South Korean footballers to face Qatar, Saudi Arabia at Asian Games SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korea will face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in men's football as it seeks a fourth consecutive triumph at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan next month. With the quadrennial sporting event set to kick off with an opening ceremony in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, on Sept. 19, South Korea will have its first match against Qatar on Sept. 15 before facing Saudi Arabia on Sept. 22. Among the 15 participating countries divided into four groups for the football August 27, 2026

North Korea to send about 100 athletes to Asian Games in Japan this fall SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - North Korea is expected to send about 100 athletes to the upcoming Asian Games in Japan this fall. In an interview with the Choson Sinbo, a pro-Pyongyang mouthpiece in Japan on Tuesday, Ko Chol-ho, a senior sports official with North Korea's National Olympic Committee, said Pyongyang hopes its athletes will win more medals than they did at the previous Asian Games, despite sending a smaller delegation and competing in fewer disciplines. North Korea fi August 25, 2026

Im Sung-jae misses PGA Tour Championship after seven straight appearances SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - Golfer Im Sung-jae failed to qualify for the PGA Tour Championship for the first time in seven years after finishing outside the top 30 in the FedExCup rankings over the weekend. At the BMW Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, the second event of the three-stage FedExCup playoffs, Im tied for 10th at 8-under 272, but it was not enough to secure a spot in the season finale, leaving him 37th in the overall FedExCup rankings. Only the top 30 pla August 24, 2026

Uruguayan coach tipped to take helm of South Korean football team SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - Uruguayan coach Gus Poyet is the leading candidate to take the helm of the South Korean men's national team, Japanese media reported on Tuesday. The speculation came less than two days after the Korea Football Association closed applications for a new head coach for the national team on Sunday. Citing multiple sources, Japanese online news outlet Sponichi Annex, run by sports daily Sports Nippon, reported that it is "almost certain" Poyet, w August 11, 2026

Police raid KFA as World Cup fiasco revives coach probe SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - South Korea's football association was raided by police Thursday after its former president and former national team coach were grilled by lawmakers over the country's embarrassing exit from the latest FIFA World Cup. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency searched the Korea Football Association's headquarters in Cheonan and the KFA House in central Seoul under a warrant on suspicion of obstruction of business through deceptive means. Investiga August 6, 2026

Baseball games in Seoul, Gwangju called off due to scorching heat SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Baseball games scheduled for Tuesday evening in Seoul and Gwangju were canceled as a relentless heatwave continues to grip the country. According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the canceled games were between the NC Dinos and the Doosan Bears in Seoul, and the KT Wiz and the Kia Tigers in Gwangju. The cancellation came after the Korea Meteorological Administration issued the highest heat wave warning for both cities earlier in the day. A se August 4, 2026

South Korea to field about 1,100 athletes at Asian Games in Japan this fall SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - South Korea will field about 1,100 athletes in 41 disciplines at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan this fall, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Thursday. According to the ministry, an intra-agency task force formed to prepare for the 20th Asian Games is holding its first meeting ahead of the quadrennial sporting event, slated to take place in Aichi Prefecture and its capital city of Nagoya from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, which would bring together July 30, 2026

S. Korea's football chiefs apologize over World Cup failure SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - The two men most blamed for South Korea's worst World Cup showing in a generation bowed their heads before lawmakers on Wednesday, as parliament opened a public reckoning over how the national team crashed out and who let it happen. South Korea exited the 2026 World Cup at the group stage despite fielding European-based stars including Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, a result made harder to accept by the tournament's expansion to 48 teams and a draw w July 30, 2026

South Korea to hold tune-up friendlies this fall as search for new coach continues SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - South Korea will play friendly matches against Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October as the search for a new head coach for the national team continues, the Korea Football Association (KFA) said on Tuesday. After former head coach Hong Myung-bo stepped down following the team's poor World Cup performance earlier this month, South Korea is scheduled to face Venezuela on Oct. 2 and Uzbekistan on Oct. 6, with details including venues to be announced later. V July 28, 2026

Former pitcher Park Chan-ho becomes 1st South Korean to acquire stake in MLB team SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Former pitcher Park Chan-ho has become the first South Korean to acquire a stake in a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, leading a consortium that has signed a strategic partnership with the Athletics. During a press event in Seoul on Monday, Park said the consortium, dubbed "Team61", will invest $70 million in the Athletics, which left Oakland, Northern California, and are currently based in West Sacramento, California, before relocating to Las Veg July 27, 2026