Journalist

Kang Sang Heon
  • Doosan E&C We’ve Golf Team Gets Early 2026 KLPGA Win as Kim Min-sol Goes Wire-to-Wire
    Doosan E&C We’ve Golf Team Gets Early 2026 KLPGA Win as Kim Min-sol Goes Wire-to-Wire Doosan E&C’s We’ve golf team has opened the 2026 season with an early victory on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, signaling momentum at the start of the year. Kim Min-sol, who plays for Doosan E&C, won the iM Financial Open, which ended April 12, delivering the team’s first win of the season. She led from the opening round through the final round for her second career wire-to-wire victory, never giving up the lead. The win was notable because it came in just the second event after the domestic season opener. Last year, the team’s first win did not come until July, more than three months later. With an early breakthrough, expectations have risen that the team can surpass its combined four wins from last season. For Kim, the title was her third career win and her second wire-to-wire victory. Afterward, she said, “Since I’ve built a good flow early in the season, I want to try challenging for multiple wins this year. I’ll keep up good performance consistently.” The team credited its fast start to its culture and support system. Ahead of this season, Doosan E&C added Lee Se-young to form an eight-player roster, aiming to create synergy by sharing experience between veterans and younger players. Led by general manager Oh Se-uk, the club said it is providing customized management tailored to each player’s routine, including structured winter training and mental-care support for psychological stability. The team said that attention to detail has helped players maintain performance early in the season. A Doosan E&C official said, “With the season’s first win coming earlier than last year, the mood across the team is very good,” adding, “We plan to keep working to create an environment where players can focus only on performance so we can carry the strong early flow forward.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-14 17:27:00
  • Union Berlin Names Marie-Louise Eta as Interim Coach, First Woman to Lead a Top 5 Men’s League Club
    Union Berlin Names Marie-Louise Eta as Interim Coach, First Woman to Lead a Top 5 Men’s League Club Germany’s Union Berlin, the club of South Korea international Jeong Woo-yeong, has appointed a woman to lead a men’s first team in Europe’s top five leagues for the first time. The Berlin club said on the 12th (Korean time) it named coach Marie-Louise Eta interim head coach to replace Steffen Baumgart, who was fired after poor results. Eta is the first woman to take charge of a senior men’s first team across the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and France’s Ligue 1. She will lead Union through the end of the season, with five matches left and the goal of staying in the top flight. Union is 11th at 8-8-13 (32 points), seven points clear of 16th-place St. Pauli at 6-7-16 (25 points). Eta won league and UEFA Women’s Champions League titles as a player with Turbine Potsdam. After retiring in 2018, she coached Werder Bremen’s youth teams and Germany’s age-group national teams, building her career in the men’s game. She drew attention in 2023 when Union appointed her the Bundesliga’s first female assistant coach. She later coached the club’s under-19 team. “I’m grateful the club trusted me with this challenging task,” Eta said. “Union’s strength is sticking together in a crisis. Together with the team, I will make sure we earn the points we need to stay in the Bundesliga.” Jeong, who has moved between the starting lineup and the bench, has four goals and one assist in all competitions this season.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-13 17:45:00
  • Rory McIlroy Wins Masters Again, Holds Off Scottie Scheffler by 1 Shot
    Rory McIlroy Wins Masters Again, Holds Off Scottie Scheffler by 1 Shot Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland delivered a commanding performance to win the Masters Tournament, which had a total purse of $22.5 million. McIlroy shot a 1-under 71 in the final round Sunday (Korean time) at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, with five birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey. He finished at 12-under 276, holding off Scottie Scheffler of the United States by one shot to earn the $4.5 million winner’s check (about 6.6 billion won). Augusta National is known for making title defenses difficult. McIlroy’s victory marked the fourth successful title defense in Masters history, following Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966), Nick Faldo (1989-1990) and Tiger Woods (2001-2002). McIlroy became the first player since Woods to win back-to-back green jackets, ending a 24-year gap. He also led from the opening round without surrendering the top spot, completing a wire-to-wire win. Over the past 45 years, only three others have done that at the Masters: Trevor Immelman in 2008, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Dustin Johnson in 2020. The win was McIlroy’s first of the season and the 30th of his PGA Tour career. The repeat win also added to McIlroy’s major championship record. After capturing his first major at the 2011 U.S. Open, he won the PGA Championship in 2012 and then the Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2014. The Masters had long eluded him, but he finally won the green jacket last year to become the sixth player in golf history to complete the career Grand Slam. With this victory, his major total rose to six. McIlroy said the challenge felt different this year. "Last year, I thought this tournament was especially hard because I had to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters," he said at a news conference. "But this year I realized the Masters itself is an incredibly hard tournament to win." He added, "Last year my parents couldn’t come, and I thought about it several times during the round. But I kept telling myself, ‘Not yet.’ This year I persuaded them to come, and I’m happy we could share this joy." McIlroy credited mental toughness under pressure and a shift in strategy, particularly on the demanding stretch known as Amen Corner, holes 11 through 13. "In the past I played defensively at Amen Corner and failed, but this time I played aggressively and it worked," he said. After losing three shots there in the third round, he steadied himself with a par at No. 11 in the final round, then made back-to-back birdies at Nos. 12 and 13 to regain momentum. The closing hole provided the most tense moment. Leading by two, McIlroy drove into the woods at the par-4 18th. He recovered with a calm bunker save and a bogey putt to protect the title. "After I hit the tee shot on 18, the process of finding the ball was the most nerve-racking," he said. "When the par putt stopped right next to the hole, I saw my family behind the green. I thought, ‘I did it again.’ I didn’t feel as emotional as last year, but I felt even happier." The win also eased concerns about his health. McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with back pain after tying for second at the Genesis Invitational in February. He then finished tied for 46th at The Players Championship. He said he built his form for the Masters with careful preparation and advice from Nicklaus. "I talk a lot with Jack Nicklaus every year," McIlroy said. "Nicklaus advised that for majors, it’s important to arrive early and not just look around the course, but go out with one ball and actually play and practice scoring." McIlroy said he practiced for four days using only one ball while keeping score. Even after the milestone, McIlroy said he is not finished. "Last year I thought completing the Grand Slam was the end of the goal, but now it feels like part of the journey," he said. "I still have goals I want to achieve. It feels different from last year. I don’t have a specific goal set, but I don’t want to stop here."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-13 15:48:00
  • Rory McIlroy Repeats at Masters, First Back-to-Back Champion Since Tiger Woods
    Rory McIlroy Repeats at Masters, First Back-to-Back Champion Since Tiger Woods Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland successfully defended his title at the Masters Tournament, becoming the first back-to-back winner in 24 years since Tiger Woods of the United States. McIlroy shot a 1-under 71 in the final round Sunday (Korean time) at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, with five birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey on the par-72 course. He finished at 12-under 276, edging Scottie Scheffler of the United States (11-under 277) by one stroke to claim the green jacket. The winner’s prize was $4.5 million (about 6.6 billion won). The victory made McIlroy the fourth player to defend a Masters title, joining Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966), Nick Faldo (1989-1990) and Woods (2001-2002). McIlroy also led from the opening round through the finish for a wire-to-wire win. It was the first wire-to-wire Masters champion since Dustin Johnson in 2020. The win was McIlroy’s first of the season and the 30th of his PGA Tour career. The result followed recent health concerns. After tying for second at the Genesis Invitational in February, McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of back pain. He then tied for 46th at The Players Championship. At Augusta National, he showed a different level of form, combining accurate shots and putting to stay atop the leaderboard from the first day and hold on through the final round for a second straight Masters title. 2026-04-13 08:24:00
  • An Se-young wins first Asian Championships title to complete career Grand Slam
    An Se-young wins first Asian Championships title to complete career Grand Slam An Se-young of Samsung Life won the Asian Badminton Championships for the first time, completing a career "Grand Slam" by winning the Olympics, world championships, Asian Games and Asian Championships. The world No. 1 beat China’s Wang Zhiyi (No. 2) 2-1 (21-12, 17-21, 21-18) in the women’s singles final on 12 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in Ningbo, China. The Asian Championships had long eluded An. She lost to Wang in the semifinals in Manila in 2022, then finished runner-up in Dubai in 2023 after losing the final to Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan. In Ningbo in 2024, she fell in the quarterfinals to China’s He Bingjiao, and she missed last year’s tournament because of injury. This time, she finally won the title. With the victory, An completed the career Grand Slam. She previously won the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, the 2023 BWF World Championships and the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. An is the first South Korean women’s badminton player to achieve the feat. The win also served as payback. An had lost to Wang in the final of the All England Open, ending her 36-match winning streak. She again asserted her dominance in the rivalry, improving her career record against Wang to 19-5. An controlled the opening game, turning an 11-8 edge into a wider lead with four straight points and closing it out with steady defense and consistent scoring. The second game shifted. After trailing 2-8, An pulled within 11-13, but she suffered a setback when she scraped her knee while defending and needed treatment for bleeding. Wang pressed the advantage, and An fell behind 13-19 as the match went to a decider. In the third game, An surged to a 9-3 lead. Wang drew level at 15-15, but An responded with four straight points to regain control. Leading 19-18, An added a point, then sealed the championship when Wang’s next attack landed out.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-12 17:33:00
  • Rookie Kim Min-sol wins wire-to-wire at KLPGA iM Financial Open for third career title
    Rookie Kim Min-sol wins wire-to-wire at KLPGA iM Financial Open for third career title Kim Min-sol, billed as a “super rookie,” captured her third career title on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour on April 12 with a wire-to-wire victory at the iM Financial Open. Kim shot a 1-under 71 in the final round at Golfzon County Sunsan (par 72) in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, with four birdies, one bogey and one double bogey. She finished at 11-under 277, winning by four strokes over the trio tied for second at 7-under 281: Kim Si-hyeon, Jeon Ye-seong and Ahn Ji-hyeon. Kim led outright after the first round and again in rounds three and four, and shared the lead after the second round to complete the wire-to-wire win. The tournament purse was 1 billion won, and she earned 180 million won for first place. Born in 2006, Kim won her first KLPGA title last August at the BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup as a sponsor invite. She added a second victory in October at the Dongbu Construction-Korea Land Trust Championship. Competing this season as a rookie, she secured her third win in six months. The most recent rookie-eligible winner on the KLPGA regular tour before this was Yoo Hyun-jo at the KB Financial Star Championship in September 2024. Kim entered the week third in rookie-of-the-year points but moved into first with the victory. “This tournament was a fight against myself,” Kim said in a postround broadcast interview. “I wavered because I made a lot of mistakes, but I think I finished well to the end.” Ko Ji-won, who won last week’s The Siena Open, tied for sixth at 4-under 284 with Bang Shin-sil, Lee Ye-won, Song Eun-a and Kim Min-seon. Defending champion Kim Min-ju finished tied for 19th at 1-under 287.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-12 16:15:00
  • Kakao VX Partners With Ourhome to Expand Food and Beverage at Screen Golf Sites
    Kakao VX Partners With Ourhome to Expand Food and Beverage at Screen Golf Sites Kakao VX, a sports platform company, has partnered with food service company Ourhome to expand food and beverage operations at screen golf venues. Kakao VX said it signed a memorandum of understanding on April 9 at Ourhome’s headquarters to promote food and beverage business tailored to screen golf sites. Attendees included Choi Gwang-ok, a director in charge of Kakao VX’s golf business, along with Shin Su-jin, head of Ourhome’s product business division, and Jeon Jun-beom, head of Ourhome’s marketing division. Under the agreement, starting in May, Ourhome products will be supplied through the food-and-beverage section of Kakao VX’s franchisee online mall, VX Mall. Store owners will be able to offer a wider range of Ourhome menu items to golfers, the companies said, aiming to improve customer satisfaction. Kakao VX said owners running locations with small staffs are expected to benefit from Ourhome’s distribution capabilities by selling products with consistent quality. The companies said they will cooperate across business development and promotion, solution design and delivery, ordering and supply processes, and operational communication. Kakao VX will handle franchisee recruitment and marketing based on its screen golf experience. Ourhome will provide a screen golf-focused food-and-beverage solution, proposing standard and simplified menus depending on each site’s cooking conditions and supporting on-site rollout. The companies also plan joint promotions to help drive sales. A Kakao VX official said the company will use its experience connecting screen golf sites and owners nationwide to develop food-and-beverage operations that provide practical help to stores, adding it aims to build a partnership model that improves both operational convenience for owners and customer satisfaction. An Ourhome official called the agreement a first step toward expanding a food-and-beverage model optimized for stay-type leisure spaces such as screen golf venues, and said the company will continue strengthening customized solutions based on its menu development and supply capabilities.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-12 15:09:00
  • Golfzon Cultural Foundation Opens 13th Daejeon: Draw and Dream Exhibition
    Golfzon Cultural Foundation Opens 13th 'Daejeon: Draw and Dream' Exhibition Golfzon Cultural Foundation is hosting the 13th 'Daejeon: Draw and Dream' exhibition through April 22 at Art Center Koo on the sixth floor of Golfzon Joymaru in Daejeon, showcasing works by emerging artists. Launched in 2012, the annual exhibition marks its 13th edition this year. The foundation said the program is a signature social contribution effort aimed at highlighting talented young artists, encouraging their creative work and helping energize the local arts scene. It provides broad support, including exhibition operations and production of promotional materials. This year's show features five artists — Kim Man-seop, Kim An-seon, Ryu Jae-seong, Won Daniel and Yoon Seung-won — presenting works that explore the theme of 'the search for identity' from their own perspectives. Admission is free. The exhibition is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the run. About 100 guests, including foundation Chairman Kim Young-chan, attended the opening ceremony on April 9. The program included congratulatory performances by the Daejeon-based string ensemble 'Hwal' and tenor Jang Kyung-hwan, followed by remarks and introductions to the artists and their works. "Through support for cultural artists, the Golfzon Cultural Foundation is cheering on artists' dreams while giving local residents a chance to encounter new worlds of art," Kim said. "We will continue sustained support and efforts so more people can enjoy art in their daily lives." Participating artist Kim Man-seop said, "I'm grateful to the foundation for giving me the opportunity to share my valued work with the public," adding, "I hope the emotions and interpretations each person feels will connect in many different ways." Founded in 2010, the Golfzon Cultural Foundation said it has worked to strengthen artists' creative energy and expand cultural experiences for local residents. Beyond this exhibition, it runs a charity golf tournament to support artists and promotes traditional culture through activities to advance cheolhwa buncheong ceramics, among other initiatives.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-12 14:54:00
  • South Korea Culture Ministry Sets 461.4 Billion Won Supplementary Budget for Tourism Loans, Ticket Discounts
    South Korea Culture Ministry Sets 461.4 Billion Won Supplementary Budget for Tourism Loans, Ticket Discounts The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday that its first supplementary budget for 2026 was finalized at 461.4 billion won. The ministry said the package was designed to limit damage to the culture, sports and tourism industries amid economic pressures such as high oil prices and inflation, while providing early support for livelihoods including those of grassroots artists. It also aims to spur domestic spending through discounts for movies and performances and support for lodging and travel, linking that demand to a rebound in regional tourism and the domestic economy. To ease financing strains on tourism businesses facing rising costs, including from a weaker currency, the ministry will increase tourism-sector loans by 200 billion won, expanding the program to 837.5 billion won. It will also invest 28.1 billion won in overseas marketing to encourage foreign visitors to enter and stay in regional areas, boosting local consumption and economies. Additional funding includes 8.6 billion won for tourism startups and ventures and 3.1 billion won to expand the Youth Tourism Dure program. To support a recovery in household spending, the ministry will issue 4.5 million movie discount coupons, budgeted at 27.1 billion won, worth 6,000 won each. It will also issue 400,000 performing-arts discount coupons, budgeted at 4.1 billion won, worth 10,000 won each, to help theaters and performance venues rebuild audiences. For non-capital regions designated as areas with population decline, the ministry will provide an additional 300,000 lodging discount coupons, budgeted at 11.2 billion won. It will also expand eligibility for a worker vacation support program to include employees at mid-sized companies, allocating 4.2 billion won. A half-price travel support program for population-decline areas will expand to 30 locations from 20, with 4 billion won, to boost domestic demand and help restore sales. The ministry also set aside funding to help artists and the content industry sustain activity amid a downturn. It added 2 billion won each for operating private visual and performing arts creation spaces and supporting creators, and for supporting touring exhibitions in regional areas. It will expand support for performances by young artists with 2.4 billion won, increase loans for artists’ livelihood stability to 32.78 billion won, and expand financial support for the arts industry by 30 billion won. It also allocated 700 million won to add staff for administering the artist activity certification system. To counter a slowdown in the content industry, the ministry will invest a total of 38.5 billion won, including 26 billion won to support production of mid-budget films, 8 billion won for advanced production support, and 4.5 billion won for independent and art films. It will also increase support, by 6.3 billion won, for creation and production through regional Content Korea Labs and business support centers. The ministry said it will newly establish a 25 billion won youth content fund-of-funds to encourage investment in young “K-content” companies that are vulnerable during economic shocks. To expand youth employment in the field, the ministry will increase support for internship positions at cultural and arts institutions, allocating 3.4 billion won. It will also launch new programs: a youth internship at literature museums (750 million won), training tourism personnel linked to industrial sites (850 million won), and an internship matching program for top talent in the content industry (1.9 billion won). In sports, the ministry will add 4 billion won to its sports activity incentive program, known as Ttunteun Money, to cover an additional 80,000 beneficiaries. It will also increase funding for vouchers for sports classes for people with disabilities by 6.2 billion won, supporting 20,000 people with monthly tuition of 110,000 won. It will spend 9.5 billion won to roll out nationwide youth sports programs that use retired athletes and sports instructors as coaches. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said high oil prices and inflation driven by the war in the Middle East were compounding difficulties across the culture, sports and tourism sectors. “This supplementary budget is an investment to respond proactively to the crisis,” Choi said. He said he expects it to achieve two goals at once: stabilizing livelihoods for artists and the tourism and culture industries, and reviving domestic demand to help energize regional economies.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-12 10:54:17
  • South Korea emerges as top travel destination for spring
    South Korea emerges as top travel destination for spring SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - With the growing popularity of the Korean Wave, more travelers are choosing South Korea as their spring destination to enjoy cherry blossoms and other attractions, shifting from the long-standing tradition of visiting Japan. According to figures released by online travel agency Trip.com on Thursday, Seoul ranked first among global cities in flight bookings for the spring travel period from March 20 to May 3. Bookings for flights to Seoul jumped 83 percent, compared to the same period of last year, outpacing growth in Japan's major cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Asian markets led bookings, with Japan ranking first, followed by Thailand and China, while German travelers to South Korea increased by about 142 percent over the past year, reflecting growing interest from Europe. Foreign visitors are also increasingly traveling beyond Seoul to provincial areas. Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province saw the fastest growth in inbound arrivals, rising 962 percent from a year earlier, followed by the southern porty city of Busan (131 percent) and the southern resort island of Jeju (129 percent). Bookings by domestic travelers to southern provincial cities such as Gunsan and Jinju also increased during the same period, which is peak season for spring flowers. "South Korea has become an ideal global destination for enjoying spring," said Hong Jong-min, head of Trip.com's office in Seoul. "Rising demand for inbound flights through regional airports, along with growing arrivals from Western countries, are encouraging indicators for the travel industry," he added. 2026-04-09 14:37:27