Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan headed to 3rd consecutive Olympics

Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan will compete at his third consecutive Winter Olympics next month in Italy. Cha won the men's singles title at the 80th National Figure Skating Championships at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on Sunday with a total score of 277.84. Cha had 97.5 points in Saturday's short program and earned 180.34 points in the free skate Sunday. The nationals doubled as the second leg of the Olympic trials. The Korea Skating Union determined its Olympic-bound skaters -- two athletes each in

Jan. 4, 2026

Top-ranked doubles badminton team embracing weight of crown

They reigned supreme as the world's top men's badminton doubles team in 2025, and South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae feel they are more than ready to keep carrying their crowns. Reunited as a tandem this year after seven years apart, Kim and Seo tied a single-season record with 11 international titles, including their first world championship together. And they put an exclamation point on their memorable season by winning the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, Chin

Dec. 22, 2025

Badminton world beater An Se-young says best is yet to come

Already the most dominant force in women's badminton today at age 23, South Korean star An Se-young says her best is yet to come. An made a triumphant return home Monday, a day after capturing the women's singles title at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China. The top-ranked An defeated world No. 2 from China, Wang Zhiyi, by 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 21-10) in the scintillating final that lasted 96 minutes. With the victory, An equaled former men's singles player Ken

Dec. 22, 2025

Badminton star An Se-young captures record-tying 11th int'l title of year

South Korean badminton star An Se-young claimed her record-tying 11th international title of the season on Sunday in China. An, world No. 1 and 2024 Olympic gold medalist, defeated Wang Zhiyi of China 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 21-10) for the women's singles title at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Hangzhou on Sunday. The victory put An in a tie with the former men's singles player Kento Momota for the most international titles in a single

Dec. 21, 2025

Snowboarder Choi Gaon wins 2nd consecutive halfpipe World Cup title

Teen snowboarder Choi Gaon has won a World Cup title in the women's halfpipe for the second consecutive week. Choi finished first with 94.50 points in the latest International Ski Federation Snowboard World Cup stop in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Friday (local time). The 17-year-old had also won a World Cup halfpipe title in China last week. Sena Tomita of Japan finished in second place with 88.75 points, followed by Bea Kim of the United States with 75.25 points. Chloe Kim, two-time Olympic g

Dec. 20, 2025

South Korea aims for joint UNESCO listing of taekwondo with North Korea

The Korea Heritage Service said Wednesday that it will seek to have taekwondo recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, expressing its intention to pursue a joint nomination with North Korea. The government agency responsible for cultural heritage said it aims to submit its application for the Korean martial art in March, following Pyongyang’s separate application to UNESCO in March 2024. The evaluation and final decision are expected next year. The move comes as part of the Korea Her

Dec. 17, 2025

Speed skater Kim Min-sun trying to peak in time for Olympics

Following a shaky start to her season in November, speed skater Kim Min-sun claimed her first World Cup medal of the campaign over the weekend in Norway, with a third-place finish in her main event, the 500 meters. And with the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics less than two months away, Kim said Tuesday she is trying to peak in time for the big event. "Reaching the podium in my last event (before the Olympics) gave me confidence," Kim told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul,

Dec. 16, 2025

Olympic skeleton medal hopeful Jung Seung-gi claims World Cup bronze

South Korean Olympic skeleton medal hopeful Jung Seung-gi earned his first World Cup podium finish in nearly two years Friday in Norway. Jung claimed the bronze medal in the men's skeleton at the second International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation World Cup of the season in Lillehammer, with a combined time of 1:42.66 after two runs. Matt Weston of Britain won the title in 1:42.58, and Axel Jungk of Germany took second place in 1:42.63. Jung had the second-fastest time in the first run at 51.25

Dec. 12, 2025

Marathon coach in viral finish-line video receives heavy penalty

Coach Kim Wan-ki of the Samcheok City Hall marathon team, whose attempt at postrace care of a marathoner at the finish line sparked heated debate online last month, has been heavily penalized. The Samcheok Sports Council said Thursday that Kim has been suspended from duties for one year and six months for negligence of duty, abuse of authority, human rights violations and workplace harassment. The decision came from the council’s disciplinary committee a day earlier. Controversy erupted after a

Dec. 11, 2025

[Graphic News] Lee Sang-hwa’s 12-year record falls, legacy endures

The women’s 500-meter speed skating world record, held by South Korea’s Lee Sang-hwa for 12 years, has been broken. Femke Kok of the Netherlands set a new world record with a time of 36.09 seconds in the women’s 500 during the first round of the 2025-2026 ISU Speed Skating World Cup, surpassing Lee’s long-standing mark by 0.27 seconds. Lee’s was one of the most dominant sprinters in speed skating history. She captured back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 500 meters at the 2010 Vancouver and 2

Dec. 9, 2025

S. Korea coach finds it tough to predict best-case scenario at World Cup draw

South Korea men's football head coach Hong Myung-bo said Wednesday he could not yet predict the best possible scenario for his side at the upcoming draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hong landed at Dulles International Airport, near Washington, earlier in the day in order to attend the World Cup draw scheduled at noon Friday at the Kennedy Center in the US capital, or 2 a.m. Saturday. "Playing at a World Cup itself is a huge honor, for me personally as well," Hong told reporters upon his arrival.

Dec. 4, 2025

Lee, IOC chief highlight sports' role in improving inter-Korean ties

President Lee Jae Myung met with International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry on Wednesday and discussed the role of sports in improving inter-Korean relations, his office said. The two met at the presidential office during Coventry's visit to South Korea to attend a world anti-doping conference in the southeastern city of Busan. Lee asked the IOC chief for her interest and support for the development of South Korean sports, saying he hopes to be able to "see the Olympic flag" in th

Dec. 3, 2025

S. Korea takes 3 titles at Short Track World Tour in Poland

South Korea collected three titles on the final day of the latest stop on the International Skating Union Short Track World Tour in Poland, a day after being shut out of medals. Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong had a 1-2 finish in the women's 1,500-meter final at Hala Olivia in Gdansk on Sunday, leaving Courtney Sarault of Canada in third place. Kim crossed the line in 2:30.610, while Choi did so in 2:30.656, with the two Koreans charging to the front over the final stretch after biding their time

Nov. 24, 2025

Son Heung-min scores twice, misses penalty as LAFC lose in MLS playoffs

Son Heung-min netted two goals to force extra time but missed a penalty, as his Los Angeles Football Club fell to nine-man Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the shootout in the Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs. With LAFC down 2-0 at halftime, the South Korean superstar grabbed a brace in the second half to set up extra time in the Western Conference semifinals at BC Place in Vancouver on Saturday. After LAFC struck the woodwork multiple times during the 30-minute extra period, the teams went to penaltie

Nov. 23, 2025

S. Korea remain at No. 22 in last FIFA rankings before World Cup draw

On the strength of two consecutive wins this month. South Korea stayed at No. 22 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday, all but guaranteeing themselves a favorable position for the upcoming World Cup draw. South Korea defeated Bolivia 2-0 last Friday and then Ghana 1-0 on Tuesday to close out the year. South Korea added 5.53 points to reach 1,599.45 points to remain at No. 22. The position most likely means South Korea will be in Pot 2 for the World Cup draw, scheduled for noon on Dec. 5

Nov. 20, 2025