The Korea Herald

Korea struggles to maintain presence on ice

More sportsMar 29, 2016

South Korea is struggling to maintain its once-high profile in figure skating. Tension is especially high now, with the 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships set to take off on Wednesday in Boston, U.S.The future number of skaters allowed to participate in subsequent championships will change according to how Korean contenders fare. Less than two years remain until South Korea hosts the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018, and the country’s goal is to at least maintain the current number o
Despite subpar spring, infielder predicts postseason for Lotte Giants

BaseballMar 29, 2016

The Lotte Giants may have finished with the worst preseason record in the Korea Baseball Organization last weekend, but as third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun tells it, spring ball can be thrown out the window.The Giants went 3-11-3 to finish 10th in preseason, but in Hwang's words, "A preseason is just that, a preseason.""We all have completely different mindsets going into the regular season," Hwang said Monday during the annual KBO media day, held four days before the start of the new season. "Be it
[Newsmaker] Lydia Ko takes 11th LPGA Tour title

More sportsMar 28, 2016

Lydia Ko won the Kia Classic on Sunday at Aviara, reaffirming her position as the top player in the world heading into the first major championship of the season.Ko birdied the final three holes for her third straight 5-under 67 and a four-stroke victory over second-ranked Park In-bee.“I just kind of peeked at the leaderboard and saw In-bee was making a lot of birdies -- In-bee doing her In-bee things,” Ko said. “I knew that I needed to focus up until the last moment and fortunately I made some
Samsung Lions send message, top baseball preseason standings

BaseballMar 28, 2016

The Samsung Lions, which fell short of winning their fifth straight South Korean baseball championship last year, topped the preseason standings last weekend, reminding their competition that they could make another title run in 2016.The Lions routed the SK Wyverns 11-1 Sunday to finish first in the Korea Baseball Organization preseason with 11 wins and five losses.The preseason champions have gone on to win the Korean Series the same year on six previous occasions, most recently the 2007 Wyvern
Sanctioned pitcher signs with hometown club

BaseballMar 28, 2016

A South Korean pitcher serving gambling-related sanctions has signed with his hometown club.The Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization announced Monday they've agreed to terms on a one-year deal with right-hander Lim Chang-yong. The deal is worth 300 million won and Lim will sign the contract once he returns from his personal training camp in Guam.The KBO slapped the All-Star closer with a half-season suspension in January after he was fined for illegal overseas gambling charges. The KBO
Korean slugger Lee Dae-ho makes Mariners‘ 25-man roster

BaseballMar 28, 2016

South Korean slugger Lee Dae-ho has made the Seattle Mariners' 25-man roster, an informed baseball source told Yonhap News Agency Monday, a move that gives the 33-year-old his first big league job.The Mariners have yet to unveil their Opening Day roster. On Sunday local time, the M's said Lee had made their 40-man roster and was likely to be added to the team's 25-man roster in the coming days.According to the source, the Mariners have already informed Lee that he'd be on the 25-man roster. Lee
Korea beat Thailand to set new shutout win record

SoccerMar 28, 2016

South Korea beat Thailand 1-0 in a friendly match on Sunday to set a new national record for most consecutive shutout wins.With nearly 20,000 Thai fans packed at Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, South Korea edged Thailand, thanks to an early first-half goal by striker Suk Hyun-jun. South Korea have now posted eight clean-sheet wins in a row, breaking the previous record of seven set in 1978 and matched in 1989.For the last eight matches, South Korea, coached by Uli Stielike, have scored 26 goal
NC Dinos consensus pick to take 2016 KBO crown

BaseballMar 27, 2016

The 2016 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season promises to be as wide open as ever: most of the playoff contestants from last season have lost key players, while those left on the outside looking in opened their wallets over the winter.Yet pundits here agreed on one club to rise like cream: the NC Dinos.The Dinos only joined the KBO in 2013 but have steadily improved themselves. They made their playoff debut in 2014 and were eliminated in the first round. Last year, they finished second in th
Unified ball, home-plate collision rule among changes for 2016 baseball season

BaseballMar 27, 2016

A new season typically means a handful of changes for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), which, for the 2016 season, has instituted a new rule to reduce injuries on scoring plays and altered scheduling for its championship series.The KBO has adopted a new rule on home-plate collisions to increase player safety. It's intended to eliminate egregious collisions at home, and the rule was put into effect in the preseason.Under the rule, a base runner may not run out of a direct line to the plate
Young franchise eyes first title as 35th pro baseball season opens

BaseballMar 27, 2016

When English poet Alexander Pope penned the words "Hope springs eternal" in his 18th-century poem "An Essay on Man," the sport of baseball didn't even exist. Yet these words have become synonymous with the start of baseball season, the time of the year when every team, from the defending champ to the returning cellar dweller, starts with a clean slate.And when the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) launches its 35th season Friday, the 10 clubs will take this cliche to a whole new level and brace
Korea aim to break clean sheet record in friendly against Thailand

SoccerMar 25, 2016

After notching a thrilling victory in the year's first match, the South Korean men's national football team will be aiming to break a clean sheet record when as they face Thailand in a friendly match on Sunday.South Korea, led by head coach Uli Stielike, on Thursday beat Lebanon 1-0 to stay perfect in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with seven straight wins in Group G.The victory also lifted the Taeguk Warriors, which have already booked a spot in the final qualific
Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan looks shaky, issues first walk

BaseballMar 25, 2016

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Oh Seung-hwan looked shaky in his seventh spring appearance Thursday in Florida, issuing his first walk en route to giving up a run in one inning's work.Oh also gave up a pair of hits against the Washington Nationals at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, as the Cards fell 8-2.The South Korean right-hander relieved Sam Tuivailala to start the bottom of the eighth, with St. Louis down 7-2, making his first appearance in three days. He retired Reed Johnson on a flyo
Korea's Anyang Halla to take on Sakhalin for Asian hockey championship

More sportsMar 24, 2016

South Korean club Anyang Halla will begin its quest for its third Asian hockey championship on the weekend against their Russian rival.Anyang Halla will host Sakhalin in Game 1 of the 2015-2016 Asia League Ice Hockey (ALIH) finals at 5 p.m. Saturday at Anyang Ice Arena in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province. Games 2 and 3 of the best-of-five series will also take place in Anyang, on Sunday and next Tuesday.Anyang swept the Tohoku Free Blades in three straight games in the semifinals last week to reach the
Yang to miss Rio Games due to injury

More sportsMar 24, 2016

The reigning Olympic vault champion Yang Hak-seon is likely to miss this year's Rio de Janeiro Summer Games due to an injury, officials have said.An official from Yang's Suwon City Hall gymnastics club on late Wednesday night said the 2012 Olympic gold medalist injured his Achilles tendon during a floor practice at the Taeneung National Training Center in Seoul on Tuesday and had surgery the following day."His surgery went well, but going to the Olympics seems to be almost impossible," said the
Young forward will not start vs. Lebanon in World Cup qualifier: Stielike

SoccerMar 23, 2016

South Korean men's football team head coach Uli Stielike said Wednesday FC Porto striker Suk Hyun-jun will not start the FIFA World Cup regional qualifiers against Lebanon.South Korea, 57th in FIFA rankings, face No. 145-ranked Lebanon 8 p.m. Thursday at Ansan Wa Stadium in Ansan, south of Seoul, for their Group G match of the second Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.Stielike said that Suk, who has scored 10 goals in the Portuguese league this season after moving from Vitoria Se