Journalist

Kang Sang Heon
  • South Korea Targets Top-10 Finish at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Eyes Key Medal Day
    South Korea Targets Top-10 Finish at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Eyes Key Medal Day The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are about to begin, and South Korea are aiming to return to the overall top 10. The delegation expects a pivotal “golden day” late in the Games on Feb. 21 (Korea time). The Olympics open with a Feb. 6 ceremony and run for 17 days. South Korea are sending 71 athletes across six sports, with a goal of three gold medals and a top-10 finish. Lee Soo Kyung, president of the Korea Skating Union and head of the delegation, said at Incheon International Airport on Jan. 30, “I hope we can win three gold medals, and I think a surprise star will emerge.” South Korea last finished in the top 10 in the Winter Olympics medal table at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, placing seventh with five gold, eight silver and four bronze medals. Their most recent top-10 finish at an Olympics held abroad was fifth at the 2010 Vancouver Games (six gold, six silver, two bronze). South Korea also placed in the top 10 at Lillehammer in 1994 (sixth), Nagano in 1998 (ninth) and Turin in 2006 (seventh). At the 2022 Beijing Games, they finished 14th (two gold, five silver, two bronze). South Korea’s medal chase begins Feb. 8, the day after the opening ceremony. Lee Sang Ho, a silver medalist at Pyeongchang, will try to deliver the first medal in men’s parallel giant slalom snowboarding, where he is viewed as a dark horse. The first gold could come Feb. 10, when the short track team race in the mixed 2,000-meter relay. On Feb. 13, Choi Ga On will go for gold in the women’s halfpipe snowboarding final after winning three International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup events ahead of the Olympics. The short track men’s 1,000 final is also scheduled that day, with Lim Jong Eon, Hwang Dae Heon and Shin Dong Min entered. The men’s figure skating free skate, featuring Cha Jun Hwan, is set for Feb. 14. Cha, who finished fifth in Beijing, is seeking South Korea’s first Olympic medal by a male figure skater. On Feb. 15, Lim, Hwang and Shin will skate the short track men’s 1,500 final, a key event for South Korea as they aim for a third straight Olympic gold in the distance after Pyeongchang and Beijing. Speed skaters Kim Min Sun and Lee Na Hyun will compete in the women’s 500 on Feb. 16. That day, short track skaters Choi Min Jeong, Kim Gil Li and Noh Do Hee will race the women’s 1,000. The women’s short track team are also scheduled for the 3,000 relay on Feb. 19. The women’s figure skating free skate is on Feb. 20, with Shin Ji A hoping to contend for a medal. Feb. 21 is expected to be South Korea’s “golden day.” The short track women’s 1,500 final, their top gold-medal target, is scheduled then with Choi Min Jeong, Kim Gil Li and Noh entered. Choi is trying to win a third straight Olympic title in the event after Pyeongchang and Beijing. The men’s team will also race the 5,000 relay that day. In speed skating, Jung Jae Won is set to compete in the men’s mass start, with expectations he can improve on his silver medal from Beijing.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-04 00:03:27
  • Mizuno Korea Launches JPX ONE Driver With First-Ever Nanoalloy Face
    Mizuno Korea Launches JPX ONE Driver With First-Ever Nanoalloy Face Mizuno Korea said Monday it has released the 2026 JPX ONE driver, the first driver to use a “nanoalloy face.” The JPX ONE driver is a new lineup aimed at delivering faster ball speed, high forgiveness and Mizuno’s distinctive impact feel. The “ONE” name replaces the previous JPX 923 and 925 naming, and is intended to signal a new start and an aim for No. 1, the company said. At the center of the club is the NANOALLOY™ FACE, which Mizuno Korea said is the first time the technology has been applied to a golf club head. Nanoalloy is a proprietary material technology developed by Japan’s Toray Industries Inc. that becomes momentarily softer when struck, the company said. Mizuno said it applied a 0.4 mm nanoalloy layer on top of a forged titanium face (6-4Ti). The company said the face deforms first at impact, limiting excessive deformation of the golf ball and improving energy transfer efficiency to achieve its highest ball speed to date. In its own robot testing, Mizuno said the nanoalloy face produced the fastest ball speed compared with nylon, urethane and titanium materials. Mizuno said the nanoalloy face also deforms more across the entire face at impact, helping reduce ball-speed loss on off-center hits and maintain distance. The company said its NEW CORTECH FACE design makes the forged face thinner, expanding the area with a coefficient of restitution (COR) of 0.8 or higher and maximizing the nanoalloy effect. The driver uses a Light Composite Carbon Crown to reduce weight in the upper part of the head, and a Ti811 body and weight-part design to help keep head balance stable at impact, Mizuno said. The face design was kept simple to avoid distracting players. The model targets golfers with average head speed, with a focus on high rebound and forgiveness, and is based on the stable forgiveness design of the ST-MAX line, the company said. Mizuno said the JPX ONE fairway woods are designed to combine high speed and forgiveness. They use a CORTECH CHAMBER in the sole, made by integrally molding TPU with a steel-core stainless component, which the company said improves rebound performance by combining TPU rebound with the stainless component’s inertia. For the new products, Mizuno said it widened the gap between the steel core and the body, allowing the face to flex more and helping prevent ball-speed drops on mishits. The company also applied its CORTECH FACE technology, with a thicker center and thinner perimeter to amplify face flex. Compared with the previous model, it said the center section was made thinner to increase deformation and pursue higher rebound performance. Mizuno said it also extended the carbon composite crown to the sole toe side to free up discretionary weight and enable a high moment of inertia (MOI) design. Mizuno said the JPX ONE utility clubs also use the improved CORTECH CHAMBER structure to enhance rebound and minimize ball-speed loss on off-center strikes by widening the gap between the steel core and the body. The face uses a high-strength maraging steel (MAS1C), which the company said allows a thinner face while maintaining high rebound performance. Mizuno said a waffle crown structure reduces weight while maintaining strength, freeing up discretionary weight and enabling a high-MOI design. A Mizuno Korea official said, “The JPX ONE driver is a symbolic model that applies the material technology Mizuno has built up as a total sports brand to golf,” adding, “For golfers with average head speed who want to gain distance more easily, it will set a new standard for JPX.” Mizuno Korea said the new JPX ONE driver and woods are available at its official dealers nationwide and its official online store. More details are available on the Mizuno Korea website.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-03 18:00:00
  • Korean Golf Club Signs Amazingcrea as LIV Golf 2026 Apparel Partner
    Korean Golf Club Signs Amazingcrea as LIV Golf 2026 Apparel Partner Korean Golf Club (GC), a team on LIV Golf, said Monday it has signed a new partnership with Amazingcrea, a premium South Korean golfwear brand that designs performance apparel based on real golfers’ movement. Under the deal, Korean GC players will wear Amazingcrea apparel throughout LIV Golf’s 2026 season, which includes 14 tournaments in 10 countries across five continents. Amazingcrea said it will supply apparel built on its design philosophy, “Alexis_9,” which applies human-movement engineering. The company said it analyzes a golfer’s body using nine axes of rotation and a nine-section body map to reduce resistance during the swing and increase freedom of rotation. “Korean GC was created to represent South Korea’s competitiveness on the global stage, and Amazingcrea shares the same philosophy of delivering precision through design,” said Martin Kim, the team’s representative. “Their apparel starts with how the body moves, and that approach aligns with how our players prepare, compete and perform.” Amazingcrea highlighted its Coffin Ventilation technology, which uses a seamless mesh panel on the back — where body heat builds most during a swing — to create a feel closer to airflow passing through the garment. The company also cited its Accordio Band, designed to expand naturally with the swing to maximize range of motion and reduce resistance. “Amazingcrea was created to deliver perfect performance through outstanding, innovative design,” CEO In Gi Wan said. He said seeing players representing South Korea on the global stage wearing apparel built on the brand’s human-movement engineering “most clearly shows the essence of the brand: clothing that moves with the golfer.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-03 15:06:00
  • Amy Yang finishes runner-up at shortened LPGA season opener
    Amy Yang finishes runner-up at shortened LPGA season opener SEOUL, February 2 (AJP) - Amy Yang finished runner-up at this year's LPGA Tour season opener, which was reduced to 54 holes due to bitter cold and strong gusts in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. With the fourth and final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions canceled due to freezing temperatures, Yang, who shot 10-under 206 through the first three rounds, finished second, three shots behind Nelly Korda of the U.S. Without having to hit a single shot on Sunday, Korda, who went winless last season, opened this season by claiming her 16th LPGA career victory, the first in 14 months, earning US$315,000 from the $2.1 million prize purse. Yang was aiming for her seventh LPGA victory since winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June 2024, but will have to wait for next time. Meanwhile, Hwang You-min, making her LPGA debut, tied for fifth at 5-under 211 with Japan's Miyu Yamashita. Last year's champion Kim A-lim ended in a tie for ninth at 3-under 213, along with Lee So-mi and Ryu Hae-ran. 2026-02-02 10:24:06
  • Forum Urges Sustainable Use of Pyeongchang Olympic Legacy for Winter Sports Tourism
    Forum Urges Sustainable Use of Pyeongchang Olympic Legacy for Winter Sports Tourism The 'K-Winter Sports Tourism Global Competitiveness Forum' was held on Jan. 27 at the Athens Hall of the Olympic Parktel in Seoul to discuss the future of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics legacy and ways to boost winter sports tourism. Discussions centered on how to use key Olympic facilities — including Pyeongchang Alpensia and the Jeongseon Alpine Ski Center — as sustainable assets embedded in local communities and industry, rather than limiting debate to whether they should be dismantled. Environmental issues were treated as matters to manage and consider, but the focus remained on practical strategies to keep the legacy in active use. The forum was co-hosted by the Korea Sports Tourism Marketing Association, the Korea Sports Industry Association and the Asian Ski Federation. Kim Nak Gon, head of a residents' committee in Sukam-ri, Jeongseon, attended along with about 40 Jeongseon residents, who shared local views on how the facilities should be used. Rep. Jin Jong Oh of the People Power Party said in congratulatory remarks that world-class venues such as the Jeongseon Alpine Ski Center should not be easily given up and should be considered national assets. He said institutions and policies should support their use so they can contribute to tourism, local economies and jobs. Kim Jin Sun, who served as the first chairman of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organizing committee and is a former Gangwon governor, said environmental considerations are a given, but the more important choice is how to carry the facilities forward with the region. He said Olympic legacy sites are public assets whose value should be increased through management and use, not dismantling. In a keynote presentation, Kim Ki Hong, a former secretary-general of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organizing committee, said debate over the legacy has moved beyond simple pro-and-con positions. He said the time has come to develop workable on-the-ground models and operating strategies, rather than continuing what he called wasteful arguments over whether to keep the facilities. He added that Olympic venues, including the Jeongseon Alpine Ski Center, have strong potential to link international competitions, national team training and visitor experiences. Kim Tae Dong, a researcher at the Gangwon Research Institute, said the Jeongseon Alpine Ski Center is the only facility in South Korea that meets international standards for an Olympic downhill course, calling it irreplaceable sports infrastructure. He said it should be developed into a key hub for winter sports tourism through systematic management and phased-use strategies, rather than short-term cost calculations. He said a combined-use model linking training, competitions and experiential tourism could also help expand longer-stay tourism in Jeongseon and across the Gangwon region. Seok Kang Hun, a professor at the Korea National University of Transportation, said major overseas Winter Olympics host countries use venues for multiple functions rather than a single purpose. He said sustainability is secured when international events, athlete development and programs for general tourists operate together. Han Seung Jin, a professor at Eulji University, said the Olympic legacy debate is not about whether to leave facilities behind, but how they will be used. He said sustainability requires designing repeatable uses along with an operating body and a funding model.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 17:45:45
  • Kim Sei Young, Kim A Lim and Choi Hye Jin named among 15 LPGA players to watch in 2026
    Kim Sei Young, Kim A Lim and Choi Hye Jin named among 15 LPGA players to watch in 2026 Kim Sei Young, Kim A Lim and Choi Hye Jin were named among 15 players to watch for the LPGA Tour’s upcoming 2026 season. Golf Digest announced its list on Tuesday (Korea time) ahead of the season opener. The three were the only South Korean players included. Kim Sei Young, ranked No. 9 in the world, is a 13-time LPGA winner. She won the BMW Ladies Championship in October last year to add her first title since November 2020. Golf Digest said Kim had one win and 10 top-10 finishes last season, and led the tour in par-5 scoring average at 4.55. Kim A Lim won last season’s LPGA opener, the Hilton Grand Vacations Champions Tournament. The magazine noted she did not win again after the opener but posted nine top-10 finishes. It also cited her major record, saying she won the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open and later tied for fourth at the AIG Women’s British Open, coming close to another major title. Choi, who has not won on tour, has created plenty of chances, the magazine said. She finished in the top 10 nine times, the most among players without a win, and has 29 career top-10 finishes. “This year,” it said, “will be worth watching to see if she can lift a trophy.” The list also included world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, No. 2 Nelly Korda of the United States, No. 3 Minjee Lee of Australia and No. 4 Miyu Yamashita of Japan, along with Lottie Woad of England; Yana Wilson of the United States; Japan’s Chisato Iwai, Akie Iwai, Yamashita and Mao Saigo; Lindy Duncan of the United States; Charley Hull of England; and Gaby Lopez of Mexico. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-01-28 17:30:00
  • Korea Sports Council Vows Zero Tolerance in Ski National Team Selection Probe
    Korea Sports Council Vows Zero Tolerance in Ski National Team Selection Probe The Korea Sports Council said it will take strict action under a zero-tolerance policy over allegations of match-fixing and unfairness in selecting national team athletes in skiing. The council said Tuesday that it is “actively cooperating” with an ongoing police investigation. It said that if authorities confirm match-fixing, improper interference in selections or conflicts of interest that undermined fairness, it will act “regardless of position, relationships or past practices,” applying a zero-tolerance standard. In the sports community, questions have been raised about whether an unsuitable person was involved with a Korea Ski Association committee during the selection process for the national team in snowboard cross. The council said it asked the Korea Ski Association last year to improve its system to ensure fair national team selections. It said it has prepared revisions to its “National Team Selection and Operations Regulations” to, in principle, exclude people with a stake in the outcome from the selection process. The proposed revisions are set to be reviewed and voted on at the council’s board meeting in February. The council said it revised its “Member Sport Organization Regulations” in November to establish a basis for its guidance and oversight of sport governing bodies. It said it is also checking for possible rules violations, management accountability and needed system improvements. The council said that since Yu took office, he has consistently emphasized that “fairness is not a choice but a core value of sports.” It said it will not tolerate any conduct that undermines fairness and principles, and will work to block room for privilege or cheating and restore trust in national team selections and overall competition operations. 2026-01-28 16:12:22
  • Lee praises badminton star An Se-youngs historic win
    Lee praises badminton star An Se-young's historic win SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung praised South Korean players for their achievements at the BWF World Tour Finals, which wrapped up over the weekend. Shortly after badminton ace An Se-young's victory late Sunday night, Lee wrote on Facebook that the national anthem was played three times in Hangzhou, China, saying he was "very proud" of her and other players and calling 2025 "the year of South Korean badminton." The world No. 1 in women's singles became the first female badminton player to achieve 11 wins in a single season, tying the 2019 record set by former Japanese player Kento Momota. With 73 victories out of 77 matches, she earned a total of US$1,003,175 (about 1.49 billion won), surpassing $1 million for the first time. Meanwhile, in men's doubles, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho also claimed victory, achieving 11 wins in a single season, setting a new record and becoming the first South Korean men's doubles pair to achieve the feat in 37 years. Lee lauded Seo's winning tally, which rises to 12 when including the Thailand Masters earlier this year, calling it the most individual titles won in a single season in world badminton history. In women's doubles, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na beat Japan to win their second straight title at the tournament. 2025-12-22 11:08:13
  • An Se-young named worlds top badminton player for third straight year
    An Se-young named world's top badminton player for third straight year SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Badminton player An Se-young has been named this year's top player by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The world No. 1 in women's singles received the award at the BWF's annual gala dinner in Hangzhou, China on Monday, beating competitors such as Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei of China, and Japan's Akane Yamaguchi. With the award, An became the first female player to win it three years in a row, having first received the honor in 2023 following her triumph at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. An was also voted the best player by her fellow players for the second consecutive year, a recognition that was first created last year. She expressed her thanks, saying, "Receiving these awards is both an honor and an encouragement to work harder. Winning proves my efforts, but being recognized by fellow players makes it even more special." An competed in 14 international tournaments this year and secured 10 victories, breaking her own record of nine wins set in 2023. While in the Chinese city, An is set to play in the BWF World Tour Finals later this week. A victory would tie her with former Japanese player Kento Momota's 2019 record of 11 wins in a single season. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-16 09:31:05
  • Golfer Kim Si-woo climbs in world rankings, eyes Masters return
    Golfer Kim Si-woo climbs in world rankings, eyes Masters return SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - Golfer Kim Si-woo has improved his chances of qualifying for next year's Masters by moving up to 47th in the world golf rankings. In the latest rankings for professional male golfers released by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) earlier this week, Kim moved up from 54th to 47th, marking his return to the top 50 for the first time since August of last year. The rise in the rankings comes after Kim earned a spot in the Open Championship, the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in the world, by securing third place at the DP World Tour's Australian Open in Melbourne last weekend. Kim is now also qualified for an invitation to the Masters, the season's first major for men, scheduled for April next year in Augusta, Georgia, as the tournament is open to the top 50 players by year-end. Kim competed in the Masters for eight consecutive years until 2024 but missed out on the tournament this year. Meanwhile, the top of the world rankings remained unchanged, with American golfer Scottie Scheffler at No. 1, followed by Ireland's Rory McIlroy and England's Tommy Fleetwood. Among South Korean players, Im Sung-jae is the highest ranked at 42nd. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-09 15:40:54