The Korea Herald

Park congratulates Korean shooter on winning gold medal

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

President Park Geun-hye on Thursday congratulated South Korean marksman Jin Jong-oh for winning the 50m pistol gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, praising his "indomitable can-do spirit."Jin scored an Olympic record 193.7 points in the taut final to beat Hoang Xuan Vinh of Vietnam by 2.4 points Wednesday. His victory made him the first shooter, male or female, to win a single event at three Olympics in a row."His record of taking three straight Olympic champion titles and his indomitable
Korea reach men's football quarters with win over Mexico

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

South Korea reached the men's football quarterfinals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics with a 1-0 victory over Mexico on Wednesday.Midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon scored the winner in the 77th minute at Mane Garrincha Stadium in the Brazilian capital, sending South Korea to the knockout stage for the second straight Olympics. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldSouth Korea captured bronze at the 2012 London Games, the country's only medal in Olympic football.Needing only a draw to advance to the quarters, Sou
Korean Gwak Dong-han wins bronze in men's judo

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

South Korean judoka Gwak Dong-hwan took the bronze medal in the men's -90kg at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics Wednesday.Gwak defeated Marcus Nyman of Sweden in the bronze medal contest at Carioca Arena 2, earning South Korea's third medal in judo here. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldEarlier, Gwak lost to Varlam Liparteliani of Georgia in the semifinals to fall to the third-place match.Gwak, world No. 1 in his weight class, defeated Thomas Bricento of Chile in the round of 32. He then took down Popol
Korean fencer blames nerves for unexpected defeat

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldSouth Korean sabre fencer Gu Bon-gil competed before hundreds of fans at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and with a million butterflies in his stomach.The 2012 Olympic champion in the men's sabre team event lost in the round of 16 in the individual event here, falling to Mojtaba Abedini of Iran by 15-12.It was an unexpectedly quick exit for the world No. 4, especially since Gu had never lost to Abedini in their four previous meetings.After the defeat, Gu said he tighte
Reigning fencing gold medalist knocked out early in Rio

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

The 2012 Olympic fencing gold medalist, Gu Bon-gil, was knocked out early at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Wednesday.Gu lost to Mojtaba Abedini of Iran 15-12 in the round of 16 in the men's individual sabre at Carioca Arena 3. Gu helped South Korea to the team gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and was seeking his first individual Olympic medal here. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThere will be no men's sabre team event in Rio under the Olympic rotation system. There are maximum 12 events a
Veteran foil fencer 'relieved' to get last Olympics out of way

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

South Korean foil fencer Nam Hyun-hee said she felt "zero pressure" to deliver a medal when she arrived in Rio de Janeiro for her fourth Summer Olympics.She is 34 years old, only three years removed from a childbirth that cost her some valuable training time, and with younger teammates coming off Olympic medals and other international titles, Nam felt all the eyes would be on them instead. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThat explains her sense of relief following a second-round loss at the indivi
N. Korean shooting medalist imagines 'one Korea'

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

North Korean shooter Kim Song-guk took the bronze medal in the men's 50m pistol at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, while South Korea's Jin Jong-oh won the gold.And Kim believes one Korea would have made these medals a much bigger deal. Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald"If the two become one, then we'd have one big medal at hand," Kim said at a press conference at Olympic Shooting Center, after winning North Korea's third medal at these Games. "And if we have the gold medal and the bronze medal both ca
Korea's Jin Jong-oh wins gold in men's 50m pistol shooting

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

South Korean shooter Jin Jong-oh captured gold in the men's 50m pistol at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics Wednesday.Jin scored an Olympic record 193.7 points in the final at Olympic Shooting Centre, rallying to defeat Hoang Xuan Vinh of Vietnam by 2.4 points.Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldJin became the first shooter, male or female, to win a single event in three consecutive Olympics.It was South Korea's fourth gold medal in Rio, and first medal of any kind in shooting. Jin had finished fifth in the
Former Olympic medalist takes early exit in foil fencing

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

Two-time Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee took an early exit from the women's individual foil at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Wednesday.Nam lost to Shiho Nishioka of Japan 15-12 in the round of 32. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldNam opened a 6-2 lead early in the second period, but Nishioka scored six straight points to build an 8-6 lead.Leading 10-8 in the final frame, the Japanese contender reeled off four consecutive points to reach the brink of a victory. Nam hung tough and closed it t
Swimmer Park Tae-hwan to head home after withdrawing from last Rio race

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

Slumping South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan has pulled out of his last race at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Park will not compete in the 1,500m freestyle, an official with the South Korean delegation said Wednesday, and will leave Rio on Thursday. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThe 1,500m was scheduled for Saturday.Competing in his fourth Olympics, Park failed to get out of the heats in his first three races: the 400m free, 200m free and 100m free. Park is the 2008 Olympic champion and 2012 silver
Golf returns to Olympics after 112 years

Olympic GamesAug 11, 2016

Golf will make its long-awaited return to the Olympics on Thursday, as the first round of the men's competition gets underway with two South Koreans in the field.Golf was last contested at the Olympics in 1904. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThe men's competition has lost much of its luster with the absence of the world's top four players -- Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. South Korea will be represented by two youngsters: the 24-year-old An Byeong-hun, the 2015 Europea
KBO baseball pitcher denies involvement in match-fixing scandal

BaseballAug 10, 2016

Police questioned a Korean pitcher Wednesday, looking into his alleged engagement in a match-fixing scandal that has plagued Korea’s top baseball league. 　 Lee Jae-hak, a right-handed starting pitcher for the NC Dinos, denied allegations he had deliberately allowed walks in the first inning of games during the 2014 Korean Baseball Organization league. 　 Pitcher Lee Jae-hak (Yonhap)Lee, 25, has constantly denied that he manipulated games, only to be sent to the second-tier league in accordance wi
Veteran South Korean fencer laments early exit in last hurrah

Olympic GamesAug 10, 2016

As he was getting ready for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, South Korean veteran fencer Jung Jin-sun knew all along it would be his last hurrah.He just didn't want it to end the way it did Tuesday.Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThe 2012 bronze medalist in the men's individual epee couldn't repeat the feat this time, falling to Enrico Garozzo of Italy in the round of 32."I've prepared so hard for my last Olympics, and I am upset at myself for getting only this far," he told Yonhap News Agency after h
South Korean Park Sang-young wins gold in epee fencing

Olympic GamesAug 10, 2016

South Korean fencer Park Sang-young won gold in the men's individual epee at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Tuesday, powered by a furious comeback that erased a late deficit.Park defeated Geza Imre of Hungary 15-14 in the thrilling final at Carioca Arena 3 for South Korea's first fencing medal in Rio.Down 14-10 with under three minutes remaining, Park reeled off five unanswered points to complete the unlikely comeback and give South Korea its third gold medal here."I wasn't even thinking about t
Struggling swimmer hints at return for 5th Olympics in Tokyo

Olympic GamesAug 10, 2016

Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldStruggling South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan on Tuesday hinted at returning for his fifth Olympics, saying he owes it to himself and fans to perform better than he has at the ongoing Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.Park missed out on the semifinals in the 100m freestyle on Tuesday at Olympic Aquatics Centre, the third time he failed to make it out of the heats in Rio. At 49.24 seconds, Park was only 32nd among 59 swimmers.Afterward, Park said this isn't the kind of an