Can 'Singles Inferno' boost basketball's popularity?

With the third season of Netflix dating reality show "Singles Inferno" ready to release next week, one participant grabbing the eyes of local basketball fans is Lee Gwan-hee, a brash, outspoken and somewhat-controversial guard playing for the Changwon LG Sakers of the Korea Basketball League. Lee’s appearance will mark the first time an active professional athlete will appear in the wildly popular show, and fans of the mildly liked KBL are wondering if the publicity will help boo

Dec. 5, 2023

Back in old boots, speed skater Kim Min-sun grabs 1st World Cup title of season

Immediately after going back to her old boots, South Korean speed skater Kim Min-sun returned to a familiar place -- the top of the podium at a World Cup competition. Kim won the women's 500-meter title at the latest International Skating Union World Cup Speed Skating stop in Stavanger, Norway, on Sunday. Kim clocked her season-best 37.73 seconds for her first World Cup gold medal of this season in five tries. Erin Jackson of the United States, the 2022 Olympic champion, ranked second in 37

Dec. 4, 2023

Hyundai Motor chief reaffirms commitment to support Korean archery

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun on Friday reiterated the automaker’s unwavering support for Korean archery, emphasizing the need to find ways for archery to contribute to the society. “In the mid to long term, (we) should put in effort to (bring archery) closer to the public and we must think about how archery can contribute to our society and act on it,” said Chung at an event held at Grand Walkerhill Seoul to commemorate the 60th anniversary of South Korean a

Dec. 1, 2023

Suwon Fencing Federation seeks to foster dreams of youth athletes

Despite not being the most populous country in Asia, South Korea has won more fencing medals than any other state in Asian Games history, winning 134 to edge out China by two as of 2023. At the root of such success are efforts to aid growth of young prospects in the sport, such as Suwon Fencing Federation’s Korea Club Championship - Fencing that took place at Aju University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 11-12. The event was attended by some 100 athletes from elementary, middle and h

Nov. 24, 2023

T1, Faker unrivaled at 2023 LoL World Championship

  Korea's League of Legends team T1 has hoisted the Summoner’s Cup for the first time in seven years, beating the Pro League’s Weibo Gaming of China in the LoL World Championship Finals on Sunday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, southern Seoul. Sunday night's victory marked T1 and team superstar Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s fourth win in the World Championship following stunning victories in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Faker became the player with the most championship tit

Nov. 20, 2023

South Korea's T1 win record fourth League of Legends world title

South Korean powerhouse T1 swept aside China's Weibo Gaming on Sunday to clinch a record fourth League of Legends world championship, widely considered the Super Bowl of e-sports. T1 won three straight games in the best-of-five final at the Gocheok Sky Dome stadium in the South Korean capital, roared on by a capacity crowd of 18,000. Legions of fans descended on Seoul for the final of the League of Legends world championship, which has rapidly grown since the first edition in 2011 into one

Nov. 19, 2023

Minjee Lee grabs 36-hole lead at LPGA stop in S. Korea

Australian star Minjee Lee seized a 36-hole lead at the lone LPGA tournament in South Korea on Friday. Lee, born in Perth to Korean parents, shot a three-under 69 to reach 11-under at the BMW Ladies Championship at Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, northwest of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. Lee, who counts two majors among her nine LPGA titles, recorded four birdies against one bogey. She sits two strokes ahead of Alison Lee of the United States and Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa

Oct. 20, 2023

League of Legends fans question impartiality of Swiss stage draw

A total of 16 League of Legends esports teams started competing for the grand prize of the Summoner’s Cup at the annual LoL World Championship on Thursday. But some esports fans are questioning the fairness of the tournament. Controversy erupted Thursday night when an online post surfaced with a screenshot image of the Swiss stage draw. The Swiss stage is a newly introduced nonelimination tournament that offers a fixed number of matches, allowing the players to qualify for the next round b

Oct. 20, 2023

Korean sports administrator Kim Jae-youl elected as IOC member

South Korean sports administrator Kim Jae-youl was elected as a new member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday, becoming the 12th person from the country to join the top Olympic body. Kim, 55, was one of eight new members whose candidacy was ratified during the IOC Session in Mumbai, about a month after the IOC's Executive Board first recommended their nomination. The vote by IOC members at the session was considered a formality. A successful candidate needed a majority

Oct. 17, 2023

N. Korea dominates in weightlifting in return to int'l sports competition

HANGZHOU(Yonhap) -- Marking its return to international multisport competition after a five-year absence, North Korea dominated in weightlifting at the 19th Asian Games in China. Athletes and officials from the reclusive regime also generated headlines away from the field of play in and around Hangzhou. North Korea had been absent from the past two major international sports competitions. It skipped the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021, citing COVID-19 concerns. The International Olympic Committe

Oct. 9, 2023

19th Asian Games draw to conclusion with ceremony celebrating memories of Hangzhou

HANGZHOU (Yonhap) -- The 19th Asian Games ended Sunday with a celebration of the memories created over the past two weeks in the Chinese host city of Hangzhou. With nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 nations in action, this was the largest-ever edition of the Asian Games, which began in 1951. These competitors vied for 481 gold medals in 61 disciplines in 40 sports. The Hangzhou Asiad was initially set for September 2022 but was postponed by a year due to lingering COVID-19 concerns. China made it

Oct. 9, 2023

Men's, women's nat'l volleyball coaches let go after disappointing Asiad

The South Korean volleyball governing body announced Sunday it has parted ways with the head coaches of both the men's and women's national teams, in light of their disappointing performances at the 19th Asian Games in China. The Korea Volleyball Association (KVA) said Im Do-hun, the men's coach, will not be brought back after his contract expired following his team's early exit from the Asian Games tournament in Hangzhou in late September. For the women's team, Cesar He

Oct. 8, 2023

Hyundai’s decadeslong support for archery pays off at Asian Games

Hyundai Motor Group’s decadeslong sponsorship for the Korean archery team has once again stepped into the spotlight as the national team swept up a total of 11 medals across individual and team categories over the past week at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Industry watchers say the Korean auto giant’s systemic support, led by Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his son and Executive Chair Chung Euisun, has laid the foundation for the national team to demonstrate their f

Oct. 8, 2023

Swimmer Kim Woo-min, archer Lim Si-hyeon voted S. Korean MVPs

Swimmer Kim Woo-min and archer Lim Si-hyeon, who each won three gold medals for South Korea at the 19th Asian Games in China, were named the country's male and female most valuable players of the competition on Sunday. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced the results of the voting cast by members of the South Korean media covering the continental competition in Hangzhou during its wrap-up press conference. The Asiad will draw to a conclusion with the closing ceremony scheduled

Oct. 8, 2023

World badminton champ An Se-young claims Asian Games singles gold

HANGZHOU, China -- Reigning world champion An Se-young claimed the women's singles badminton title at the 19th Asian Games on Saturday, becoming the first South Korean to win the Asiad gold in 29 years. An beat China's Chen Yu Fei 2-1 (21-18, 17-21, 21-8) in the women's singles final at Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China. This medal is An's first singles title at the Asian Games and the second gold at the Hangzhou Games following the one in the women's team event. I

Oct. 8, 2023

S. Korean women dominate recurve archery at Asian Games

South Korean women's archery team continued its dominance in the recurve archery of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, winning gold medal in the team event on Friday while two South Koreans cometed in the finals of the individual event on Saturday. Lim Si-hyeon beat her compatriot An San 6-0 in the finals held in Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre, winning her third gold medal in the Asian Game. The two archers and their teammate Choi Mi-sun had won the gold medal in the women's recurve team

Oct. 7, 2023

Mun Hye-gyeong wins women's singles gold in soft tennis

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea's Mun Hye-gyeong struck gold in the women's singles event in soft tennis at the Asian Games on Saturday, bringing the country its first soft tennis title in China. Mun defeated Noa Takahashi of Japan 4-0 (4-2, 4-2, 4-0, 4-0) at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre in Hangzhou. Before Mun's breakthrough, South Korea previously won bronze medals in the men's and women's team events, mixed doubles and men's singles. In soft tenn

Oct. 7, 2023

S. Korean Lim Si-hyeon wins women's recurve archery gold over teammate An San

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korean archer Lim Si-hyeon defeated teammate An San for the gold medal in the women's individual recurve event at the Asian Games in China on Saturday. Lim beat An by the set score of 6-0 at Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou on the last day of archery competition here. Lim became the second triple gold medalist for South Korea in Hangzhou, after swimmer Kim Woo-min. Lim had earlier won gold medals in the mixed team and women's team events. Lim is also th

Oct. 7, 2023

So Chae-won wins silver, Yang Jae-hoo wins bronze in compound archery

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea picked up two medals in compound archery at the Asian Games in China on Saturday, the final day of archery. So Chae-won took silver in the women's individual compound after losing to Jyothi Surekha Vennam of India 149-145 at Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou. It was So's third medal in Hangzhou, after her silver in the compound mixed team event and bronze in the women's team event. In the individual compound final, archers each take 15 arrows,

Oct. 7, 2023

Ju-jitsu champion soars to gold after starting career by chance

HANGZHOU, China -- Koo Bon-cheol brought South Korea its first gold medal in the martial art of ju-jitsu at the ongoing Asian Games on Friday, the high point of a career launched by an innocent mistake. Now 26, Koo signed up for a membership at a local gym when he was 20, hoping to learn mixed martial arts (MMA) as a hobby -- except that the place wasn't teaching MMA. "After a while, I realized the gym was specifically built for ju-jitsu," Koo said after capturing gold in the me

Oct. 6, 2023