news highlight

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  South Korean footballers to face Saudi Arabia after 4-1 win over Qatar at Asian Games SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korea will face Saudi Arabia next week in its second and final group-stage match in men's football at the Asian Games in Japan, after making a strong start for a fourth consecutive gold medal with a huge victory over Qatar on Tuesday. The next match is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 22 at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, where South Korea opened the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Qatar, powered by a first-half hat trick from Eom Ji-su September 16, 2026
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  South Korea aims for gold in women's volleyball at Asian Games SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korea is aiming a long-awaited gold medal in women's volleyball at this year's Asian Games in Japan, which kick off later this week. Ranked 28th in the world, South Korea will play its preliminary group-stage opener against Hong Kong (127th) in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture on Thursday, before facing Qatar (107th) and Viet Nam (32nd) in the following days. A gold medal has been elusive for South Korea since the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The September 15, 2026
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  South Korea 3rd largest presence at Asian Games after Japan, China SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) -South Korea will field the third-largest athlete contingent at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, behind host Japan and China, according to official Games Hub data. Japan registered 919 athletes for the Games, bigger than China's 803 and South Korea's 780, showed the official competition information platform as of Monday. A total of 10,798 athletes have registered for the Games, which formally open Saturday and run through Oct. 4. Thailand h September 15, 2026
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  South Korea ready to face Qatar in men's football opener at Asian Games SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korea begins its bid for a fourth consecutive gold medal in men's football at the Asian Games in Japan on Tuesday. Led by coach Lee Min-sung, South Korea's under-23 squad will face Qatar in its opening match at 7:30 p.m. at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya before taking on Saudi Arabia next week in its second and final group-stage match. South Korea won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the 2018 Games in Jakarta-Palembang an September 15, 2026
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  Interim coach seeks to impress as he unveils 1st roster for upcoming friendlies SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - South Korea's new head coach Robert Moreno on Monday unveiled a 30-man roster for a series of football friendlies scheduled for later this month and early October. The Spanish coach, who arrived in South Korea the previous day, began his stint as interim head coach of the national football team with a press conference in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, where he unveiled the roster. The roster included most of key players playing for overseas September 14, 2026
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  Basketball player Lee Hyun-jung signs one-year deal with Portland Trail Blazers SEOUL, September 7 (AJP) - South Korean basketball player Lee Hyun-jung has moved closer to his NBA dream by signing a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, his agency Epic Sports said on Monday. The one-year Exhibit 10 deal is non-guaranteed, pays the NBA's minimum salary, but gives Lee a chance to compete for a spot on the Trail Blazers' regular-season roster, allowing him to participate in the team's training camp. Even if Lee doesn't make the Trail Blazers&# September 7, 2026
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  South Korea aims for 3rd-place finish at Asian Games in Japan SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - With this year's Asian Games in Japan just weeks away, South Korea is aiming to finish third in the quadrennial sporting event by winning up to 50 gold medals. The country will field about 1,052 athletes and sports officials to compete in 41 of the 43 disciplines, excluding cricket and padel. According to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), South Korean athletes and sports officials gathered at the Jincheon National Training Center in September 4, 2026
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  Striker Hwang Hee-chan returns to Bundesliga on loan with Schalke SEOUL, September 2 (AJP) - Striker Hwang Hee-chan has left Wolverhampton Wanderers and joined Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 on loan, the German club said on Tuesday. According to local media, Hwang's deal with Schalke runs through June 30 next year and includes an option for the Miners to sign him permanently for a reported transfer fee of 3 million euros (about 4.78 billion South Korean won). Despite Hwang's contract with Wolverhampton running through June 2028, he decid September 2, 2026
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  Moreno named temporary Korean national football team manager SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - Former Spain head coach Robert Moreno was named temporary manager of South Korea's men's national football team Tuesday, taking over a side still dealing with the fallout from its early World Cup exit and a long-running scandal over the appointment of his predecessor. The Korea Football Association (KFA) approved Moreno's appointment during a board meeting at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul. Moreno, 48, September 1, 2026