As the KTX “bullet train” to Gangwon Province passes through its final stations, visitors to the Olympic Games venue may intuitively choose to disembark at PyeongChang Station. But here is why “PyeongChang 2018” may be the most misleading name for the Winter Olympics in South Korea -- not only does the name sound precariously similar to the capital of North Korea (Pyongyang), PyeongChang only has one Olympics venue: Phoenix Snow Park, where Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard games will take place. P

Chongryon, a pro-Pyongyang association of Korean residents in Japan, is stepping up work to create a cheering squad for North Korean athletes who will take part in South Korea's Winter Olympics, sources well-versed in the organization said Wednesday. The South Korean government promised to guarantee the safety of the Chongryon cheering squad, during its recent talks with the North on its participation in the Olympics.The size of the cheering group has been set at around 170 people, and it can be

MELBOURNE (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal faces three weeks out after being diagnosed with a torn inner hip muscle during his Australian Open quarter-final defeat, his management said Wednesday.   The 16-time Grand Slam champion had a scan in a Melbourne hospital after he retired early in the fifth set of his match with Croatia's Marin Cilic on Tuesday.   "The MRI (scan) showed a grade one injury of his illiopsoas on his right leg," his management said in a statement. (Yonhap)   "He will b

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) _ Hyeon Chung has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time, following up his upset victory over six-time Australian Open championNovak Djokovic in the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win Wednesday over Tennys Sandgren.The No. 58-ranked Chung is the first Korean player to reach the last four of a major, and the lowest-ranked man to reach the Australian Open semifinals since Marat Safin in 2004. (Yonhap)After taking out No. 4 Alexander Zverev and 12

Chung Hyeon became the first Korean tennis player to reach a semifinals at a Grand Slam event Wednesday, as he continued his historic run at the Australian Open. Chung beat Tennys Sandgren of the United States 3-0 (6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3) in the quarterfinals match at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He will next face Roger Federer in the semis on Friday. Federer, who boasts 19 Grand Slam singles titles, blanked Tomas Berdych 3-0 (7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 6-4) to reach the last four. This was Chung's second en

North Korea will dispatch 15 women‘s ice hockey team members to the South, together with an eight-member advance team Thursday, the Ministry of Unification said late Tuesday night. The advance team is to be led by Yoon Yong-bok, a deputy director at North Korea‘s Sports Ministry. Additionally, the 15 members to join the South in forming an inter-Korean Olympic team include 12 players, a coach and two support personnel, according to the ministry.  Players from South Korea and North Korea pose for

An administrative oversight has cost a South Korean speed skater a spot in next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The Korea Skating Union said Tuesday that Noh Seon-yeong, initially picked to represent the host country in the women's team pursuit event, will be ineligible for the competition.At the national Olympic trials last October, Noh was selected, along with Kim Bo-reum and Park Ji-woo, for the team pursuit. As the host country, South Korea received an automatic spot in the team pursuit.

With the two Koreas having agreed to march in together at their opening ceremony, the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games can send "the message of peace" to the rest of the world, the world Olympic chief said Tuesday.In a teleconference with South Korean media, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said bringing together the two nations, which remain technically at war with each other even though hostilities in the Korean War came to an end in 1953, will represent a "powerful signal of

The head of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics organizing committee on Tuesday downplayed concerns over the planned use of the Korean Unification Flag, a joint flag symbolic of a unified Korean Peninsula, during the joint entrance of the two Koreas at the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Games."I'm aware that there are many concerns over the joint entrance behind the Korean Unification Flag. But since we're the host nation, there will be a three minute performance with the Taegeukgi as

The opening ceremony for next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympic will highlight peace by following the fairytale-like adventures of five imaginary children from rural South Korea exploring the country's culture and history, organizers said Tuesday.The Feb. 9 opener for South Korea's first Winter Games, titled "Peace in Motion," will start at 8 p.m. with the chiming of bells welcoming Winter Olympians and fans from around the world to the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, according to the organizing c

South Korean-born Russian short track speed skating star Victor An will not be allowed to compete at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, sources said Tuesday, presumably due to alleged links to Russia's state-sponsored doping scandal.Citing an anonymous source, Russia's TASS news agency reported that An is not included in the list of Russian athletes heading to PyeongChang. Other local media also claimed that An and some of his colleagues are banned from the event.While the grounds for his exclus

South Korea women’s national hockey coach Sarah Murray said Tuesday she has “mixed feelings” about having to coach the joint Korean team at the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics.At a hastily scheduled press conference at the national team practice rink, Murray said it‘s “exciting” to coach the first-ever unified Korean team in any sport at the Olympic Games, though she wished it didn’t have to come at the expense of her own players.“It‘s exciting to be a part of something that’s so historic,

Chung Hyeon continued his impressive run at the Australian Open on Monday after he beat former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic to become the first South Korean to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam event. Chung produced another upset at the Australian Open after he knocked out Djokovic 3-0 (7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)) in the round of 16 contest at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He reached the last 16 at the season‘s first grand slam event with a surprising win over world No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Sat

The men's short track speed skating team of South Korea failed to win any medals at the 2014 Winter Games, and the 18-year-old skater phenom Hwang Dae-heon is widely seen as someone who can help the crew rebuild its reputation at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics next month."I want to compete as an earnest athlete for a long period," Hwang said as he braces for his first Winter Olympics. It is not a surprise that Hwang emerged to become a new star in South Korean short track. For an assignment dur

South Korea's twin curlers Lee Ki-bok and Lee Ki-jeong have different personalities, but when it comes to curling, the two share the same dream of winning the country's first medal in the sport at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics."My older brother smiles while playing, but I tend to be a little serious," Ki-jeong of South Koreas's mixed doubles team said, claiming that the difference nevertheless brings "balance" between the two. Ki-bok will compete for the men's team at the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang