Ulsan HD FC forward Lee Dong-gyeong voted 2025 K League 1 MVP

Ulsan HD FC forward Lee Dong-gyeong has been voted the MVP of the top South Korean football league in 2025. Lee earned the top individual honor in the K League 1 at the annual awards ceremony held at Swiss Grand Hotel in Seoul on Monday, after collecting 71 out of 134 votes from media, five out of 12 votes from K League 1 head coaches and eight out of 12 votes from K League 1 club captains. These totals amounted to 53.69 voting points, with Park Jin-seob of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors finishing in se

Dec. 1, 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

K League hands Jeonbuk coach a five-match ban, W20m fine

A gesture of placing both index fingers at the corners of one’s eyes — can it be considered racial discrimination? According to the Korea Professional Football League, the answer is yes. On Wednesday, the league’s disciplinary committee ruled that Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors assistant coach Mauricio Taricco committed a racist act and decided to suspend him for five matches and fine him 20 million won ($13,622). The punishment comes on top of a red-card sanction he had already received. The incident o

Nov. 20, 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

Son Heung-min testifies against alleged blackmailer

Korean soccer star Son Heung-min appeared in a Seoul courtroom Wednesday as a witness in the trial of a woman accused of attempting to blackmail him by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child. Son testified before the Seoul Central District Court in the case of the woman in her 20s, identified only as Yang, who has been charged with extortion and attempted extortion. The closed-door hearing lasted about 50 minutes, during which judges reportedly questioned Son about the alleged scheme.

Nov. 19, 2025

[Graphic News] Son becomes 2nd-highest-paid MLS player

The MLS Players Association revealed that Son Heung-min earns $11.15 million per year with Los Angeles FC, making him the second-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, behind Lionel Messi of Inter Miami, who earns $20.45 million. Son’s salary, the highest among 2025 summer transfers, reflects his record $26.5 million move from Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining, he has scored 9 goals and provided 3 assists, helping LAFC reach the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Athletic noted that Son’s pay could rise

Nov. 14, 2025

Depleted S. Korea to turn to new faces in midfield vs. Bolivia

With their midfield corps decimated by injuries, South Korea will lean on new faces to pick up the slack in a friendly match against Bolivia this week. South Korea, world No. 22, will host 76th-ranked Bolivia at 8 p.m. Friday at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, some 140 kilometers south of Seoul. This will be the first of two matches for South Korea during the final international window for this year. The Taegeuk Warriors will bring Ghana to Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Coache

Nov. 12, 2025

LPGA-bound Hwang You-min reaches career high in world rankings

Hwang You-min, set for an LPGA debut next year, has cracked the top 30 in the world rankings for the first time on the strength of her latest win on home soil. Hwang jumped four spots to reach No. 29 in the latest rankings unveiled Tuesday. Hwang won the Daebo hausD Championship at Seowon Hills Country Club in Paju, northwest of Seoul, in a playoff on Sunday for her third career victory on the Korea LPGA Tour. It was the domestic tour's season finale and the win could be Hwang's last one in Sout

Nov. 11, 2025

Natl. team midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong ruled out for Nov. friendlies with rib fracture

Midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong will miss South Korea's two upcoming friendly matches due to a rib fracture he sustained during his club match over the weekend. Ulsan HD FC of the K League 1 announced Monday that Lee will need at least four weeks of recovery after breaking a rib during the team's 1-0 win over Suwon FC the previous day. With Ulsan having only two more matches left this season, Lee will likely miss the rest of the year and will also not be available for the national team for friendlies

Nov. 10, 2025

Lee congratulates esports team T1 on 3rd straight LoL championship win

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday congratulated South Korean esports team T1 on winning the League of Legends World Championships for the third consecutive year, calling it a "remarkable feat." Lee posted the Facebook message, after T1 clinched its third straight LoL title Sunday at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium in Chengdu, China, the first time a team has achieved such a record in the esports' history. "It is a remarkable feat that will go down in the history of esports

Nov. 10, 2025

[Graphic News] Hwang Sun-woo sets Asian record in 200-meter freestyle

South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo has officially broken into the 1:43 range in the men’s 200-meter freestyle, achieving a historic milestone for Korean swimming. At the 106th National Sports Festival in Busan, Hwang touched the wall at 1:43.92, becoming only the seventh competitor in history to swim under 1:44 in the event. The exclusive list includes Paul Biedermann (Germany), Michael Phelps (US), David Popovici (Romania), Yannick Agnel (France), Luke Hobson (USA) and Danila Izotov (Russia) —

Nov. 6, 2025

Kim Ha-seong opts out of $16 million player option, enters MLB free agency

Kim Ha-seong has opted for free agency, foregoing a guaranteed $16 million salary for the 2026 season. MLB.com reported on Monday that the 30-year-old South Korean shortstop exercised an opt-out clause in his contract, ending the exclusive negotiating rights previously held by the Atlanta Braves, his current team. Kim began his Major League Baseball career with the San Diego Padres in 2021 and became a free agent after the 2024 season. He subsequently signed a two-year, $29 million contract with

Nov. 4, 2025

S. Korean rookie Kim Hye-seong wins World Series title with Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Kim Hye-seong has become just the second South Korean player to win a World Series title. The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto in the early hours of Sunday for their second consecutive title. Kim replaced Miguel Rojas at second base to begin the bottom of the 11th inning, after Will Smith had given the Dodgers a 5-4 lead with a solo home run in the top half of that inning. It was Kim's first appearance

Nov. 2, 2025

Twins defeat Eagles to win 2025 Korean Series title

For the second time in three years, the LG Twins are the champions of South Korean baseball. The Twins knocked off the Hanwha Eagles 4-1 on Friday to win the Korean Series in five games at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in the central city of Daejeon. This is the Twins' fourth Korea Baseball Organization championship, following wins in 1990, 1994 and 2023. The Twins won the first two games of this best-of-seven series at home, Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, on Sunday and Monday. They dropped th

Nov. 1, 2025