Journalist

Kang Sang Heon
  • Milan-Cortina 2026 ends as first wide-spread Winter Olympics; 2030 Alps may stage events abroad
    Milan-Cortina 2026 ends as first wide-spread Winter Olympics; 2030 Alps may stage events abroad The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, staged across northern Italy in a widely dispersed format, ended after 17 days of competition. The next Winter Games, the France Alps 2030 Olympics, are expected to go further, with some events likely held outside the host country for the first time in Winter Olympic history. The Milan-Cortina Games, which closed Feb. 23 (Korea time), were held in four clusters: Milan; the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo; Valtellina-Bormio; and Val di Fiemme. Organizers described it as the broadest geographic footprint of any Olympics. Olympic cauldrons were installed in both Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The two cities are about 400 kilometers (250 miles) apart, roughly a five-hour drive. The approach was intended to align with the International Olympic Committee’s push for “sustainability,” aiming for a greener and more economical Games. The organizing committee focused on using existing venues rather than building new ones to limit the heavy costs of construction. The model also brought drawbacks: athlete villages were split among multiple sites, and travel between venues stretched to hundreds of kilometers, adding to fatigue for athletes and spectators. The dispersed setup also made it harder to create a single, unified Olympic atmosphere, leaving questions about overall buzz and turnout. The signal sent by Milan’s dispersed model is expected to evolve again at the France Alps 2030 Winter Olympics. The 2030 Games are set to be the first Olympics whose official name does not include a specific city, with events spread mainly across southeastern France, including Nice and Savoie. Organizers also plan to stage official events in another sovereign country. The France Alps 2030 organizing committee is reported to have decided that speedskating will be held not in France but in either Turin, Italy, or Heerenveen, Netherlands. The move appears driven by cost, as speedskating ovals are known to be among the most expensive Winter Olympic facilities to build and maintain. Some Olympic events have been held outside the host country before. At the 1920 Antwerp Games, some yachting events took place in the Netherlands. At the 1956 Melbourne Games, equestrian events were staged separately in Stockholm because of Australia’s strict animal quarantine rules. But for the Winter Olympics, the France Alps 2030 Games would be the first to hold a specific sport in another sovereign country. Edgar Grospiron, president of the 2030 organizing committee, said at a news conference in Milan that holding speedskating abroad “was already agreed with the IOC from the time of the bid.” Organizers said about 15% of venues for the 2030 Games have not yet been finalized, and they plan to complete the final plan by June. Figure skating is currently expected to be held in Nice, according to reports.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-25 00:03:00
  • Lee Jae-myung Calls for Reforms to Ensure Public Access to Olympic Broadcasts
    Lee Jae-myung Calls for Reforms to Ensure Public Access to Olympic Broadcasts President Lee Jae-myung said Feb. 24 that South Korea needs institutional reforms to broadly guarantee public access to broadcasts of major international sporting events, including the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, amid ongoing disputes over media rights. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee cited the results of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which ended Feb. 23, saying he regretted that public enthusiasm did not build enough compared with the past despite the determination and performances of South Korean athletes. Lee did not cite a specific cause, but his remarks were widely interpreted as pointing to the debate over JTBC’s exclusive coverage. JTBC previously secured exclusive broadcast rights for the 2026-2032 Summer and Winter Olympics and the 2025-2030 World Cup, then held talks to resell rights to the three terrestrial broadcasters. The negotiations collapsed, and JTBC aired this year’s Winter Olympics exclusively. Lee praised the Olympic delegation, saying their “passionate challenge” gave the public deep inspiration and pride and that there were meaningful achievements in sports diplomacy as well. He also thanked the athletes and support staff for delivering a memorable winter to the public with what he called the “Team Korea spirit,” and led applause.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 17:48:00
  • Lee Kang-in Named KFA Men’s Player of the Year, Beating Son Heung-min for First Win
    Lee Kang-in Named KFA Men’s Player of the Year, Beating Son Heung-min for First Win South Korea midfielder Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain was named the Korea Football Association’s men’s Player of the Year, edging Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC for his first win of the honor. Lee was announced as the men’s winner at the 2025 KFA Awards held Feb. 24 at Korea Football Park in Cheonan. The Player of the Year award recognizes Korean men’s and women’s players for standout performances with both their clubs and the national teams. Winners are determined by a combined vote: 50% from the press and 50% from KFA experts, including members of the National Team Strengthening Committee and the Technical Development Committee, as well as full-time women’s football coaches. Lee topped the men’s vote with 31.4 points, ahead of last year’s winner Son, the award’s most frequent recipient, who had 29.2. The award has been presented since 2010, and this was Lee’s first time winning it. With PSG, Lee helped deliver a treble last year, winning the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League along with Ligue 1 and the French Cup. He also contributed to the club’s runner-up finish at the FIFA Club World Cup. For the South Korea national team coached by Hong Myung-bo, Lee had one goal and five assists in nine A matches, helping the team qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. In the women’s category, Jang Seul-ki of Gyeongju KHNP won Player of the Year with 18.4 points. The men’s and women’s Young Player awards went to Kang Sang-yoon of Jeonbuk Hyundai and Kim Min-ji of Seoul City Hall. Coach of the Year honors went to Lee Jung-hyo of Suwon Samsung on the men’s side and Kang Sun-mi of Hwacheon KSPO on the women’s side. Referee of the Year awards went to Kim Dae-yong, Bang Gi-yeol and Jung Eun-ju. Club of the Year went to Seoul Yangcheon-gu TNTFC, the 2025 season K5 League Championship winner.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 17:25:05
  • FootJoy Unveils Next-Generation PRO/SL Golf Shoe Backed by Tour Feedback
    FootJoy Unveils Next-Generation PRO/SL Golf Shoe Backed by Tour Feedback FootJoy said Monday it is introducing a next-generation PRO/SL golf shoe after redesigning the model’s structure from top to bottom. The company unveiled the PRO/SL at a launch event at the Westin Josun Parnas Harmony Ballroom in Samseong-dong, Seoul. Chris Lindner, chief executive at FootJoy’s U.S. headquarters, and Richard Fryer, global vice president of product, attended the event and outlined the brand’s footwear philosophy and the development of the PRO/SL with Z-TEC. First released in 2016, the PRO/SL has sold more than 3 million pairs over about 10 years and has become one of FootJoy’s signature spikeless performance golf shoes, the company said. FootJoy said the new PRO/SL was redesigned across the upper, traction system and cushioning, incorporating feedback from PGA Tour players including Im Sung-jae. A key feature is its Z-TEC (Zonal Targeted Engineered Composite) design, a zone-based approach that places specific functions where needed. FootJoy said the composite structure is intended to provide stable support during the swing while maintaining natural comfort when walking. Lindner said, “PRO/SL with Z-TEC is a next-generation golf shoe completed based on tour player feedback,” adding that because FootJoy focuses only on golf, every element was developed for golfers. “You’ll be able to feel performance and comfort that can’t be compared with anything else,” he said. Choi Seung-bin, a FootJoy brand ambassador who competes on the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association Tour, said he was impressed by the firm support in the lower body during the swing. “I could clearly feel improved stability and traction, especially at impact,” he said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 16:27:00
  • Michelle Wie West to Return in Virtual Reality Golf League WTGL After 2023 Retirement
    Michelle Wie West to Return in Virtual Reality Golf League WTGL After 2023 Retirement Michelle Wie West, the Korean American golfer who retired in 2023, is returning to competition through WTGL, a virtual reality golf league. TMRW Sports, which runs the league, announced on the 24th that Wie West will join WTGL, set to launch in the 2026-2027 season. TMRW Sports, led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has operated TGL since last season, a virtual reality golf competition featuring PGA Tour players. TGL matches combine screen-based simulator play with a purpose-built venue featuring a “Green Zone” designed to resemble a real putting surface. WTGL, a women’s league, is scheduled to begin in the 2026-2027 season. Players committed so far, in addition to Wie West, include world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, Charley Hull and Lottie Woad of England, Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Brooke Henderson of Canada, and Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson of the United States. In a statement, Wie West said, “As a TGL fan, I’m very excited to have the chance to compete again through WTGL. WTGL will be a powerful platform for women’s golf.” Wie West rose to prominence as a teenager and became one of the sport’s biggest stars, winning five LPGA Tour titles, including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She retired after the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 15:49:27
  • KLPGA Winner Bae So-hyeon Signs Management Deal With BeNumberOne
    KLPGA Winner Bae So-hyeon Signs Management Deal With BeNumberOne Golf marketing firm BeNumberOne said Feb. 24 it signed a management contract with Bae So-hyeon (Mediheal), a four-time winner on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. Bae is known on the KLPGA Tour as a late-blooming player. She struggled through 2023 with a back injury but worked her way back and established herself as one of the tour’s long hitters. She won three times in 2024 and added one win last year. Her goal this year is two wins, including a major title. Ahead of the new season, Bae said, “I was preparing for the season with various possibilities in mind. Just starting the new season with BeNumberOne, which will support me strongly, gives me strength. With sponsors, family and fans cheering me on, I’ll push forward.” BeNumberOne also said it has signed KLPGA players Yang Hyo-ri (Very Good Tour) and Jo Eun-chae (Kyunghee Co.), and KPGA player Jeong Tae-yang (Kyunghee Co.). The company manages KPGA players Kim Hong-taek, Park Hyun-seo, Yeom Seo-hyun and Jeong Han-mil; Lee Seung-taek, who has entered the PGA Tour; and KLPGA players Kim Yun-gyo, Lee Se-hee and Lee Ji-young5. BeNumberOne CEO Choi Yong-seok said, “We will do our best so players can achieve their best results without inconvenience.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 14:51:00
  • 107th National Winter Sports Festival Opens Feb. 25 in Gangwon; Yu Seung-eun, Cha Jun-hwan to Compete
    107th National Winter Sports Festival Opens Feb. 25 in Gangwon; Yu Seung-eun, Cha Jun-hwan to Compete The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee said Tuesday it will hold the 107th National Winter Sports Festival, the country’s largest winter sports event, from Feb. 25-28 across Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Competition will be held in eight sports: skating, ice hockey, skiing, biathlon, curling, bobsleigh and skeleton, mountaineering, and luge. A total of 4,380 people — 2,797 athletes and 1,583 officials — from 17 cities and provinces will take part across five divisions: under 12, under 15, under 18, university and general. Speedskating (Jan. 12-14) and short-track (Jan. 15-18) were staged as preliminary events. The main competition begins on the opening day, Feb. 25. The opening ceremony is set for 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at Mona Yongpyong Bliss Hill Stay. The committee said the event is expected to carry the momentum of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics at home. Competitors are to include Yu Seung-eun, who won bronze in women’s snowboard big air at the Winter Olympics, along with South Korea’s figure skating stars Cha Jun-hwan and Lee Hae-in. Detailed information, including schedules and results, will be provided in real time on the official website. Figure skating will be televised live on KBS N SPORTS, while ice climbing (mountaineering) and luge will be streamed via YouTube on the official site.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 14:27:00
  • Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics close after 17 days; next Games set for French Alps
    Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics close after 17 days; next Games set for French Alps The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the first to be held in a dispersed format, wrapped up a 17-day run. About 2,900 athletes from 92 national Olympic committees competed for 166 gold medals across eight sports. The Games ended with the closing ceremony held in Italy’s Verona Arena on Feb. 23 (Korea time). The event marked several firsts: Italy hosted the Winter Games for the first time in 20 years, and it was the first Olympics whose official name included two place names. With Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo about 400 kilometers (250 miles) apart, organizers operated four clusters and six athletes’ villages. The parade of athletes and the lighting of the cauldron were also staged simultaneously in two locations for the first time. Verona, the site of the closing ceremony, is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Milan, where the opening ceremony, skating events and ice hockey were held. No competitions were staged in Verona. The 80,000-seat Verona Arena is an amphitheater completed in A.D. 30 during the Roman Empire, once used for gladiator contests and animal hunts. It will also host the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics, which begin March 6. The closing ceremony opened with the story of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “La Traviata,” followed by a performance featuring characters from famous operas on a giant chandelier set. The Olympic flame arrived at the arena after being carried by former members of Italy’s team that won cross-country skiing gold at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, then was moved to a structure shaped like the Olympic rings. After the host nation’s flag was raised, the flags of participating countries entered in Italian alphabetical order, starting with Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics. As in the opening ceremony, South Korea was announced 22nd. Flag bearers Choi Min-jeong of Seongnam City Hall and Hwang Dae-heon of Gangwon Provincial Office walked in together holding the South Korean flag, circled the arena and returned to their seats. Athletes then entered, with South Korea’s team waving flags and taking in the atmosphere. South Korea sent 130 people, including 71 athletes, and finished 13th with three gold, four silver and three bronze medals. The team fell short of its top-10 goal but improved one place from the 2022 Beijing Games, where it placed 14th. After a welcome performance for athletes, medals were presented for the women’s cross-country 50-kilometer mass start held on the final day. Sweden’s Ebba Andersson, who won in 2:16:28.2, received her gold medal at the closing ceremony. South Korean bobsledder Won Yun-jong, elected to the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission, also appeared on the ceremony stage. He won the athletes’ vote among 11 candidates on Feb. 19. He spread his arms and pumped his fists, thanking athletes for their support, then presented bouquets to representatives of the Games’ volunteers before leaving the stage. As music from the opera “Madama Butterfly” filled the arena, the Olympic flag was handed to the next host, the French Alps. The 2030 Winter Olympics will be held in France’s Alps region. It will be the fourth Winter Games in France, after Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992, and is set to be the first Olympics whose official name does not include a specific city. With attention turning to the next Games in four years, the two flames that lit Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo were gradually extinguished, bringing the 17-day competition to a close. 2026-02-23 07:15:00
  • South Korea Enters Milan-Cortina Olympic Closing Ceremony With Flag Bearers Choi Min-jeong and Hwang Dae-heon
    South Korea Enters Milan-Cortina Olympic Closing Ceremony With Flag Bearers Choi Min-jeong and Hwang Dae-heon South Korea’s team entered the closing ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics with smiles. The delegation attended the ceremony on Feb. 23 (Korea time) at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy, bringing the 17-day Games to a close. After the host nation’s flag was raised, Greece’s flag appeared first, followed by participating nations in Italian alphabetical order. As in the opening ceremony, South Korea was announced 22nd. Flag bearers Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) and Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Government) walked in together holding the South Korean flag. They made a full lap of the oval stadium before returning to their seats. Choi and Hwang made history in short track at these Games. Choi won gold in the women’s 3,000-meter relay and silver in the 1,500, setting a new record for most Olympic medals by a South Korean athlete across the Summer and Winter Games. With seven career medals (four gold, three silver) from Pyeongchang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Milan-Cortina 2026, she surpassed Jin Jong-oh (shooting), Kim Soo-nyung (archery) and Lee Seung-hoon (speedskating), who each had six. She also tied Jeon I-kyung (four gold) for the most Winter Olympic gold medals by a South Korean athlete. Hwang won silver in the men’s 5,000-meter relay and the 1,500. It was his third straight Olympics with a medal and his fifth career Olympic medal (one gold, four silver). He tied Lee Ho-suk (one gold, four silver) for the most Olympic medals by a South Korean men’s short track skater. As the athletes’ parade continued, South Korean competitors waved their flags and took in the closing-ceremony atmosphere. Verona, where the closing ceremony was held, is about 160 kilometers from Milan, which hosted the opening ceremony and events including skating and ice hockey. No competitions were held in Verona; only the closing ceremony took place. The 80,000-seat Verona Arena is an amphitheater completed in A.D. 30 during the Roman Empire. It once hosted gladiator contests and wild-animal hunts. It will also serve as the venue for the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics, which begin March 6.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-23 06:09:00
  • U.S. beats Canada in overtime to win men’s Olympic hockey gold for first time since 1980
    U.S. beats Canada in overtime to win men’s Olympic hockey gold for first time since 1980 The United States captured its first Olympic men’s ice hockey gold medal in 46 years, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime in the final of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The Americans won Sunday (Korean time) at Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, sealing the title on a goal by Jack Hughes 1:41 into overtime. The victory gave the United States its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since the 1980 Lake Placid Games and its third gold medal overall in the event. The United States also became the first country in Olympic ice hockey history to win both the men’s and women’s titles at the same Games. In the women’s final on Feb. 20, the Americans also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to take gold, returning to the top for the first time since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Canada, which assembled a “dream team” featuring many star players from the NHL, fell short in its bid for a 10th Olympic title. After winning gold at the 2014 Sochi Games, Canada has gone three straight Olympics without gold: bronze in 2018 in Pyeongchang and sixth place in 2022 in Beijing. The matchup drew added attention ahead of the Games amid U.S.-Canada political and economic friction, including disputes over tariffs, with the rivals meeting for Olympic gold in a sport both consider a national strength. The final was tight throughout. The United States struck first when Matt Boldy capitalized on a Canadian defensive mistake 6 minutes into the first period on a counterattack. Canada tied it late in the second period, with 1:44 remaining, after Cale Makar beat the U.S. defense with a powerful shot to make it 1-1. Canada pressed in the third, outshooting the United States 41-26 overall, but the Americans held on to force overtime. It was the third time an Olympic men’s hockey final went to overtime. Hughes ended it early in the extra period, finishing a counterattack to deliver the gold medal.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-23 01:57:00