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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 high school pitcher Park Chan-min signs with Phillies

Korean high school pitching prospect Park Chan-min has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies announced the signing of the 17-year-old right-hander Saturday (local time), with MLB.com reporting that Park received a signing bonus of just over $1.2 million, the highest for any pitcher in the 2026 international signing class. The Phillies made a couple of trades in exchange for $750,000 in international bonus pool money, giving them enough financial flexibility to sign Park and persuade him to forgo an upcoming draft in the Korea Baseball Organization. Park, listed at 191 centimeters and 94 kilograms, has gone 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA over 46 innings in 12 outings this season for Gwangju Jeil High School in the southern city of Gwangju. Park has struck out 65 but issued only seven walks for the school that has produced four Major League Baseball (MLB) players — Kim Byung-hyun, Choi Hee-seop, Seo Jae-weong and Kang Jung-ho. Park has touched 151 kilometers per hour with his four-seam fastball and sits around the mid-140s. He also mixes in curveball, slider, changeup and splitter. The

May 24, 2026By Yonhap
Korean high school pitcher Park Chan-min signs with Phillies
Sports

Coach for N. Korean women's football club thanks country for support after winning Asian title

After guiding his North Korean club Naegohyang Women's FC to the summit of Asian women's football Saturday, head coach Ri Yu-il thanked the communist regime's ruling party for its support. Naegohyang defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. Naegohyang knocked off the South Korean side Suwon FC Women 2-1 in the semifinals on Wednesday — the first match between women's football clubs of the two Koreans to take place on South Korean soil — and then their captain Kim Kyong-yong scored the match's only goal in the 44th minute for the AFC title and US$1 million in prize money. Kim was also named the MVP of the tournament. At the postmatch press conference, Ri said his club wouldn't have been able to win the AFC title alone. "Naegohyang have been around for only 14 years. And we were able to reach No. 1 in Asia today because of the warm love and support of the party we so respect," Ri said in reference to the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. "I think I was abl

May 23, 2026By Yonhap
Coach for N. Korean women's football club thanks country for support after winning Asian title
Sports

S. Korea captain Son Heung-min taking childlike joy to 4th World Cup

Whenever he thinks about playing at a FIFA World Cup, Son Heung-min becomes a kid again — a boy that once dreamed of representing South Korea at football's biggest tournament. Now 33, Son will lead South Korea at his fourth career World Cup next month in Mexico. He was named to head coach Hong Myung-bo's 26-man squad in Seoul last Saturday and was introduced as captain. Son doesn't know if it will be his World Cup swan song, but he does know he will enjoy the experience. "It doesn't matter how many World Cups you've played. It's like a dream. I feel like I am a little child looking forward to representing this amazing country," Son told reporters in English in a media availability for Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Friday (local time), two days before facing the Seattle Sounders. It will be Son's final Major League Soccer (MLS) match before joining the South Korean national team in their training camp in Salt Lake City. "It takes a lot of responsibility, but it's a huge honor for me," Son continued. "I just want to have fun and make this tournament like

May 23, 2026By Yonhap
S. Korea captain Son Heung-min taking childlike joy to 4th World Cup
Sports

Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo placed on injured list with back strain

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants has landed on the 10-day injured list (IL) with a mid-back strain. The Giants placed him on the IL before hosting the Chicago White Sox at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Friday (local time). In a corresponding move, the Giants brought up outfielder Victor Bericoto from Triple-A Sacramento. According to MLB.com, Giants manager Tony Vitello said Lee felt a "pinch" in his back during pregame work earlier this week and then felt the same sensation during his second at-bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lee was forced to leave that game in the fourth inning and missed the next two contests with back spasms. Although Lee felt better during the team's offday Thursday, the Giants still chose to give the South Korean outfielder more time to heal rather than rush him back to action. Lee's move to the IL is retroactive to Tuesday and he will be eligible to rejoin the Giants next Friday, at the earliest. "I think he feels immensely better than he did originally," Vitello told MLB.com, discussing Lee's condition. "But he still feels some of that grab. I think

May 23, 2026By Yonhap
Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo placed on injured list with back strain
Sports

N. Korean club Naegohyang crowned Asian women's football champions

North Korean side Naegohyang Women's FC captured the top Asian women's football title on South Korean soil Saturday. Naegohyang defeated Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. Captain Kim Kyong-yong scored the match's only goal in the 44th minute and finished tied for the tournament lead with four goals. Kim was also named the MVP of the tournament. With hundreds of South Korean supporters cheering them, Naegohyang captured their first AFC title and $1 million in prize money. Naegohyang edged out South Korea's Suwon FC Women 2-1 in Wednesday's semifinals, coming from behind to win the first match between women's football clubs of the two Koreas held south of the border. Tokyo Verdy Beleza had defeated Naegohyang 4-0 in their earlier meeting during the group stage in November last year, but they got blanked this time with the AFC title on the line. Kim's winning goal came off a fast break. After receiving a long pass, Jong Kum sped down the left wing and fed the ball to K

May 23, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korean club Naegohyang crowned Asian women's football champions
Sports

'I've always believed I could hit': ex-MLB slugger Hiura ready to showcase what he has in KBO

Having flashed power potential earlier in his career, former major league infielder Keston Hiura believes he still has a lot to give, now that he has taken his talent to South Korea. The 29-year-old American has signed with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), replacing Trenton Brooks as the team's lone foreign hitter. Through Thursday's action, the Heroes ranked last in the KBO with 27 home runs, and Brooks left the league as the only foreign-born hitter without a home run this year. The Heroes are hoping that Hiura, who smacked 19 home runs in only 84 games for the Milwaukee Brewers as a rookie in 2019, can provide some much-needed punch to their lineup. "I'm excited for this opportunity. I'm ready for this experience. This can be a lot of fun," Hiura said in a media scrum at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Thursday, the day after landing in South Korea. While waiting for his visa to be issued, Hiura met with his new team for the first time Thursday and had a brief batting practice session. "I've always believed that I could hit," Hiura added. "I was able to debut f

May 23, 2026By Yonhap
'I've always believed I could hit': ex-MLB slugger Hiura ready to showcase what he has in KBO
Sports

Guardiola to leave Manchester City after season, ending 10-year trophy-laden spell

MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola confirmed what Manchester City fans had been fearing. The club’s most successful manager is leaving, bringing to a close a trophy-laden, 10-year spell in which he established City as one of the major forces in Europe and changed the face of English football. Guardiola, who had a further year left on his City contract, will take charge of his final game against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday. “Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time,” Guardiola said. “Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.” City said Guardiola would take up a role as global ambassador. Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea manager who was previously assistant to Guardiola at City, is the favorite to take on the daunting task of filling Guardiola’s shoes after a decade of unprecedented dominance. Since joining City in the summer of 2016, Guardiola led the Abu Dhabi-backed team to six Premier League titles

May 22, 2026By AP
Guardiola to leave Manchester City after season, ending 10-year trophy-laden spell
Sports

Manchester United hands Michael Carrick 2-year contract as head coach

MANCHESTER, England — Michael Carrick has been handed a two-year contract by Manchester United after passing his audition for the job of head coach with flying colors. United confirmed on Friday that Carrick would become its seventh permanent manager since the retirement of club icon Alex Ferguson in 2013. “Throughout the past five we’ve shown what our club represents — resilience togetherness and a determination to succeed. Now it’s about moving forward again with ambition and purpose,” Carrick said. “This club and our supporters deserve to be challenging for the biggest honors and we’re never going to stop.”

May 22, 2026By AP
Manchester United hands Michael Carrick 2-year contract as head coach
Sports

MLB sensation Lee Jung-hoo joins G-Dragon’s agency

Lee Jung-hoo of Major League Baseball's (MLB) San Francisco Giants is joining the same agency as K-pop icon G-Dragon. Galaxy Corporation, who signed G-Dragon in 2023, announced in an official statement on Friday that it had signed an exclusive contract with the Giants' Korean outfielder. The company said that through this collaboration, it plans to create new content and brand experiences that will allow Lee to connect with fans around the world in more diverse ways, building on his value as a global sports star and his healthy, sincere image. The agency explained that the deal is a strategic partnership covering Lee’s domestic and international management, licensing, branding and digital content businesses. “We are very honored to work with Lee, who is a great ambassador for Korea in the sports world. He is a global star who possesses not only outstanding talent, but also sincerity and positive energy. We will grow together so that his value and philosophy can shine even brighter in the long term,” a representative from Galaxy Corporation said. When Lee entered MLB in 2024, he sign

May 22, 2026By Hankookilbo
MLB sensation Lee Jung-hoo joins G-Dragon’s agency
Sports

N. Korean football club coach bristles at 'rough' label ahead of top Asian tournament final

The head coach of the North Korean women's football club competing at the top Asian tournament south of the border on Friday took exception to the narrative that his athletes play a rough style. Ri Yu-il and his Naegohyang Women's FC will play Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League at 2 p.m. Saturday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. The two teams will vie for $1 million in prize money at the continent's top women's club football competition. Naegohyang rallied past South Korea's Suwon FC Women 2-1 in Wednesday's semifinals, while Tokyo Verdy Beleza beat Melbourne City FC 3-1 earlier in the day. At his prematch presser Friday, Ri said Naegohyang will try to accomplish an objective that transcends the trophy. "We believe that developing into an even stronger club through this final is just as important as winning the competition," Ri said. "I think we are relatively well prepared for the match." The two finalists also met during the group stage in November in Myanmar, where Tokyo Verdy Beleza won handily 4-0

May 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korean football club coach bristles at 'rough' label ahead of top Asian tournament final
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