The 2014 FIFA World Cup is expected to spur domestic sales and help companies withstand dampened demand in the wake of the Sewol ferry sinking.The global sports event is a good opportunity for consumer electronics companies to increase TV sales. Sales in World Cup years are usually 30 percent higher than the previous year. Though Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are not official sponsors of the 2014 tournament, they expect to reap similar benefits, and step up related marketing to make the

Brazil's Neymar celebrates his second goal on a penalty kick during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Croatia, the opening game of the tournament, in the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, June 12, 2014. (AP-Yonhap)Neymar hit two goals including a bitterly contested penalty to guide Brazil to a 3-1 victory over Croatia in the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday.Violent protests in Sao Paulo were quickly pushed to one side as drama switched to the footbal

South Korean forward Lee Keun-ho is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination. The 29-year-old was named the 2012 Asian player of the year by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after helping his South Korean club, Ulsan Hyundai, to the AFC Champions League title that year.  On the current 23-man World Cup squad for South Korea, Lee is tied with forward Park Chu-young for most caps with 63 and is second behind Park with 18 goals.Despite his solid credentials, Lee is expected to serve as a r

The opening ceremony is under way in Sao Paulo on Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)The 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Brazil on Thursday as the host country took on Croatia in the opening Group A contest, under the cloud of protests and mounting criticism over the South American nation's readiness to stage football's grandest event.Brazil is hosting the World Cup for the second time. The all-time leader with five World Cup trophies, Brazil will be looking to add to that total on home soil.Brazil has dra

FOZ DO IGUACU, Brazil (Yonhap) ― Players on the South Korean national football team have put their recent big loss to Ghana behind them as they get ready for a more crucial task ahead.On Wednesday, head coach Hong Myung-bo and his 23-man team arrived in Foz do Iguacu, their base camp during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, after wrapping up an earlier camp in Miami.South Korea has struggled mightily in its preparation for the tournament. It lost to Tunisia 1-0 in Seoul on May 28 and fell to Ghana 4

FOZ DO IGUACU, Brazil (Yonhap) ― South Korean defensive back Hong Jeong-ho, who recently came down with a bruised foot, has been cleared by team doctors to play and is doing relatively well physically.It’s the mental block that needs to be cleared, the 24-year-old said Wednesday.“When I try to make quick turns, I become conscious of the pain, and I can’t make plays I normally do because of that,” Hong said after he and his teammates held their first practice at their World Cup base camp in Foz d

CINCINNATI (AP) ― Johnny Cueto was striking out batters. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce were driving in runs. For one night, the Cincinnati Reds felt like themselves.It hasn’t happened that often this season.Cueto matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings, and Votto and Bruce ― the missing core of Cincinnati’s batting order much of the season ― each drove in runs Wednesday night, leading the Reds to a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.Cueto (6-5) followed his shortest start of t

South Korean defensive back Hong Jeong-ho, who recently came down with a bruised foot, has been cleared by team doctors to play and is doing relatively well physically.It's the mental block that needs to be cleared, the 24-year-old said Wednesday."When I try to make quick turns, I become conscious of pain, and I can't make plays I normally do because of that," Hong said, after he and his teammates held their first practice at their World Cup base camp in Foz do Iguacu in southern Brazil. (Yonhap

Players on the South Korean national football team have put their recent big loss to Ghana behind them as they get ready for a more crucial task ahead, the squad's head coach said Wednesday.Earlier in the day, Hong Myung-bo and his 23-man team arrived in Foz do Iguacu, their base camp during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, after wrapping up an earlier camp in Miami.South Korea has struggled mightily in its preparation for the tournament. It lost to Tunisia 1-0 in Seoul on May 28 and fell to Ghana