Taegeuk Warriors are scheduled to play two of their three Group A matches in Guadalajara, also a high city about 1,500 meters above sea level, and Hong said recently he was pleased with the way his playe

Jun 6, 2026By Yonhap
Korean players arrive in Mexico base camp ahead of World Cup
Sports

Son Heung-min ranks 7th on British list of wealthiest 2026 FIFA World Cup players

Korean forward Son Heung-min ranks seventh on a British media list of the wealthiest players expected to compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Sun estimated his net worth at 74 million pounds ($99.4 million). The ranking, published Wednesday, places tos Angeles FC player above Manchester City striker Erling Haaland of Norway, whose net worth The Sun listed at 59 million pounds. Son's placement demonstrates how his decade at Tottenham Hotspur, immense commercial appeal in Korea and high-profile move to the U.S. keep him among football's top earners. Son joined LAFC after a decade-long stint with Spurs, and is poised to become Korea's record World Cup goalscorer as he nears his 150th appearance for the men's national team. The publication attributed his wealth partly to numerous endorsement deals driven by his commercial appeal in his home country. During his peak years at Tottenham, Son reportedly earned a base salary of up to 10 million pounds. He now ranks second in Major League Soccer with about $11 million in total compensation, accor

Jun 6, 2026By Hankookilbo
Son Heung-min ranks 7th on British list of wealthiest 2026 FIFA World Cup players
Sports

Digital sparring: Virtual Taekwondo Rome Open 2026 launches new inclusive era

ROME — The inaugural Virtual Taekwondo Rome Open 2026 transformed the Foro Italico, Italy’s most prestigious sports complex, into a digital arena on Thursday, marking a pivotal shift in the evolution of martial arts. Held alongside the World Taekwondo Grand Prix, the tournament showcased the sport’s continued digital transformation. Officially endorsed by World Taekwondo, the discipline utilizes advanced motion-tracking sensors and virtual reality headsets to replicate sparring in a noncontact environment where athletes’ movements are translated into real-time digital action. This technology-driven format was designed to remove traditional barriers such as weight class, age and gender. By focusing on technique and speed rather than raw physical force, the event allowed 19 athletes from five countries to compete in a single-elimination tournament on equal terms. Cassius Doroja of Team Canada captured the championship title at this newly created tournament. The Rome Open has helped build a foundation to continue promoting the discipline's rapid growth. Virtual taekwondo made its i

Jun 5, 2026By Choi Won-suk
Digital sparring: Virtual Taekwondo Rome Open 2026 launches new inclusive era
Sports

Family will come first: Son unveils plans beyond football

Korean football star Son Heung-min has shared his hopes for life after retirement, saying he wants to dedicate himself to his family and become a good father. In a video uploaded Wednesday to YouTube channel God Kyung-gyu, Son appeared in an episode titled, “I went head-to-head with the great Son Heung-min at LAFC’s stadium.” The meeting was originally supposed to feature veteran entertainer Lee Kyung-kyu, but visa-related issues prevented him from traveling to the United States. Instead, host Song Ha-bin traveled to Los Angeles to interview Son. Asked whether he had ever wanted to quit football, Son replied that the thought had never crossed his mind. “Not even once,” he said. “I’m a very simple person. No matter how difficult things became, once I saw the ball, I forgot everything else.” When asked what preparations he was making for the future after retirement, Son gave a personal answer. “I want to be a good father,” he said. The footballer talked about how his family has impacted his career. “For 35 years, my family has sacrificed so much for me. For the rest of my

Jun 5, 2026By Xportsnews
Family will come first: Son unveils plans beyond football
Sports

Korean opponents win final friendlies before World Cup

Two of Korea's opponents in the group stage at the FIFA World Cup have both won their final tuneup matches. Czechia, whom Korea will face to begin Group A action next week, defeated Guatemala 3-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, on Thursday (local time). Patrik Schick, Tomas Chory and Denis Visinsky were the goal scorers for Czechia, who sit 16 spots below Korea in the FIFA rankings at No. 41. Czechia had earlier beat Kosovo 2-1 on Sunday. Schick scored off a counter break for Czechia in the 11th minute. William Fajardo netted the equalizer for Guatemala in the 40th minute, but then Chory's header in the 72nd minute put the Czechs ahead for good. Visinsky's 79th-minute marker rounded out the scoring. Korea also won their final two friendlies before the World Cup, beating Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 and then El Salvador 1-0. Their match against Czechia will kick off at 8 p.m. next Thursday (local time) at Estadio Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, or 11 a.m. next Friday (Korean time). Also on Thursday, Mexico, one of the tournament's three co-host countries and the top-ran

Jun 5, 2026By Yonhap
Korean opponents win final friendlies before World Cup
Sports

Uzbekistan claims multiple golds at Rome 2026 World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix

ROME — Athletes from nine countries took home gold medals Thursday at the World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix, with Uzbekistan finishing as the only nation to secure multiple titles at the Foro Italico. Uzbekistan’s Kudrat Muhammadiev won the men’s K44 under 80 kilogram division, outlasting Korea’s Joo Jeong-hun in three rounds. Teammate Guljonoy Naimova added a second gold, dispatching Russia’s Elena Savinskaia in two rounds in the women’s K44 over 65 kilogram final. Uzbekistan narrowly missed a third title when Great Britain’s Matt Bush beat Asadbek Toshtemirov in the men’s K44 over 80 kilogram final. The referee stopped the contest in the second round after Toshtemirov, the reigning Paralympic champion, sustained an injury. In the women's divisions, Mexico’s Claudia Romero bounced back after losing the first round to beat Thailand’s Khwansuda Phuangkitcha for the K44 under 47 kilogram title. An all-Brazil final in the K44 under 57 kilogram class saw Silvana Mayara Cardoso Fernandes concede the first round to Maria Eduarda Machado Stumpf before coming back to win the n

Jun 5, 2026By Choi Won-suk
Uzbekistan claims multiple golds at Rome 2026 World Para Taekwondo Grand Prix
Sports

Giants' Lee Jung-hoo pushes hitting streak to career-best 12 games

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants is on a heater. The Korean outfielder batted 4-for-5 with an RBI and scored three times, as the Giants defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 12-9 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Thursday (local time). With the four-hit effort, Lee set a new career high with his 12-game hitting streak. This was his fourth game of the season in which he recorded at least four hits, and three of those games have come in the past seven days. Since returning from the 10-day injured list last Friday, Lee has batted 19-for-29 to raise his batting average from .268 to .322. With evening games still to be played across Major League Baseball (MLB), Lee ranked fourth overall in the big leagues in batting average. Now in his third MLB campaign, Lee batted .262 in 37 games in his injury-plagued rookie season in 2024 and put up a .266 average in 150 games last year. In Thursday's game, Lee kept his hitting streak alive with a single in the top of the second inning. He added an RBI double in the third before grounding out in the fourth. Lee came to the plate twice i

Jun 5, 2026By Yonhap
Giants' Lee Jung-hoo pushes hitting streak to career-best 12 games
Sports

Countdown almost over for South Korea

It’s almost time. The countdown to the 2026 World Cup has gone from years to months to weeks, and now it is just days away. On June 11 (local time), South Korea will kick off its 11th successive appearance on the global stage — only Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain have longer streaks — against the Czech Republic in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. Then there are games against co-host Mexico and South Africa. The mood in the country has not been especially positive, but it is time to get excited —this is, after all, the World Cup. It is still the biggest sporting event on the planet. The most famous players are descending on North America, including Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Korea's own Son Heung-min. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams has been criticized by many, but one thing is for sure: There will be many games — 104 in total — for those that have the time to watch. How many of those games the Taegeuk Warriors will play remains to be seen. In the past, getting out of the group and into the Round of 16 was seen as success. Now th

Jun 4, 2026By John Duerden
Countdown almost over for South Korea
Sports

Korea neutralized by pressing defense of El Salvador in last World Cup tuneup

Only days after enjoying a goal fest, Korea were mostly held in check by the pressing defense of underdogs El Salvador in their final friendly match before next week's FIFA World Cup. Lee Dong-gyeong's free kick goal in the 57th minute was the difference in Korea's 1-0 victory Wednesday at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah. Aside from the set-piece goal, Korea didn't generate many dangerous looks — against a team sitting 75 spots lower in the FIFA rankings at No. 100. They didn't look like the same team that trounced Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 on Saturday, although, as coaches across many sports like to claim, opponents have a say in these things. El Salvador pressed harder and presented more of a physical challenge than Trinidad and Tobago. They applied particularly hard pressure on Korea's two key midfielders, Hwang In-beom and Lee Jae-sung, whose vision and passing skills often create scoring chances. Starting forward Cho Gue-sung, who had a size advantage over El Salvador defenders and thus would have been a threat to score headers, barely received any passes in the box. Korea's 72 perc

Jun 4, 2026By Yonhap
Korea neutralized by pressing defense of El Salvador in last World Cup tuneup
Sports

Coach sees narrow win in tuneup as important learning experience for World Cup

PROVO, United States — After South Korea escaped with a narrow win over an opponent they were supposed to dominate, head coach Hong Myung-bo said he chose to look on the brighter side. South Korea beat El Salvador 1-0 in their final friendly before the FIFA World Cup at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday. Lee Dong-gyeong's free kick marker in the 57th minute was the only goal for South Korea, who came in ranked 25th in the world, 75 spots ahead of El Salvador. More offense was expected from the Taegeuk Warriors after they pounded 102nd-ranked Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, but Hong said not all was lost from the one-goal victory. "We had some difficulties offensively early in the match, but I think this match will be of huge help for us," Hong said at his postmatch press conference. "Czechia play a similar style," he said, referring to South Korea's first World Cup opponent. "And I think our players must have learned a great deal today by playing this type of team. We have to bear down on generating more opportunities." The victory wrapped up South Korea's training camp in U

Jun 4, 2026By Yonhap
Coach sees narrow win in tuneup as important learning experience for World Cup
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