[Newsmaker] Korea introduces measures to wipe out sexual misconduct in sports

South Korea on Wednesday unveiled a set of measures to wipe out sexual assault and abuse in sports following a sex crime case involving an Olympic short track gold medalist.The sports ministry issued an apology and introduced measures to prevent and eliminate sexual misconduct in the country's sports community, one day after Shim Suk-hee's allegations that her former coach Cho Jae-bum had sexually assaulted her for years were revealed. Vice Sports Minister Roh Tae-kang (Yonhap)"We apologize to a

Jan. 9, 2019

Olympic short track champion files compliant against ex-coach over sexual assault

South Korean Olympic short track champion Shim Suk-hee has filed a complaint against her ex-coach over alleged sex assault, police said Tuesday, adding to the allegations of violence by the suspect.Shim accused Cho Jae-beom of raping and sexually molesting her multiple times since 2014 when she was a high school student, according to the complaint submitted to police on Dec. 17. Cho Jae-beom (Yonhap)The 22-year-old Shim said that Cho's alleged sexual abuse continued until around two months befor

Jan. 9, 2019

S. Korean table tennis body to open discussions on unified Olympic team with N. Korea

South Korea's table tennis federation will soon launch internal discussions on forming a unified team with North Korea at the next Summer Olympics, officials said Thursday.The Korea Table Tennis Association will convene its competition improvement committee meeting on Friday, with Ryu Seung-min, the 2004 Olympic men's singles champion and an International Olympic Committee member, chairing the occasion.At the top of the agenda will be the potential formation of a combined Korean team at the 2020

Jan. 3, 2019

Chung Hyeon to kick off new season at exhibition tournament

Chung Hyeon, South Korea's top tennis player, will open his new season at an exhibition tournament in the United Arab Emirates this week.Chung, world No. 25, will be one of six male players at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship starting on Thursday in Abu Dhabi.Chung is the highest-ranked South Korean player but will be the lowest-ranked participant in the field, which features Novak Djokovic (No. 1), Rafael Nadal (No. 2), Kevin Anderson (No. 6), Dominic Thiem (No. 8) and Karen Khachanov (No

Dec. 25, 2018

[Weekender] Don’t let the cold stop you: indoor winter sports

As the temperature drops, it becomes harder to get out of bed. The cold is particularly taxing for sports enthusiasts because tense muscles could make them more susceptible to injuries. Don’t even mention the biting cold and the ear-numbing winds.But for sporty souls, the cold is but a minor hurdle, as some skiers, snowboarders and skaters opt to enjoy their favorite winter sports in a cozy indoors environment. For adrenaline addicts who hate the cold, there are sports facilities that bring the

Dec. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Olympic short track champion gives tearful testimony against ex-coach in assault case

South Korean Olympic short track champion Shim Suk-hee testified against her ex-coach in an assault case on Monday, saying she wanted the truth to come out and justice to be served.Shim fought back tears as she read from a note during an appeals trial of her former coach Cho Jae-beom at the Suwon District Court in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul.Cho received a 10-month prison term in September for physically assaulting Shim and three other skaters, but he appealed the decision.  (Yonhap)Shim

Dec. 17, 2018

Kim Yuna to perform at ice skating show in Spain

Kim Yuna will perform at an ice skating show in Spain, starting Friday.Representing Kim, All That Sports said Monday that Kim will star in “Revolution On Ice,” hosted by Spanish figure skater Javier Fernandez.Kim’s previous ice skating performance overseas was in 2012 in Shanghai, China. (Yonhap)“I am thrilled to perform at an ice show abroad after a long time,” Kim said. “It’s my first time (performing) to Spanish friends, so I will do my best.”Kim will donate her pay to UNICEF. She will perfor

Dec. 17, 2018

Unified Korean ping pong team takes silver at major event in S. Korea

The unified Korean mixed doubles table tennis team of Jang Woo-jin (South) and Cha Hyo-sim (North) took a silver medal at a major tournament near Seoul on Saturday.Jang and Cha were blanked by Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-4) to settle for second place at the International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Grand Finals at Namdong Gymnasium in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capital. Cha Hyo-sim of North Korea (L) and Jang Woo-jin of South Korea react to thei

Dec. 16, 2018

Unified Korean ping pong team wins 1st match at major tourney to take on S. Koreans

INCHEON -- The unified Korean mixed doubles table tennis team of Jang Woo-jin (South) and Cha Hyo-sim (North) won their first match at the season-ending tournament near Seoul on Thursday, setting up a showdown with a South Korean duo.Jang and Cha held off Maharu Yoshimura and Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5) in the quarterfinals of the International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Grand Finals at Namdong Gymnasium in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capital. Cha

Dec. 13, 2018

Improving teen figure skater determined to move at own pace

Fresh off the biggest accomplishment of his burgeoning career, South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan said Tuesday he's not going to push himself too fast too soon.Cha, 17, returned home from Vancouver, where he captured the bronze medal at the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final last Friday. Cha became the first South Korean man to reach the podium at the prestigious event.Cha scored a new personal-best of 263.49 points overall to finish behind Nathan Chen of t

Dec. 11, 2018

[Photo News] Japanese teen Rika Kihira wins gold in women’s singles at Grand Prix Final

Rika Kihira of Japan won gold in the women’s singles competition at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating held at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, Canada. Ladies free program gold medalist Japan`s Rika Kihira poses with her medal at the ISU Grand Prix 0f Figure Skating Final 2018-19 on December 8 2018 in Vancouver, B.C., at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. (Yonhap) Ladies free program gold medalist Japan`s Rika Kihira (center), silver medalist Russia`s Alina Z

Dec. 9, 2018

S. Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan wins bronze at Grand Prix Final

South Korean Cha Jun-hwan has captured the bronze medal at the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, becoming the first man from the country to reach the podium at the prestigious event.Cha scored 263.49 points overall to finish behind Nathan Chen of the United States (282.42) and Shoma Uno of Japan (275.10) at the Grand Prix Final in Vancouver on Friday (local time).Cha set a new personal best with 174.42 points in free skate at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports C

Dec. 8, 2018

Pro wrestler, archer to be inducted into Korea's Sports Hall of Fame

Late South Korean pro wrestling legend Kim Il and former world archery champion Kim Jin-ho will enter the country's Sports Hall of Fame, the national Olympic committee announced Wednesday. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said the two athletes have been named as its "sports heroes" for 2018. They were selected among six candidates after a panel of experts at the KSOC's sports hero selection committee evaluated their contributions to sports development and national prestige.  This file photo

Dec. 5, 2018

[Newsmaker] S. Korea ‘Garlic Girls’ curling coaches resign over alleged abuse

SEOUL (AFP) - The coaches of South Korea‘s “Garlic Girls” curling team, who shot to fame by winning Olympic silver in February, resigned Tuesday after the athletes accused them of verbal abuse and exploitation.　Nicknamed for their small hometown -- which is famous for farming the pungent bulb -- they were rank outsiders at South Korea’s Pyeongchang Games, and became a media sensation as they swept their way to the tournament final.　But last month they publicly accused their coaches of verbal abu

Dec. 4, 2018

Badminton star embroiled in fake service records controversy

South Korean badminton star Lee Yong-dae has been embroiled in a fake community service records controversy, although he has denied any wrongdoing. Lee said Tuesday that he voluntarily reported errors in his community service records to the Military Manpower Administration last Friday, but refuted allegations that he had intentionally doctored the documents.  (Yonhap)"In the process of registering my community service records, there were some errors in commuting time, service time, name of the s

Dec. 4, 2018

Teen figure skater looking to make history in Canada

Having already made a fair bit of history, South Korean teen figure skater Cha Jun-hwan will try to do more of the same in Canada this week.Cha, 17, will be the lone South Korean representative at the International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Vancouver. The men's short program is scheduled for Friday, followed by the free skate on Saturday.Only the top six skaters from each discipline after six ISU Grand Prix competitions -- men's singles, women's singles, pairs and ice d

Dec. 4, 2018

Korean judoka accused of faking community service records

Controversy over athletes' false community service as an alternative to active military duty has escalated Monday as a local cable news channel reported judoka An Ba-ul, an Olympic silver medalist, also fabricated his records.Winners of any Olympic medals and Asian Games gold medals are exempted from mandatory military service and required to conduct 544 hours of sports-related community service over 34 months.Earlier this month, football player Jang Hyun-soo was permanently banned from the nati

Nov. 19, 2018

Zverev beats Djokovic in 2 sets to win ATP Finals title

LONDON (AP) -- Despite beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the ATP Finals at only 21, Alexander Zverev knows keeping pace with the Serb isn’t going to be easy. 　 Zverev claimed the biggest title of his career with a 6-4, 6-3 upset on Sunday, becoming the youngest champion of the season-ending event since Djokovic claimed the first of his five titles a decade ago -- also at age 21. 　 “Oh my God,” said Zverev, who also became the first German winner since 1995. “I’ve won one (year-end t

Nov. 19, 2018

Teen figure skater becomes 1st Korean female since Kim Yu-na to win Grand Prix medal

South Korean teenage figure skater Lim Eun-soo has won her first senior Grand Prix medal to join exclusive company.The 15-year-old grabbed bronze at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow on Saturday (local time), with a combined 185.67 points from her short program and free skating. (Yonhap)This was the fifth and penultimate leg of the International Skating Union Grand Prix of Figure Skating season. Lim is the first South Korean woman since Kim Yu-na, in 2009, to reach the podium at a senior Grand Prix e

Nov. 18, 2018

Team Kim's Canadian coach backs curlers' abuse claims

A Canadian coach who guided the South Korean women's curling team to a silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics has backed the curlers' abuse claim.Peter Gallant, who was a coach of the South Korean curling team that is better known by its nickname Garlic Girls or Team Kim, said in a statement  Thursday that he stands "100 percent behind" the curlers who claim irregular, unfair treatment by their head coach and management. (Yonhap)The curling team, comprised of skip Kim Eun-jung, lead Kim Y

Nov. 15, 2018