Two former football stars will serve as torchbearers for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, a corporate sponsor of the event said Friday. Coca-Cola, one of the three presenting partners for the Olympic torch relay, said current South Korea national football team assistant coach Cha Du-ri and former national team striker Shin Young-rok will carry the sacred fire together in Busan on Saturday. Coca-Cola said Cha and Shin will run as a group with other runners. In this file photo taken on S

South Korea's unification ministry on Friday dismissed a report that North Korea has notified the global skating body of its intent to take part in the pairs figure skating competition in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.North Korea's pairs figure skating tandem Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik in September gained qualification for next year's Winter Olympics in South Korea. A local broadcaster reported last month that North Korea expressed its intent to join the competition to the International Skating

South Korean football club Gangwon FC said Friday they've promoted their chief scout to head coach to prepare for the next season. Gangwon, currently sixth in the K League Classic with just two matches remaining, said Song Kyung-sub will be their new boss. He will fill the around two-month vacancy left by Choi Yun-kyum who stepped down in August. "Song is a coach who studies hard and works with passion," Gangwon said in a statement. "Instead of looking for big-name coaches, we looked for a coach

South Korea's football governing body said Friday two veteran coaches who previously led Spain's golden days in the early 2010s will join the men's national team. The Korea Football Association said it has reached agreement with Jose Antonio Grande Cereijo and Javier Minano on Thursday, and they will be assistants to national team head coach Shin Tae-yong at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The KFA added that the two Spanish coaches will arrive in South Korea later Friday. Both coaches were part of the

From laughingstock to liftoff

The race to win the top individual award in South Korean pro football is heating up with a top-scoring Brazilian striker and skillful midfielder for the league champions emerging as the top two candidates.The 2017 K League Classic title went to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors last week with two matches remaining, but individual honors are still up for grabs. The K League is scheduled to announce its award winners on Nov. 20.The MVP is determined by votes from local football reporters. After the 12 K Leag

The flame for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games was welcomed to southern Island of Jeju on its relay journey to PyeongChang. The flame, which travelled from Athens to Incheon International Airport on Wednesday, was flown south to Jeju Island from which the torch will travel up the Korean Peninsula. Thursday’s leg in the island will span 21.4 kilometers featuring 85 torchbearers on the way.As well as road runners, the torch was conveyed on unique modes of transport. For the first 200-meter leg of the

South Korean football's technical director Kim Ho-gon decided to step down from his position Thursday after getting embroiled in a controversy over Guus Hiddink's coaching offer and a series of poor national team performances. Kim said it would be best for the organization and the men's national team if he no longer worked as the Korea Football Association technical committee chief or vice president. The 66-year-old was appointed as the technical director June 26, 11 days after German head coach

All Ryu Hyun-jin could do was to watch, as his Los Angeles Dodgers lose to the Houston Astros 5-1 in Game 7 of the World Series at home.In fact, the South Korean left-hander did nothing but watch during the Dodgers' postseason run.The Dodgers' loss at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday (local time) ended their 2017 season, and Ryu never made a postseason appearance.After going 5-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 25 appearances in the regular season, Ryu was left off the roster in all stages of the po

South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun said Thursday his country should benchmark Germany to develop the sport in a healthy way.Cha, arguably South Korea's best footballer ever, said he believes that the men's national football team can overcome its current crisis by learning from Germany, the defending FIFA World Cup champions and current No. 1 in the world.South Korea managed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but football fans have been up in arms over their performance in re

A retired South Korean baseball star will be going back to his former club as a coach.The LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization said Thursday former All-Star outfielder Lee Byung-kyu will join the team as a coach. His specific role hasn't been determined, though he'll likely be the hitting coach for the Twins' minor league club in the Futures League.Lee, 43, is one of the Twins' greatest players. He spent his entire 17-year KBO career with the Twins, and batted .311 with 2,043 hits, 161 ho

Suzy, a well-known Korean singer and actress, held the Olympic torch for PyeongChang. She ran about 200 meters with the official torch for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Incheon Bridge Wednesday. (Yonhap)(Yonhap)The torch relay started Wednesday morning, when the flame landed at Incheon International Airport. (Yonhap)Suzy posted a photo of herself on her Instagram later with the caption “Cheers for PyeongChang Olympics.” (Instagram)By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

INCHEON -- South Korean speed skating star Lee Sang-hwa realized her dream of running in an Olympic torch relay on Wednesday, carrying the flame for next year's Winter Games on home ice.Lee, two-time reigning Olympic gold medalist in the women's 500m, ran as the 60th torchbearer for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.The Olympic flame arrived at Incheon International Airport earlier Wednesday, having been lit and handed over to PyeongChang in Greece, and the torch relay got underway on Incheon Br

Reigning South Korean baseball champions Kia Tigers signed their manager Kim Ki-tai to a three-year extension Wednesday, two days after clinching the title.　The Korea Baseball Organization club said Kim has agreed to a new three-year deal worth 2 billion won ($1.8 million), including a signing bonus of 500 million won.　With Kim at the helm, the Tigers won the Korean Series over the Doosan Bears in five games Monday. It was the Tigers‘ first championship since 2009 and their 11th overall.　 Kim Ki

INCHEON -- South Korean teenage figure skater You Young served as the first torchbearer for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Wednesday, an experience she said she will cherish forever.The 13-year-old carried the torch for the first Winter Olympics to take place in South Korea, as the relay commenced following the arrival of the Olympic flame from Greece earlier Wednesday.She trotted 200 meters on Incheon Bridge, near Incheon International Airport west of Seoul, surrounded by hundreds of d