K League to hold inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony on May 2

The South Korea professional football league said Tuesday it will hold its first Hall of Fame induction ceremony in the first week of May. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Korea Professional Football League created the Hall of Fame earlier this year, and selected its first class of inductees in March. They will be enshrined in a ceremony at the Ambassador Seoul-A Pullman hotel beginning at 11 a.m. on May 2. Biennially starting this year, the K League Hall of Fame will select inductees in th

April 25, 2023

Derby win pushes FC Seoul to 2nd place in K League; Ulsan grab point thanks to late goal

By winning a key derby match against a reeling rival, FC Seoul jumped to second place in the K League 1 over the weekend, putting some early pressure on defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC. Ulsan, for their part, barely avoided losing consecutive matches for the first time this season, needing a last-gasp goal to take a 2-2 draw against Pohang Steelers in their own regional derby on the weekend. In the 100th "Super Match" derby, FC Seoul cruised past downtrodden Suwon Samsung Bluewing

April 24, 2023

S. Korea to host Peru, El Salvador in men's football friendlies in June

South Korea will face Peru and El Salvador in men's football friendly matches at home in June, the sport's national governing body announced Friday. The Korea Football Association said South Korea, world No. 27, will first take on 21st-ranked Peru on June 16. Then they will host world No. 75 El Salvador on June 20. Venues and kickoff times will be determined later, the KFA added. This will be South Korea's third meeting against Peru. South Korea had a draw and a loss in their two

April 21, 2023

Under caretaker boss, Suwon Samsung Bluewings seek 1st win of K League season

With their season on the brink after a seven-match winless skid at the onset, Suwon Samsung Bluewings will be chasing their first win of 2023 under a caretaker manager this weekend. One of the K League 1's most prestigious and proud franchises, Suwon Samsung find themselves in last place among 12 clubs this season, with two draws and five losses. This is the longest winless streak to start a season in the club's history. The previous record was a six-match skid at the start of 2017. Bu

April 21, 2023

Kim Min-jae, Napoli gone from Champions League in quarterfinals

The last remaining South Korean player in the top European club football tournament helplessly watched his club's earlier-than-expected elimination. With stalwart defender Kim Min-jae suspended, the Italian league-leading Napoli got knocked out of the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, following a 1-1 draw against rivals AC Milan in the second leg at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italy, on Tuesday. Kim had picked up his third yellow card of the tournament during a 1-0 lo

April 19, 2023

Upstart Daejeon beat Ulsan to spoil bid for K League history

Seven matches into their first season in the top South Korean football league since 2015, Daejeon Hana Citizen FC are making serious noise. Daejeon defeated K League 1-leading Ulsan Hyundai FC 2-1 at home Sunday, halting Ulsan's win streak at six matches. With one more win, Ulsan, the defending K League 1 champions, would have tied the league record for the most consecutive victories to kick off a season. Instead, Daejeon made sure they wouldn't allow Ulsan to celebrate a win on their

April 17, 2023

Son Heung-min scores in 2nd consecutive Premier League match with natl. team coach on hand

Fresh off a milestone goal in the Premier League, Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur has now scored in consecutive matches for the first time this season. Son netted his eighth goal of the Premier League season against AFC Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. Son had scored his 100th Premier League goal in his previous match, becoming the first Asian player to reach the century mark, and now sits two away from reach the double figures in Premier League goals for the se

April 16, 2023

K League-leading Ulsan looking to match winning streak record

Having captured their first six matches of 2023 in the K League 1, Ulsan Hyundai FC are one victory away from equaling the longest winning streak to start a season. Standing between first-place Ulsan and the record books this weekend will be Daejeon Hana Citizen, a newly promoted team boasting the league's most productive offense this year. The showdown between the two early contenders will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

April 14, 2023

Ulsan, Pohang stay undefeated in K League; Suwon FC explode for 5 goals in win

With six matches in the books in the K League 1, defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC still haven't lost. Ulsan defeated Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 on Saturday for their sixth consecutive win to begin the 2023 season. They are now one victory away from tying the K League record for the longest winning streak to begin a season, a mark set by Suwon in 1998 and matched by Seongnam in 2003. At 18 points, Ulsan hold a four-point lead over Pohang Steelers, the one other undefeated club in the le

April 10, 2023

Spurs star Son Heung-min becomes 1st Asian to score 100 goals in Premier League

Son Heung-min has become the first Asian player to score 100 Premier League goals, the latest milestone in a career full of many. Son hit the century mark with a 10th-minute strike against Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. Son is also the first player to register 100 goals and 50 assists for Spurs. Tottenham won the match 2-1 to improve to 53 points, good for fifth place and three back of Manchester United. The right-footed shot from outside the box w

April 9, 2023

Kim Min-jae apologizes to Son Heung-min amid feud rumors

South Korea’s star defender Kim Min-jae officially apologized Saturday to Son Heung-min, captain of the national football team, amid reports of alleged friction between the two. “I was entirely wrong about Son. Son always makes such (Instagram) posts after a national football match but I misinterpreted his words (on his Instagram post) and acted irrationally,” Kim announced in a statement through his agency Orangeball, admitting to having "unfollowed" Son on Instagram

April 3, 2023

K League's two giants moving in opposite directions early in new season

The two best teams in South Korean football over the past four years are traveling in opposite directions in the early going of the 2023 season, with one club having won the first five matches of the season and the other having managed just one victory in the same stretch. Ulsan Hyundai FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have reigned supreme in the K League 1 since 2019. Jeonbuk won titles in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with Ulsan finishing in second place in all three of those seasons. Ulsan finally claime

April 3, 2023

S. Korea chasing first win under Klinsmann in World Cup rematch vs. Uruguay

South Korea will take their second crack at winning their first match under new head coach Jurgen Klinsmann this week, hosting Uruguay in Seoul in a rematch of last year's FIFA World Cup. The kickoff between 25th-ranked South Korea and 16th-ranked Uruguay is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. South Korea settled for a 2-2 draw against Colombia on Friday, frittering away a 2-0 lead after the restart with some defensive breakdowns. Captain Son Heung-min scored both goals for t

March 27, 2023

Captain Sonny scores 1st goals in Klinsmann era

ULSAN -- Who else but Sonny? Son Heung-min, captain of the South Korean men's national football team, fittingly scored the first goal under new head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Friday. In fact, Son had the first two goals for Klinsmann, though they weren't enough as South Korea settled for a 2-2 draw against Colombia at Munsu Football Stadium in the southeastern city of Ulsan. Son had been captain under the previous coach, Paulo Bento, for the past four years. Klinsmann, who was appointe

March 25, 2023

Klinsmann hints at increased role for young midfielder

Early in his tenure as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, Jurgen Klinsmann has already displayed one major difference from his predecessor, Paulo Bento. Klinsmann, who was appointed on Feb. 27 and will make his South Korea coaching debut Friday night against Colombia, has not been shy about discussing merits of individual players. In Thursday's prematch press conference, Klinsmann touched upon an immensely popular player whose name Bento was loath to even ment

March 24, 2023

Under bright spotlight, Klinsmann sets out on mission to silence critics

PAJU -- South Korea's football friendly match against Colombia on Friday will be a rare occasion where one man on the bench will be under a brighter spotlight than any player on the pitch. It will be the South Korea coaching debut for Jurgen Klinsmann, a German football icon with an impeccable playing resume but a coaching CV with a few question marks. Klinsmann will also take the first step toward putting his fingerprints on a team that played for one head coach for the past 4 1/2 years.

March 22, 2023

Klinsmann inherits World Cup roster for S. Korea coaching debut

South Korea on Monday announced their 26-man national football roster for Jurgen Klinsmann's upcoming coaching debut for the Taegeuk Warriors, featuring many players who competed at last year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Korea Football Association posted the squad list on its website, rather than have Klinsmann unveil the roster at a press conference, as is the tradition for national team announcements. Klinsmann, a German football legend, only arrived in South Korea last Wednesday.

March 13, 2023

New S. Korea football coach Klinsmann determined to end Asian Cup drought

INCHEON -- Jurgen Klinsmann, new head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, wasted little time stating his goal for the team: winning. "Our goal is to win the Asian Cup next year," the German football legend told reporters at Incheon International Airport early Wednesday, arriving in the country that announced his appointment at the end of February. "When you have a team and a history of the last 20, 25 years here, it was built by coaches like Guus Hiddink

March 8, 2023

[Graphic News] German icon Klinsmann named new men’s soccer head coach

Jurgen Klinsmann, a German World Cup hero synonymous with the country’s success in the 1990s, has been named the new head coach of the South Korean men’s national soccer team. The Korea Football Association said Monday Klinsmann has agreed to a deal that will take him through the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Klinsmann, 58, will make his South Korea coaching debut on March 24 in a friendly match against Colombia in Ulsan, some 30 kilometers sout

March 2, 2023

Incheon United coach looking to become mainstay in K League upper echelon

CHANGWON -- For years in the top South Korean football league, Incheon United barely avoided getting relegated to the second division, collecting just enough points near the end of the season to stay alive. That changed in 2022, when they finished in fourth place and punched their first ticket to the Asian Football Confederation Champions League, the top club competition on the continent. Head coach Jo Sung-hwan now wants his Incheon team to be a regular in the big tournament. "We have to

Feb. 15, 2023