The Korea Herald

Nordic combined skier competes with pioneer mindset

Feb 2, 2017

South Korean Nordic combined skier Park Je-un said Thursday he will compete with a pioneer mindset, as he is set to face top-class athletes in an upcoming international competition.Park will take part in the International Ski Federation (FIS) Nordic Combined World Cup in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, some180 kilometers east of Seoul, this weekend. The first FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in South Korea is also one of the test events for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Park is currently the
Cutting-edge technologies to greet Winter Olympics visitors

Jan 24, 2017

South Korean engineers are preparing to debut a number of cutting-edge technologies and products, some of them unheard of, during next year’s Winter Olympic Games set to take place in the nation’s eastern alpine city of PyeongChang, its organizers said Monday.　Athletes and visitors to various Olympic venues in PyeongChang, about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, and nearby areas will be able to experience a wide range of advanced technologies and products in the information and communications techno
Tickets to PyeongChang Winter Games to go on sale next month

Jan 23, 2017

Tickets to the first Winter Olympics in South Korea will go on sale when the countdown reaches one year next month, the organizers said Monday.The organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games said ticket sales will commence on Feb. 9. It has unveiled a 30-second promotional video clip, titled "Get Your Tickets and Share the Passion," on its website.The organizers had earlier planned to launch ticket sales last October. But it decided to postpone it for a few months to further stabi
PyeongChang Olympics looks to catapult Gangwon tourism

Dec 7, 2016

As Korea readies itself to host the country’s first ever Winter Games in Gangwon Province’s PyeongChang in 2018, the organizing committee is placing heavy emphasis on highlighting year-round tourism in the rural province. 　Famous locally for its cold and snowy winters in Korea, PyeongChang is one of the peninsula’s most popular winter vacation destinations with its plethora of ski slopes and resorts. However, on a global level, the International Olympic Committee says one of the biggest challeng
PyeongChang Olympics hope to promote Korea

Nov 29, 2016

As the world continues to watch South Korea prepare for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, organizers are hoping the global event will revitalize the economy and promote its advanced technology industry.Korea will play host to the Olympic Games from Feb. 9 to 25, 2018 in Gangwon Province, nearly three decades since the country last held the worldwide event at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. However despite being more than a year away, the event is already receiving attention, especially for the
PyeongChang Olympics to raise enough funds, boost economy: chief organizer

Nov 24, 2016

South Korea will raise more than enough funds to make the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang one of the most successful and well-organized events, the chief of the country's organizing committee said Thursday.Lee Hee-beom, a former commerce minister, insisted the 2018 games will also boost the local economy, with nearly 2.6 million people, including some 390,000 foreigners, expected to visit game venues."The committee seeks to raise more than 940 billion won (US$794million) in don
Kim Yu-na inducted into Korea's sports Hall of Fame

Nov 23, 2016

Former Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na was formally inducted into South Korea's sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday.The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) already announced last month that Kim, women's figure skating gold medalist at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, is its "sports hero" for 2016. The 26-year-old won the honor after a panel of experts at the KOC's sports hero selection committee evaluated her contribution to sports development and national prestige. (Yonhap)Since 2011, the KOC's
Korean swimmer speaks out about external pressure on Olympic participation

Nov 21, 2016

South Korean swimming icon Park Tae-hwan said Monday that he only thought about competing at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games when a high-ranking government official approached and allegedly tried to blackmail him to give up on the Olympics. Park's camp recently claimed that Kim Chong, former vice sports minister, tried to force him into not participating in the Rio Games following his doping suspension."Back then, I was scared because he (Kim Chong) was in a high-ranking position," Park told rep
NE Asia sports ministers lay groundwork for successful Olympics

Sept 23, 2016

In their inaugural talks that wrapped up here Friday, the sports ministers of South Korea, China and Japan laid the groundwork for successful hosting of upcoming Olympic Games in the region.After their two-day meeting in PyeongChang, host of the 2018 Winter Olympics located 180 kilometers east of Seoul, the three ministers -- Cho Yoon-sun of South Korea, Liu Peng of China and Hirokazu Matsuno of Japan -- produced the "PyeongChang Declaration."It detailed the three countries' efforts to expand th
IOC President Thomas Bach hails 'time of Asia' at regional sports ministers' meeting

Sept 23, 2016

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, hailed a "time of Asia" in the Olympic Movement on Thursday as South Korea opened the inaugural meeting of sports ministers among Northeast Asian neighbors.PyeongChang, host of the 2018 Winter Olympics located some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, is the host of the first meeting of sports ministers from South Korea, China and Japan. It was set up to promote sports cooperation among the three nations, which will take turns in hosting th
Korea finishes 20th with seven gold in Rio Paralympics

Sept 19, 2016

South Korea has finished 20th in the gold medal tally at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. At the quadrennial event for athletes with disabilities, which came to an end in Brazil on Sunday (local time), South Korean Paralympians won a total of 35 medals -- seven gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze. A total of 139 athletes and officials from South Korea participated in 11 sports at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, which ran from Sept. 7-18, with a goal of winning 11 gold medals and finishing inside the
Korean rhythmic gymnast to perform with Rio Olympics champion in local show

Sept 6, 2016

Son Yeon-jae will perform with the world's top rhythmic gymnasts, including the Rio Olympics gold medalist, at a local rhythmic gymnastics gala show next week, her agency said Tuesday.Galaxia SM said Son and Margarita Mamun, the Russian who won the individual all-around title at the Rio Games, will perform at an event named "Rhythmic All Stars 2016." It will be staged at Goyang Gymnasium in Goyang, north of Seoul, on Sept. 16 and 17.The agency said world No. 3 Alexandra Soldatova of Russia will
2 U.S. figure skaters apply for S. Korean citizenship ahead of PyeongChang Winter Games

Aug 29, 2016

Two American figure skaters have applied for South Korean citizenship with an eye on competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics here, officials said Monday.The Korea Skating Union said Alexander Gamelin, an ice dance partner for South Korean Min Yu-ra, and Themistocles Lefttheris, a pairs partner for South Korea's Ji Min-ji, have submitted their applications for fast-track naturalization to the Korean Olympic Committee.The two teams have been skating together at the International Skating Union events
Korean athletes return home from Rio Olympics

Aug 24, 2016

The main contingent of South Korean athletes to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics came home to a heroes' welcome Wednesday after 17 days of competition in Brazil.The group made up of 70 athletes and sports officials arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at about 8:10 a.m.Hundreds of people, including the athletes' families and friends, were on hand at the airport to welcome the delegation with cheers.Wrestler Kim Hyeon-woo, who won a bronze medal in the men's under-75kg Greco-Roman
Korean athletes depart for Rio Paralympics

Aug 23, 2016

South Korea's main delegation for the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics departed Tuesday as they begin the quest for a solid performance at the quadrennial competition.Eighty athletes from seven sports -- swimming, archery, judo, tennis, rowing, table tennis and athletics -- flew to Atlanta where their training camp is based. They will train in the US city about a week before landing in Brazil.This is the first time that the South Korean Paralympic delegation will have an overseas training camp before