Born three years apart, Doosan Bears catcher Yang Eui-ji and third baseman Heo Kyoung-min played baseball on the same elementary school team. Then as teammates in the Korea Baseball Organization, they enjoyed massive success together, winning Korean Series titles for the Bears in 2015 and 2016. Yang bolted for another club, the NC Dinos, in free agency after the 2018 season. Heo won his third Korean Series ring without Yang in 2019, while Yang took the Dinos to their first title the very next ye

After going six games without a home run, Choi Ji-man of the Pittsburgh Pirates has now homered in back-to-back games. Batting third as designated hitter, Choi blasted a solo home run off Houston Astros starter Cristian Javier during the bottom of the sixth inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Choi's dinger broke a 2-2 tie, and the Pirates took a 4-2 lead after the sixth inning. At full count, Choi got a 92.2 mph four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone and drove it 418 feet into

South Korea has made a roster change ahead of an eight-country match play competition in women's golf scheduled for May. The LPGA announced Tuesday that South Korea is one of three nations to bring in new players, along with Japan and China, for the 2023 International Crown, which will run from May 4 to 7 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Each of the eight countries will be represented by its top four players on the world rankings. And the countries' seedings and their four qualifi

Seven games into the 2023 season, Choi Ji-man of the Pittsburgh Pirates finally has his first home run with his new team. Batting fifth as the designated hitter, Choi belted a solo home run off Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez in the bottom of the second inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Monday. The ball traveled 407 feet with an exit velocity of 108.3 mph. Choi fell behind 0-2 in the count before battling to a full count. Choi then crushed a middle-middle fastball, measured at 94.9 mph,

The South Korean baseball league on Monday introduced a new-look committee tasked with naming national teams and developing prospects for future international competitions. The Korea Baseball Organization said its old technical committee will give way to the competitiveness enhancement committee, which will be responsible for a "fair and transparent" player selection process and for development of national teams. The new body, headed by former Kia Tigers general manager Cho Kye-hyeon,

With six matches in the books in the K League 1, defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC still haven't lost. Ulsan defeated Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 on Saturday for their sixth consecutive win to begin the 2023 season. They are now one victory away from tying the K League record for the longest winning streak to begin a season, a mark set by Suwon in 1998 and matched by Seongnam in 2003. At 18 points, Ulsan hold a four-point lead over Pohang Steelers, the one other undefeated club in the le

AUGUSTA -- Two of the four South Korean players in action at the Masters finished inside the top 20 in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday. Kim Joo-hyung and Im Sung-jae tied for 16th at two-under 286 at Augusta National Golf Club in the season's first major championship. Kim, making his Masters debut, shot a two-under 70 in the final round, with four birdies, one eagle and four bogeys. He did not break 70 in any of his four rounds here. Despite a solid showing, Kim Joo-hyung said he would not ev

AUGUSTA, United States -- A record four South Korean players made the cut at the Masters, the first major of the men's golf season interrupted by inclement weather. The second round of the tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, was only completed Saturday, after play was halted due to rain and thunderstorms. That forced 39 players to hit the course at 8 a.m. Saturday to finish their second round. When 36 holes were in the books, all four South Koreans in the field s

Son Heung-min has become the first Asian player to score 100 Premier League goals, the latest milestone in a career full of many. Son hit the century mark with a 10th-minute strike against Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. Son is also the first player to register 100 goals and 50 assists for Spurs. Tottenham won the match 2-1 to improve to 53 points, good for fifth place and three back of Manchester United. The right-footed shot from outside the box w

The South Korean baseball league said Thursday it has asked prosecutors to investigate a former club executive recently fired for improper contract negotiations. The Korea Baseball Organization said it wants local prosecutors to have a further look into allegations that former Kia Tigers general manager Jang Jung-suk had asked a player for a kickback during contract talks. Jang was fired by the Tigers on March 29 for allegedly asking free agent catcher Park Dong-won for cash in exchange for a lu

AUGUSTA, United States -- So hard is Im Sung-jae trying to win his Masters title this week that, when he found himself in early contention at the annual Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Wednesday, the South Korean player decided to stop keeping score. That's because Im was aware of the curse of the Par 3 Contest. The exhibition began in 1960, 26 years after the first Masters, and no winner of the contest has gone on to capture the Masters in the same year.

South Korea has grabbed the second seed in an eight-country match play competition in women's golf set for May. The LPGA Tour unveiled the final standings of the eight countries that qualified for the 2023 International Crown on Monday. South Korea took the second seed behind the United States. The field of eight countries was determined by the combined world ranking positions of the top four players from each country as of Nov. 21, 2022. Those countries' seedings and their four qualif

Only two games into the 2023 season, South Korean baseball clubs have already lost key players to injuries, setting them up for a tough early stretch. The Kia Tigers, already down some players, lost third baseman Kim Do-yeong for up to four months with a broken pinky toe in his left foot. Kim suffered the injury while rounding third during the Tigers' second game of the Korea Baseball Organization season against the SSG Landers on Sunday. The second-year speedster had collected four hits in

South Korean golfer Im Sung-jae grew up dreaming of winning the Masters and donning the iconic green jacket. With two top-10 finishes in three career appearances at Augusta National Golf Club, Im is hoping that dream will turn into reality this week. "I have a lot of fond memories at the Masters, and I am looking forward to this year's tournament as well," Im said in an interview with the PGA Tour on Monday. The Masters will begin Thursday in Augusta, Georgia. "Hopefully, I c

South Korea’s star defender Kim Min-jae officially apologized Saturday to Son Heung-min, captain of the national football team, amid reports of alleged friction between the two. “I was entirely wrong about Son. Son always makes such (Instagram) posts after a national football match but I misinterpreted his words (on his Instagram post) and acted irrationally,” Kim announced in a statement through his agency Orangeball, admitting to having "unfollowed" Son on Instagram