Ballet, man-made snow, avant-garde art featured at Sochi opening

South Korean athletes are set to go for another top-10 finish in the medal tally in the 2014 Winter Olympics, which kick off in Sochi, Russia, Friday. Officials of the Korean Olympic Committee have said that the goal is to win at least four gold medals, which could place the country in the top 10 for the third straight time. The Wall Street Journal forecasts the country to place joint fifth with Russia and the Netherlands in terms of the number of gold medals, or sixth in the total medal tally.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department is warning airlines flying to Russia that terrorists may try to smuggle explosives on board hidden in toothpaste tubes.The threat was passed onto airlines that have direct flights to Russia, including some that originate in the United States, according to a law enforcement official speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the warning.The official said the airlines were warned that explosive devices coul

Eight out of 10 South Koreans expect their country to enjoy a top-10 finish in medals at the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics, a poll showed Wednesday.Gallup Korea said in its recent survey of 1,007 adults, ages 19 and over, 81 percent responded that they believe South Korea will rank among the top 10 countries in the medal table at the Feb. 7-23 Winter Games in Russia.South Korea has finished in the top 10 in five of the past six Winter Games, starting with the 1992 edition in Albertville, France

Speed skating Olympic champion Lee Seung-hoon has taken the first drug test among South Korean athletes at the Sochi Winter Olympics, an official with the athletic delegation said Wednesday.The official said through Tuesday, Lee is the only South Korean athlete to undergo a doping test at this year's Winter Games.The speed skater arrived in Russia on Sunday and submitted his urine and blood samples to an official from the World Anti-Doping Agency the following evening, as part of the random pre-

SOCHI, Russia (Yonhap) ― North Korea will miss the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years, an Olympics official here said Tuesday.An official with the International Olympic Committee said no North Korean has qualified for the Feb. 7-23 Sochi Winter Games in Russia. North Korean athletes also failed to earn special “wild cards” for the Olympics as granted by international sports federations, the official added. The Sochi Winter Olympics’ website lists North Korea as a participating c

North Korea will miss the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years, an Olympics official here said Tuesday.An official with the International Olympic Committee said no North Korean has qualified for the Feb. 7-23 Sochi Winter Games in Russia. North Korean athletes also failed to earn special "wild cards" for the Olympics as granted by international sports federations, the official added.The Sochi Winter Olympics' website lists North Korea as a participating country but doesn't display

Ahead of the Winter Olympics here in the Russian town of Sochi, South Korean speed skaters face an unexpected challenge: a "funny" ice surface.South Korea boasts three reigning Olympic speed skating champions: Lee Sang-hwa in the women's 500 meters, Mo Tae-bum in the men's 500m and Lee Seung-hoon in the men's 10,000m. The trio and the rest of the team had their first practice at Adler Arena Skating Center, the site of the upcoming Olympic competition, on Monday in Russia. The Olympics' opening c

The IOC is urging Russian Olympic organizers to move quickly to resolve the issue of accommodations that are not ready for accredited media personnel in the mountains outside Sochi.According to the Sochi organizing committee, only six of the nine media hotels in the mountain area are fully operational.Some media have arrived and found they had no place to stay, and thousands of journalists are expected to arrive Monday.The matter was being examined Sunday at a meeting of the International Olympi

Five more South Korean athletes have qualified for the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics, officials announced Tuesday, adding to the record number of athletes to compete at a Winter Games.The Korean Olympic Committee said two snowboarders and three freestyle skiers have been added to the delegation, which will now have 71 athletes and 49 officials for the Feb. 7-23 Winter Olympics.The previous record for the largest number of athletes at a Winter Games was 48 at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.Acc

South Korean athletes on Thursday reaffirmed their drive to put in a strong showing at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Russia.Dozens of athletes and officials assembled at the National Training Center in Seoul for their team inauguration ceremony ahead of the Feb. 7-23 Sochi Winter Olympics.Earlier in the day, the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) announced the final list of 64 athletes and 49 officials for Sochi.It will be the country's largest-ever delegation for a Winter Games.At the Vancouver W