TOKYO -- Japan-born North Korean footballer Ri Yong-jik said Saturday he hopes to play in South Korea in the future.Ri, 26, played for North Korea at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship in Japan. North Korea finished last in the four-nation tournament with one draw and two losses. In this file photo taken on Dec. 9, 2017, North Korea national football team midfielder Ri Yong-jik (C) makes a header during a match against Japan at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Foo

South Korea men's football coach Shin Tae-yong said Saturday his team still needs to improve for the 2018 FIFA World Cup even after claiming a regional title in Tokyo.South Korea became the first men's team to successfully defend a title at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship, formerly known as the East Asian Cup, after beating Japan 4-1 on Saturday. South Korea men's football coach Shin Tae-yong (Yonhap)The latest result at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo helped South Korea

South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Friday that his side are ready to defeat Japan and defend their regional title. South Korea will wrap up the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship with Japan on Saturday at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. Shin's side can only win the tournament by beating hosts Japan. The men's national team opened the tournament with a 2-2 draw with China followed by a 1-0 win over North Korea. Japan have two wins after they beat North Korea 1-0 and e

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min has extended his goal scoring streak to four games. Son scored the second goal in the Spurs' 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in their English Premier League match at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time). It was Son's fifth EPL goal of the 2017-18 season. He also has three goals in the UEFA Champions League. Son has now scored in four straight matches for Spurs, starting from his goal against Watford on Dec. 2. He also fou

South Korea men's football coach Shin Tae-yong said Tuesday using a back three system was key to his side's victory over North Korea at a regional tournament.Shin's side won the inter-Korean football match 1-0 at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, thanks to an own goal by North Korean defender Ri Yong-chol.South Korea came up with a 3-4-3 formation against North Korea, changing from their 4-2-3-1 system in the tournament opener against Chi

South Korea defeated North Korea 1-0 in a men's inter-Korean football match here on Tuesday.North Korean defender Ri Yong-chol committed an own goal in the second half as South Korea collected their first victory at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo.South Korea, defending champions of this biennial event, were held to a 2-2 draw by China in their opening match on Saturday, while North Korea fell 1-0 to hosts Japan on the same day.This was

TOKYO -- South Korea on Tuesday confirmed St. Petersburg as their base camp for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.The Korea Football Association announced that South Korea's training base will be in the host nation's second-largest city. The team will stay at the New Peterhof hotel.Led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, South Korea are currently in Tokyo for the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship."St. Petersburg is quiet and provides a clean environment," said the KFA public affa

Tottenham Hotspur's attacker Son Heung-min has been named the top South Korean athlete of 2017 in a national survey.Gallup Korea said Tuesday that Son won the support of 38.1 percent of respondents to top national sports figures in its poll of 1,300 South Koreans over the age of 13. Son also came out on top in the 2015 survey.During the 2016-2017 season, the Premier Leaguer netted 21 goals in 46 matches in all competitions, setting the single season scoring record by a Korean player in Europe. H

CHIBA, Japan -- South Korean and North Korean female football players were not the only ones to go toe-to-toe at a regional tournament here on Monday, as supporters from both sides also engaged in some competition in the stands. South Korea and North Korea played their second match at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship at Soga Sports Park in Chiba, Japan. South Korea suffered a 3-2 loss to hosts Japan in their opener on Friday, while North Korea collected a 2-0 win agai

CHIBA, Japan -- The South Korea women's national football team lost 3-2 to Japan at a regional tournament here Friday.South Korea conceded the winner to Mana Iwabuchi late in the second half in their opening match of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship at Soga Sports Park in Chiba, Japan.(Yonhap)The four-nation tournament also features North Korea and China.Earlier in the day, North Korea beat China 2-0, thanks to Kim Yun-mi's double.South Korea, led by head coach

CHIBA, Japan -- North Korea women's national football head coach Kim Kwang-min said Friday his players are not competing for money at a regional tournament that kicked off earlier in the day in Japan.Both North Korea men's and women's team are participating in the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship, where they will compete against South Korea, Japan and China. Kim's team defeated China 2-0 to open the women's tournament Friday. (Yonhap)The EAFF awards US$250,000 to t

SUWON, South Korea -- South Korean football icon Park Ji-sung said Friday that he will devote himself to his new job as the chief of the country's youth football program with his European experience. Park was named the Korea Football Association's youth strategy department chief last month. It was the first time the 36-year-old took an official position within the KFA. "The KFA had been asking me to work together, but I wasn't able to accept its offer back then because of my situation," Park tol

TOKYO -- South Korean midfielder Ju Se-jong said Thursday he wants to lift the trophy of the top East Asian football competition before he starts his military service.Ju is a member of the South Korea national football team that will compete against Japan, China and North Korea at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship. The men's competition will be staged at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo from Saturday to Dec. 16.Ju, who has one goal in six international appearances, was on th

TOKYO -- South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong on Wednesday said his side is ready to achieve a successful title defense at the upcoming regional tournament. South Korea will compete against Japan, China and North Korea at the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship. The men's competition will be staged at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo from Saturday to Dec. 16.The E-1 Football Championship, formerly called the East Asian Cup, started in 2003, and this will be its seventh edition

South Korea ranks eighth in terms of gross domestic product among the 32 countries which qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, government data showed Thursday.South Korea, whose FIFA ranking is 59th, had a GDP of $1.41 trillion last year, according to the data by Statistics Korea.Japan topped the GDP list among the 32 participants in the 2018 FIFA World Cup with $4.93 trillion.The United States and China, the world's biggest economies, failed to reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. T