News

S. Korea secures place at 2026 FIFA World Cup

2025/06/06 18:00

South Korea has officially clinched a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking its 11th consecutive World Cup appearance. The Taeguk Warriors achieved this milestone with a 2-0 away victory over Iraq in Basrah on Thursday local time, during their Group B match in the third round of Asian qualifiers. With this win, South Korea will surely finish at least second in the group, securing one of the two automatic qualification spots for the World Cup. The men's national football team will play its final qualifying match against Kuwait next Tuesday in Seoul.

S. Korea secures place at 2026 FIFA World Cup

2025/06/06 12:00

South Korea has officially clinched a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking its 11th consecutive World Cup appearance. The Taeguk Warriors achieved this milestone with a 2-0 away victory over Iraq in Basrah on Thursday local time, during their Group B match in the third round of Asian qualifiers. With this win, South Korea will surely finish at least second in the group, securing one of the two automatic qualification spots for the World Cup. The men's national football team will play its final qualifying match against Kuwait next Tuesday in Seoul.

World News 4: California track-and-field championships draw limited protest over trans student's participation

2025/06/02 10:00

In the United States, a 16-year-old transgender athlete has secured two golds and one silver medal at the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships, stirring up a controversy over the participation of transgender athletes in a girls' competition. The championships that involved AB Hernandez saw protests, with demonstrators displaying signs opposing transgender inclusion in girls' sports. President Donald Trump criticized California's decision to permit Hernandez's participation, threatening to withdraw federal funding from the state.

Liverpool's trophy parade horror as car 'collides' with crowd of fans

2025/05/27 20:00

In the U.K. Dozens of people, including children, were hurt after a British driver rammed his minivan into football fans celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title. Authorities are investigating the incident, as they do not treat it as terrorism. Lee Eun-jin has the details. On Monday evening, Liverpool fans came out in the tens of thousands to celebrate the team's Premier League victory. As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan drove into a crowd of fans on Water Street in Liverpool's city center just after 6 PM, local time, shortly after the bus carrying the Liverpool team had passed by. The vehicle struck several pedestrians before coming to a stop. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air. Ambulance officials said that 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, while 27 were taken to the hospital, including two with serious injuries. At least four children were injured in the collision, and four people were trapped under the vehicle and had to be released by firefighters. The police said they believed it to be an isolated incident, as they arrested the driver, a 53-year-old British man at the scene. Authorities are not treating the incident as terrorism but are investigating what led to the incident and have asked people to refrain from sharing "distressing content online." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as "appalling" and said those injured and affected are in his thoughts. Liverpool city council leader Liam Robinson said on social media that the incident "cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day." Liverpool FC also posted on social media that their "thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident." Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

Liverpool's trophy parade horror as car 'collides' with crowd of fans

2025/05/27 17:00

In the U.K. Dozens of people including children were hurt after a British driver rammed his minivan into football fans celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title Monday evening. Lee Eun-jin covers this calamity. On Monday evening, Liverpool fans came out in the tens of thousands to celebrate the team's Premier League victory. As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan drove into a crowd of fans on Water Street in Liverpool's city center just after 6 PM, local time, shortly after the bus carrying the Liverpool team had passed by. The vehicle struck several pedestrians before coming to a stop. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air. Ambulance officials said that 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, while 27 were taken to the hospital, including two with serious injuries. At least four children were injured in the collision, and four people were trapped under the vehicle and had to be released by firefighters. The police said they believed it to be an isolated incident, as they arrested the driver, a 53-year-old British man at the scene. Authorities are not treating the incident as terrorism but are investigating what led to the incident and have asked people to refrain from sharing "distressing content online." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as "appalling" and said those injured and affected are in his thoughts. Liverpool city council leader Liam Robinson said on social media that the incident "cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day." Liverpool FC also posted on social media that their "thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident." Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

Thrill-seekers take a spin at England's wacky cheese rolling tradition

2025/05/27 10:00

Finally, in England's Gloucestershire region, thousands gathered for the annual cheese-rolling contest on Monday. Participants chased a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms, down the steep 180-meter slope of Cooper's Hill, continuing a tradition that dates back to at least 1826. German YouTuber Tom Kopke, 23, secured first place in the men's race for the second consecutive year. In the women's race, 20-year-old Ava Sender Logan from London, who was participating for a food charity group, claimed victory. The tradition is believed to have derived from customs celebrating the return of spring.

Man arrested after car plows into pedestrians gathered for Liverpool Football Club’s victory parade

2025/05/27 10:00

Two people, including a child, were seriously injured and 25 others taken to hospital after a vehicle ploughed into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool FC's Premier League championship victory on Monday. According to reports, a 53-year-old man who is believed to have been the driver was arrested at the scene. The vehicle drove into a crowd of fans on Water Street in Liverpool's city center just after 6 PM as hundreds of thousands of fans gathered to watch Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade. The vehicle struck several pedestrians before coming to a stop. Authorities are not treating the incident as terrorism but are investigating what led to the incident and have asked people to refrain from sharing "distressing content online." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as "appalling" and said those injured and affected are in his thoughts.

[Features reporter] From access to excellence: Gaming powerhouse S. Korea’s esports future

2025/05/23 14:00

Eunhee, I heard you have an esports story lined up for today, can you tell us what it's about? Yes Soa. As we all know, South Korea is already a global gaming powerhouse. And so this time I went to a gaming festival where I could really see how its continuously laying the groundwork to discover and develop the next generation of gaming talent. I went to check out the 2025 Gyeonggi Esports Festival, and it turned out to be so much more than just a celebration of gaming. Let's take a closer look. This group of people are university students in their everyday lives,. but for this moment, they are the stars of the stage as gamers. The 2025 Gyeonggi esports Festival has kicked off at KINTEX, bringing together a diverse range of participants. This annual event strives to reshape the perception of esports, and make it an integral part of everyday culture by making it more accessible. This year, the introduction of a tournament for disabled players adds greater meaning to the event. It shares the message that regardless of physical limitations, everyone can connect and enjoy the experience of gaming. "I have an intellectual disability, which makes it hard to express my emotions. I joined this tournament because it features a game I’m familiar with, so I felt confident. Whatever the result, I try to accept it and move forward." "Being here on the ground, we can clearly see just how much interest people of all ages in South Korea, a global gaming powerhouse, have in a wide variety of games. But beyond the popularity, what's truly striking is the growing effort to nurture new talent in the gaming industry." Debuting this year, the 2025 Korean Esports League kicked off with Eternal Return matches at the festival and continues with competitions across the country including PUBG Mobile and FC Mobile tournaments. With teams from 14 regions participating, the league runs through October, providing a platform for the next generation of esports stars, the future 'Fakers' of Korea. The variety of cosplay alone was such a feast for the eyes! How was it for you? It was exciting to see people of all ages coming together to enjoy the festival. What stood out most were the university student teams and the players with disabilities all incredibly meaningful and full of joy. On top of that, I'd love to highlight Korea's newly launched national esports league, which kicked off today. Hosted by the Culture Ministry and co-organized by the Korea Esports Association alongside leading game developers including KRAFTON and Nexon Korea, the league aims to empower local talent and strengthen the foundation of Korea's national esports ecosystem. After the Eternal Return matches which take place today at KINTEX, the next stop is the Busan Esports Arena where games start on Saturday. Teams representing their regional communities will be competing in popular games including popular PUBG Mobile and FC Mobile. Matches are being held in cities like Gwangju and Daejeon, helping to boost local communities while also supporting the development of new talent. A long competitive journey is ahead. For major titles like League of Legends, where South Korea is a dominant force, could participating in this league serve as a potential pathway to the national team? Yes definitely. For internationally recognized games, the league offers a valuable opportunity to showcase your potential. It also focuses on strengthening regional and national competitiveness by identifying and nurturing top esports talent, not only among players but also by creating employment opportunities through hands-on experience in areas like event operations and broadcasting. Also coming up in June, the Global Esports Forum hosted by the Korea Esports Association will bring together international experts to discuss global standards in esports, with Korea leading the conversation and paving the way for rising talents to take the global stage. Ever since esports are being officially recognized as a sports, it's crucial to standardize rules to further foster the sector. Thank you Eun-hee for always keeping us updated on the major esports events in the country. Thank you Eun-hee for sharing.

[Sports Round-up] KBO reaches 4 million fans in record time

2025/05/19 20:00

Time now to take a look at what's been happening in the world of sports. Joining us in the studio is our sports editor, Paul Neat. Hello, Paul. Hello. Let's begin with baseball. The KBO League has reached yet another attendance milestone. Yes, four million fans in record pace. The KBO announced on Sunday that it had surpassed 4 million in a record 230 games. The previous record was 255 games set in 2012. This is just one of a few milestones already this year. One, two, and three million were all achieved in record time. And the pace at which the KBO went from 3 to 4 million was also a record -55 games beats the last record by 10. Meanwhile, speaking of records, Hanwha Eagles star Cody Ponce on Saturday in a 1-zero home win over the SSG Landers, tied the KBO record for the most strikeouts in a single game with 18 level with Sun Dong-yol of the Haitai Tigers, set on June 19th, 1991. Moving on to football now. Lee Jae-sung played a big part in his team securing European football for next season. Yes, Lee Jae-sung helped Mainz secure a spot in the UEFA Conference League. Mainz on Saturday earned a 2-2 draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen, with Lee Jae-sung winning a penalty kick for Jonathan Burkardt to level just after the hour mark. Lee thought he'd scored himself at one point, but the goal was disallowed for offside. The point meant that Mainz finished sixth in the Bundesliga, their best finish since 2016. The following season was the last time Mainz played in Europe. Lee Jae-sung scored seven and laid on eight assists in 33 league appearances this season -his best return for the club. He joined them in 2021 and has so far played 123 times. His contract is due to expire at the end of next season. And finally, to volleyball. The legend that is Kim Yeon-koung has said goodbye to the sport. Yes, she waved goodbye to fans at an all-star game on Sunday. At the KYK Invitational 2025 All-Star game series at Incheon Samsan World Gymnasium this weekend, Kim took part as a player and coach in a two-game series that on Sunday had Team Star take on Team World. Kim and Team Star won Sunday's match 80-63. The day before, Kim played with the World All-Stars and beat the women's national volleyball team 80-59. This past season, Kim and the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders won the regular season and championship titles. This meant Kim won five V Leagues in total and four championships. She also played and won trophies in Turkiye and Japan, and led the national team to the semifinals of the Olympics in 2012 and 2020. An incredible career. Alright, thank you for that, Paul. See you next time. Thank you.

Latest in K-Sports

2025/05/16 14:00

It's time for the latest in the world of K-sports, with Korean athletes' growing presence on the global stage be it baseball, football or golf, we've got a lot of sports news happening overseas to talk about today. And, for that, we're joined by our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio. Hello Jason! Q1. Lots of news surrounding some of Korea's biggest athletes abroad, but let's start with baseball because Lee Jung-Hoo has been red hot as of late Q2. And you said Kim Hye-Seong would likely join the Dodgers in late April or early May and indeed that's what happened. How has he been doing since being called up? Q3. Continuing with Korean athletes abroad, Son Heung-Min is finally back in action! Q4. Son Heung-Min has also been in the news lately regarding a blackmailing case ? Q5. Another big Korean soccer player, Lee Kang-In has been talked about a lot lately he's basically been benched by PSG with his team now in the Champion's League final but it's the team they beat that's actually been linked to Lee Kang-In, what's going on with that? Q6. And in golf, Korea already has a 3rd win on the LPGA tour this year thanks to Ryu Hae-ran! Q7. Jason, just before we let you go, a brief update of domestic baseball, we're about a quarter of the way through the KBO season, what are the biggest stories as of late?

Osan Air Base opens doors to local community for first air show in six years

2025/05/12 20:00

Following a pause of some six years in light of the global pandemic, the Osan Air Base has opened its doors to the public for a showcase that shared its spectacular aerial capabilities. Our defense correspondent Kim Bo-kyoung was there. The F-16 Fighting Falcon performs advanced flight maneuvers, cutting through the rain-soaked sky. After a six-year pause, since the COVID-19 pandemic paused the tradition, Osan Air Base reopened its doors to the public over the weekend. Playing a critical role defending not just South Korea but also the Pacific region, this premier U.S. air base finally enjoyed the chance to welcome locals to showcase its capabilities. "This air show is, in many ways, a chance for us to say thank you for the hospitality and all the support we receive from the city of Pyeongtaek and the country of South Korea." Team Osan prepared a lot for people to see, but one of the most significant moments attendees could perhaps have enjoyed was this: "Fitting with the air show's theme, "Respect the past and forge the future," the show offered a final display in Korea of the A-10 Thunderbolt, which is in the process of phased withdrawal." The 51st Fighter Wing is the last overseas unit operating the A-10. Nicknamed Warthog, the aircraft will depart by the end of the fiscal year 2025. As part of a historic sendoff, visitors were able to witness static displays and weapon load demonstration. "For my squadron, we focused on close air support combat, search and rescue, and forward air control, and airborne missions, among others that are specific to Korea. And the significance of that is, as mentioned earlier, is that we, you know, take a deep pride in the mission of defending Korea." Another particularly special performance would be this year's final public performance of the Pacific Air Force's F-16 Demonstration Team, based out of Misawa Air Base, Japan. "I'm super honored that this is going to be our last show here in Korea, and then I get to do it as well." While letting the public experience the spirit of "Fight Tonight" firsthand, the air base was able to express gratitude to the local Korean community in its own way. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News, Pyeongtaek.

[Sports Round-up] Kim Hyo-joo successfully defends Ladies European Tour title on home soil

2025/05/12 20:00

Time now to take a look at what's been happening in the world of sports. Joining us in the studio is our sports editor, Paul Neat. Welcome, Paul. Thank you. Let's begin with golf. A win on home soil for Kim Hyo-joo. Yes, the LPGA veteran successfully defended her European Tour title. She won the Aramco Korea Championship on Sunday, following a final round card of three-under 69. This meant a 7-under par 209 finish, two strokes clear of Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland. Kim takes home 225-thousand U.S. dollars in prize money. She won the same tournament last year, doing so wire to wire for what was the Ladies European Tour's debut in South Korea. It's her third win overall, to go with seven wins on the LPGA Tour. To football now. Son Heung-min is back from an injury layoff. Yes, he was back in the Spurs squad on Sunday. For the first time since April 11th -nine games ago. He picked up a foot injury in a Europa League tie with Eintracht Frankfurt and has been out since then. Son came off the bench in the second half, replacing Pedro Porro in the 58th minute. Spurs lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace and sit 17th in the table. The team's major focus now is the Europa League final against Manchester United on May 21st in Bilbao. Son's return is timely given that Spurs are looking for their first trophy since 2008, and Son is looking for the first trophy of his career. Sticking with football and trophies, Kim Min-jae was finally able to get his hands on one in a Bayern Munich shirt. Yes, Bayern eventually did seal the Bundesliga title. They actually did so when Bayer Leverkusen in second drew 2-2 with Freiburg last weekend. But on Saturday, after a 2-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, he and the rest of the Bayern players were presented with the trophy. It's Kim Min-jae's first with Bayern Munich in what is his second season with the club. He's featured in 27 league games this season, playing 77 percent of all possible minutes, and scoring two goals. It's his second league title in Europe, having also won the Scudetto with Napoli in 2023. And finally, to baseball. Hanwha Eagles just can't be stopped at the moment. Right, 12 wins in a row now. Something that hasn't been done by Hanwha in 33 years. It's been down to some dominant starting pitching and late-game offensive surges. If they beat the Doosan Bears on the 13th, they'll tie for 7th on the all-time win streak list. And, sweeping the series could break the team's all-time record of 14. The Eagles soared to the top of the standings on April 26th and have a record of 27 wins and 13 losses. They also lead the league in comeback wins and pinch-hit batting average, while starter Ryu Hyun-jin and closer Kim Seo-hyun have become a near-unbeatable combo. This could be a historic season for the Eagles, who, for the last six seasons, have finished in the bottom three of the KBO standings including dead last on three occasions. Their last Korean Series dates back to 1999, while their last league championship was in 1992. Much to look forward to. Thanks for that wrap-up, Paul. See you next week. Thank you.

Osan Air Base opens doors to local community for first air show in six years

2025/05/12 17:00

Following a pause of some six years in light of the global pandemic the Osan Air Base opened its doors to the public this past weekend for a showcase that shared its spectacular aerial capabilities. Our defense correspondent Kim Bo-kyoung was there. The F-16 Fighting Falcon performs advanced flight maneuvers, cutting through the rain-soaked sky. After a six-year pause, since the COVID-19 pandemic paused the tradition, Osan Air Base reopened its doors to the public over the weekend. Playing a critical role defending not just South Korea but also the Pacific region, this premier U.S. air base finally enjoyed the chance to welcome locals to showcase its capabilities. "This air show is, in many ways, a chance for us to say thank you for the hospitality and all the support we receive from the city of Pyeongtaek and the country of South Korea." Team Osan prepared a lot for people to see, but one of the most significant moments attendees could perhaps have enjoyed was this: "Fitting with the air show's theme, "Respect the past and forge the future," the show offered a final display in Korea of the A-10 Thunderbolt, which is in the process of phased withdrawal." The 51st Fighter Wing is the last overseas unit operating the A-10. Nicknamed Warthog, the aircraft will depart by the end of the fiscal year 2025. As part of a historic sendoff, visitors were able to witness static displays and weapon load demonstration. "For my squadron, we focused on close air support combat, search and rescue, and forward air control, and airborne missions, among others that are specific to Korea. And the significance of that is, as mentioned earlier, is that we, you know, take a deep pride in the mission of defending Korea." Another particularly special performance would be this year's final public performance of the Pacific Air Force's F-16 Demonstration Team, based out of Misawa Air Base, Japan. "I'm super honored that this is going to be our last show here in Korea, and then I get to do it as well." While letting the public experience the spirit of "Fight Tonight" firsthand, the air base was able to express gratitude to the local Korean community in its own way. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News, Pyeongtaek.

LA28 reveals venues for Olympic opening and closing ceremoniess

2025/05/09 10:00

Finally, the LA28 Organizing Committee announced on Thursday that the opening ceremony of the 2028 Olympic Games will take place simultaneously at two iconic venues the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the modern SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. This will mark the first dual-venue approach in Olympic history. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will become the first venue to host three opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games separately. LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman stated that utilizing both venues showcases the rich sporting history and innovative spirit of Los Angeles and aims to create an unforgettable experience for athletes and fans worldwide.

Latest in K-Sports

2025/05/02 14:00

An exciting weekend is coming up for golf fans in Korea, with LIV Golf coming to the country for the first time ever. For this and other updates in the world of sports, we are now joined by our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio. Welcome Jason! Q1. Starting off with the LPGA, Japan's Mao Saigo took the first LPGA major of the year, but there was a pretty crazy finish to the event which was an unprecedented five-way playoff, not to mention the performance of Korea's Kim Hyo-Joo . You might recall, I previously mentioned how Kim Hyo-Joo won the Ford Championship in Arizona at the end of March that was the 2nd win by a Korean on the LPGA tour this year. And yeah, Kim Hyo-Joo was trying to take an even bigger bite at the Chevron Championship in Texas. She was 1 of 5 players who finished 7-under over the 4-rounds. She would par the playoff hole, while Mao Saigo birdied it to take the event. Kim had the lowest score in the final round among the 5 players in the playoff so she came from behind on the last day. I will also note that among the 3 ladies tied for 6th place, 2 of them were Koreans. Former world number-1 Ko Jing-Young and Ryu Haeran were both 2 strokes off the pace and another Korean Choi Hye-Jin was another stroke back to tie for 9th. It's unfortunate that Kim Hyo-Joo wasn't able to close out the deal, but still a strong showing by the Korean ladies in the year's first major. Q2-1. Sticking with golf, we did give a preview last time you were here LIV Golf is in Korea for the first time this weekend. What do we need to know about the inaugural event? Let's first go over what is LIV golf what's all the fuss about? It's a pro tour that made headlines a couple of years ago after poaching a lot of the top PGA golfers with exorbitant signing bonuses often in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It was rumoured that Tiger Woods turned down a Billion dollar deal to defect to the dark side as they've sometimes been called. Q2-2. Tell us more about the 'dark side' or controversies surrounding the event. They're backed by Saudi Arabian oil money as they try to diversify their investments. The PGA obviously wasn't pleased about their growth and threat of becoming legitimate competition from a business standpoint so let's just say LIV golf received a lot of negative press from players and media loyal to the PGA. But they've grown and basically have a good chunk of the top 50 golfers in the world. Every golf fan would probably know most of the 48 players in their tour this year and even casual sports fans would have heard the names of a lot of their top guys and again, these are golfers that were often receiving 200-300 thousand dollar signing bonuses to make the switch and you just don't pay that kind of money to no-name athletes. Q2-3. What about the actual event? I've heard it's a bit different from a typical PGA Event There are a few differences but it's still golf where you play 18 holes and the best score wins. The biggest difference is that it's a shotgun start which means that Everyone starts at the same time on a different hole so there's less wasted time basically everyone should start and finish around the same time whereas in PGA events everyone starts on the first hole and ends at 18 so the last group will be the last ones on the course and the first group will start alone on the course. The other difference or maybe I should call it an addition is that it's not just 48 golfers. Each golfer is on a 4-man team and at the end of the year there is extra money to be earned for teams as well with the winning team splitting 16 million dollars 4 ways on top of any individual earnings as well. Basically they're just giving away a lot more money with the signing bonuses, the individual purses and then bonus money for the team events as well. I guess you can kinda think of it like F1 Racing where you're trying to win, but you also have a teammate racing out there as well and his success is good for you as well. Q3. Moving on to football Son Heung-Min is still unable to play because of a foot injury he suffered three weeks ago. What's the latest on his status at Tottenham Hotspur? Yeah, this has actually gone on a lot longer than I initially thought it would. Son Heung-Min has been out since April 11th in their Europa match against Frankfurt. Son was ruled out for the first leg of the Europa semi-final against Boda-Glimt. Hopefully he'll be ready for the 2nd leg of that on Friday, May 9th Korean time. Of course Korea's next game for World Cup qualifying is June 5th against Iraq and June 10th against Kuwait so hopefully he's healthy with a few games under his belt by then. Q4. Lee Jung-Hoo remains hot for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball. What's the latest on him? Q5. Onto domestic baseball Kia's Kim Do-Young has made his season debut after missing the first month with a thigh injury. How has he been since his return?

[Sports Round-up] Lee Jung-hoo extends latest hitting streak to five matches

2025/04/28 20:00

Time now to take a look at what's been happening in the world of sports. Joining us in the studio is our sports editor, Paul Neat. Hello Paul. Hello. Let's begin with baseball. Lee Jung-hoo's hitting streak continues. Yes, to five matches now. The latest came on Sunday, local time, in the San Francisco Giants' 3-2 home win over the Texas Rangers. Lee Jung-hoo batted 1-for-4 and recorded an assist from center field. He has now gone on hitting streaks of at least five games on three occasions this season, his longest being eight. The assist, meanwhile, came in the top of the fourth inning when he threw out Jonah Heim at second base. The San Francisco Giants sit first in the National League West following 19 wins. In other news, Yonhap reports that Choi Ji-man will enlist in the military this May. Reports suggest that the 34-year-old will serve as a social service worker for one year and nine months and will be able to sign for a KBO club from the start of the 2027 season. The first baseman has played for the LA Angels, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays. Moving on to golf. Kim Hyo-joo came very close to winning the first LPGA major of the season. Yes, very close. In fact, it came down to a five-way playoff. Kim Hyo-joo on Sunday at the LPGA Chevron Championship in Texas, finished at 7-under par. Mao Saigo of Japan finished as the winner. Kim and Saigo, as well as Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, Yin Ruoning of China, and Lindy Duncan of the United States, all went into what was the first five-way playoff in LPGA major history. Kim finished second, but there were four South Koreans in the top 10. Ryu Hae-ran and Ko Jin-young finished tied for sixth, and Choi Hye-jin finished tied for ninth. And finally, to football. Liverpool are the champions of England. Yes, Liverpool sealed the Premier League title on Sunday. It came following a 5-1 win at home over a Tottenham Hotspur side that was without Son Heung-min. It was Liverpool's second of the Premier League era, and first with fans in the stands, as their last came in 2020 during the pandemic when matches were played behind closed doors. It's also their record-equaling 20th top-flight title. It came with four matches still to play, with Liverpool 15 points ahead of Arsenal in second. Meanwhile, in Germany, Bayern Munich and Kim Min-jae are edging closer to winning the Bundesliga title. Bayern beat Mainz 3-0 on Sunday and sit eight points clear of Bayer Leverkusen with three games to go. A result away to RB Leipzig on Saturday, May 3rd would ensure a first Bundesliga medal for Kim Min-jae since joining Bayern, but his second in Europe, having also won Serie A in Italy with Napoli. Alright, thanks for that, Paul. See you next time. Thank you.

Simone Biles and Mondo Duplantis win Laureus World Sports Awards

2025/04/22 10:00

At the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards held in Madrid on Monday local time, gymnast Simone Biles and pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis were honored as Sportswoman and Sportsman of the year. Biles won her fourth Laureus title, matching Tennis star Serena Williams' record, following her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics, where the American earned three gold medals and one silver. Duplantis, who competes for Sweden, received his first Laureus award after winning his second Olympic gold and breaking his own pole vault record twice in 2024.

[Sports Round-up] Veteran striker Joo Min-kyu wins K League 1 Player of the Month award

2025/04/21 20:00

Time now to take a look at what's been happening in the world of sports. Joining us in the studio is our sports editor, Paul Neat. Hello Paul. Hello. Let's begin with golf. Kim Si-woo recorded a top-10 finish in a PGA event for the first time this season, but it could have been a lot better. Yes, Kim Si-woo finished tied for eighth, having been in the lead heading into the final round. At the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, on Sunday local time, Kim finished at 12-under par 272. This was enough to secure a top-10 finish for the first time in a PGA event this season. His three-over-74 final round --which included three bogeys and one double bogey --left him ruing what might have been. He'd only hit four bogeys in the first three rounds combined. Kim is on the hunt for his first PGA win since January 2023. Justin Thomas of the U.S. finished first at 17-under par. Moving on to football now. A veteran striker has won the player of the month award in K League. Yes, that's 35-year-old Joo Min-kyu, who has enjoyed an excellent start to the new season. The K League announced on Monday that Daejeon Hana Citizen striker Joo Min-kyu is the player of the month for February-March. Joo scored five goals in six games during that period and laid on one assist, helping his team win four matches. His great start to the season has also helped Daejeon move top of the table, four points clear of Gwangju FC as surprise early contenders for the league title. Daejeon have never won K League 1. Meanwhile, over in Europe, Lee Jae-sung bagged his seventh goal of the season on Saturday, in Mainz's 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg. He made it 1-1 on 37 minutes after Mainz had fallen behind early on. Mainz sit in sixth place in the Bundesliga and have a chance of qualifying for Europe next year. They were in a relegation battle last year, so this is quite the turnaround. And finally, to baseball, the Hanwha Eagles have enjoyed a good start to the new season. And it appears as though this is down to the quality of the team's pitchers. Yes, it does. In fact, this season, teams facing the Hanwha Eagles are almost guaranteed to encounter a starting pitcher who throws an over 155 kilometers per hour fastball at least once during a three-game series. In the final innings, batters might even see pitches approaching 160. Hanwha have surged to second place with 10 wins in their last 11 games. Between April 13th against the Kiwoom Heroes and April 20th against the NC Dinos, the Eagles racked up a seven-game winning streak. Throughout, all starting pitchers—Moon Dong-ju, Cody Ponce , Ryan Weiss , Ryu Hyun-jin, and Eom Sang-baek—secured wins. It's the first time in 24 years that Hanwha have achieved seven straight wins from their starting pitchers, equalling a club record set in April 2001. Hanwha players also dominate this season's fastball speed charts. Moon Dong-ju has the fastest at 159-point-6-6-8 kilometers per hour, but there are five Hanwha players in the top 10. Making good use of that new stadium, it seems. Alright, thanks for that wrap-up. See you next week. Thank you.

Latest in K-sports

2025/04/18 14:00

It's time now for the latest in the world of K-sports, we have updates on the KBO, Korean players in the major and minor leagues as well as golf news. For all of that, we have our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio. Hello Jason! Q1. Jason, you said before that the LG Twins have been the hot team in the early going so far this KBO season I understand they also made history with a No-Hitter tell us more That's right! 4 members of the LG Twins combined for a no-hitter as the first place Twins blanked the Samsung Lions 3-0 on Tuesday. Elieser Hernandez started things off pitching 6-innings without a hit. He was followed by Kim Jin-Sung, Park Myung-Geun and Jang Hyun-Sik, who each threw a hitless inning each.That's just the 4th time EVER that we've seen a combined No-Hitter. And the one question that'll never get answered is could Hernandez have completed the No-Hitter himself? He was removed after 6 innings of work despite throwing just 79 pitches due to a cramp in his right thigh. The perfect game was ruined when Hernandez hit Lee Jae-Hyeon with a pitch in the 6th. Q2. Now Hernandez isn't the only pitcher off to a great start so far James Naile is also making headlines Yeah, James Naile had the best ERA last year, but missed the last month of the regular season allowing Kyle Hart to pass him in Wins and Strikeouts,but he's picked up right where he left off. He's allowed just 1 run in 31-innings that's a ridiculous 0.29 ERA the Kia Tigers haven't given him much run support so he only has 2-wins, but he is off to a great start. Last year with a month left in the regular season, he took a ball off the chin and that broke his jaw so he missed the last month. Had he not missed that last month, I think there's a good chance that he would've won the Choi Dong-Won award for best KBO pitcher but instead that went to Kyle Hart who played the full season. Naile showing early that last year wasn't a fluke. Q3. Speaking of players on hot starts, let's talk about "the Son of the Wind" or to be exact "the Grandson of the Wind" I hear Lee Jung-Hoo has been RED Hot lately in Major League Baseball Q4. How about Kim Hye-Seong? He's in the minor leagues, but I heard he's been playing well lately Q5. The biggest event in golf is the Masters, which just wrapped up last weekend and while it wasn't WON by a Korean, it was not a bad finish for Im Sung-Jae . That's right Rory McIlroy clearly stole the headlines by completing the career Grand Slam after winning the Masters for the first time but a great tournament overall for Im Sung-Jae. He fired a final round 3-under-69 to finish 7-under for the tournament. That tied him with Bryson DeChambeau for 5th place it also earned him just under $800,000 so he should shoot up the rankings soon. 2 other Koreans participated in the event and both made the cut. Byeong Hun An tied for 21st at 2-under overall while Tom Kim tied for 52nd. Q6. Also the much talked about LIV Golf will be coming to Korea for the first time in just two weeks time right? That's right, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon will be hosting the event starting May 2nd. Of course LIV Golf has been very controversial because they're competing with the PGA. But the reality is they're bringing some of the biggest names in golf to Korea very soon. Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, John Rahm and of course Kevin Na will be among the local fan favourites captaining the Iron Heads team. Thank you for all the updates Jason, have a great weekend. Thank you Bella! We'll see you next week.

[Hallyu People] Hailey Brooke Weiss on KBO, Korea and her husband

2025/04/15 14:00

Thirty foreign players are active in Korea’s baseball league this season, which kicked off on March 22. Since the introduction of the foreign player system in the KBO in 1998, Korea has seen a growing number of global players and their families move to the country and get lots of love and attention from baseball fans. For today's Hallyu People we are happy to connect live with Hailey Brooke Weiss, CEO of Power Move Marketing. and wife of Hanwha Eagles’ pitcher Ryan Weiss to talk more about her husband, baseball, social media and life in Korea. Hello Hailey Brooke! 1-1) First off, could you briefly introduce yourself to our viewers? 1-2) So, you’re back in Korea with Hanwha’s pitcher Ryan Weiss, your husband, for a second year. How do you feel about it? 2) We could feel your sincere gratitude after Mr. Weiss signed with the Hanwha Eagles, when you posted about it on your social media account back in November. What does this contract mean to both of you? 3) Let’s talk more about Mr. Weiss and his fandom here in Korea. Hanwha Eagles fans call him the “Daejeon Jesus”. What do you think about this nickname and his growing popularity in Korea? 4) Haley Brooke, you must be at the ballpark all the time these days, do you have any memorable stories to share from any of your husband’s games, maybe episodes you had with fans? 5) Let’s compare the baseball cultures in the U.S. and Korea. What’s different, what do you like about Korea and what do you like about baseball back home? 6) Besides baseball and baseball culture, you mention other cultural aspects of Korea on your social media. Please share some of that. Maybe something you were surprised about? 7) I’m sure you've experienced K-pop, K-dramas or even Korean food back in the U.S. But, has your perception of Korea changed to any extent now that you live here? 8) Do you have some final words for Ryan/Mr. Weiss and his team or fans? Thank you very much Hailey Brooke Mrs. Weiss for connecting with us today, Thank you Walter as always. We'll see you back tomorrow.