News

Sinner banishes Roland Garros demons to de-throne Alcaraz at Wimbledon

2025/07/14 11:39

23-year-old Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon men's singles title on Sunday in a historic final between the world's No. 1 and No. 2 players, defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz with scores of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, and 6-4. Sinner became the first-ever Italian Wimbledon singles champion, and the victory marks his fourth Grand Slam title overall. Despite dropping the first set, Sinner played on with resilience as he won three consecutive sets, to end his five-match losing streak against Alcaraz. Alcaraz, seeking a third consecutive Wimbledon crown, acknowledged Sinner's performance, calling their rivalry "a class apart."

Why Korea is where future Paralympians come to dream big

2025/07/09 22:41

South Korea has been inviting young para-athletes from abroad in the second half of the year for over a decade, offering training in sports where the country has particular strength. Our Park Kun-woo tells us more. Running at full speed without falling. Drenched in sweat, but still smiling. 16-year-old John, who has dwarfism, dreams of one day competing on the Olympic stage, representing his country as a badminton player. He's been training hard -already around a decade since he first picked up a racket. Nothing stops him from pushing limits; instead, he's eager to keep improving. "I want a new experience for me. Korea is more advanced in training and they, giving knowledge for our players. They have so much respect for others. I like that" John is one of around 60 participants from 16 different countries who came to Korea this summer to take part in the annual international Para sports youth camp in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do Province. And, determination was shown across the court, where shuttlecocks flew rapidly, with players, some in wheelchairs, moving back and forth with precision and speed. This year's program not only features badminton but also powerlifting and archery, offering young athletes with disabilities the opportunity to train and dream big. "This barbell feels heavy to me. But for them? It seems like it's almost no big deal. It's not the body that holds them back but it's the strength inside that drives them forward." At the weightlifting gym, effort and spirit echoed with every lift. Some may not be able to use all parts of their body, but that hasn't stopped them from lifting bars and chasing their goals. "I want to go to the Paralympics and be a champion so I can earn money and make my parents proud. So, I need to stay disciplined and train consistently, especially here where the facility's good." Even when facing physical barriers, these young lifters stayed focused and consistent. Korea, an archery powerhouse, is also sharing its expertise with these future champions. Coaches are helping the participants to adjust their posture and techniques. "Just like everyone's bone structure is different, each person's disability and range of movement also varies. So, we teach them based on each athlete's condition and strength. Even for complete beginners, we structure training step-by-step and make sure it's fun and sustainable." In the end, what matters isn't the physical ability, but the will. And with that in mind, these young athletes continue to run, lift, and aim, toward their dreams. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News, Icheon.

Why Korea is where future Paralympians come to dream big

2025/07/09 19:41

South Korea has been hosting an annual youth camp for athletes with disabilities for well over a decade and our Park Kun-woo spoke to some of this year's participants. Do take a listen. Running at full speed without falling. Drenched in sweat, but still smiling. 16-year-old John, who has dwarfism, dreams of one day competing on the Olympic stage, representing his country as a badminton player. He's been training hard -already around a decade since he first picked up a racket. Nothing stops him from pushing limits; instead, he's eager to keep improving. "I want a new experience for me. Korea is more advanced in training and they, giving knowledge for our players. They have so much respect for others. I like that" John is one of around 60 participants from 16 different countries who came to Korea this summer to take part in the annual international Para sports youth camp in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do Province. And, determination was shown across the court, where shuttlecocks flew rapidly, with players, some in wheelchairs, moving back and forth with precision and speed. This year's program not only features badminton but also powerlifting and archery, offering young athletes with disabilities the opportunity to train and dream big. "This barbell feels heavy to me. But for them? It seems like it's almost no big deal. It's not the body that holds them back but it's the strength inside that drives them forward." At the weightlifting gym, effort and spirit echoed with every lift. Some may not be able to use all parts of their body, but that hasn't stopped them from lifting bars and chasing their goals. "I want to go to the Paralympics and be a champion so I can earn money and make my parents proud. So, I need to stay disciplined and train consistently, especially here where the facility's good." Even when facing physical barriers, these young lifters stayed focused and consistent. Korea, an archery powerhouse, is also sharing its expertise with these future champions. Coaches are helping the participants to adjust their posture and techniques. "Just like everyone's bone structure is different, each person's disability and range of movement also varies. So, we teach them based on each athlete's condition and strength. Even for complete beginners, we structure training step-by-step and make sure it's fun and sustainable." In the end, what matters isn't the physical ability, but the will. And with that in mind, these young athletes continue to run, lift, and aim, toward their dreams. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News, Icheon.

[Features reporter] Why Korea is where future Paralympians come to dream big

2025/07/09 15:37

Kun-woo, I remember last time you brought a sports-related topic, where people from different countries come to Korea to train. And I hear that you brought something a bit similar today. Tell us more. That's right, Soa. Last time, I brought a report about young athletes from around the world coming to Korea to train in winter sports as part of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics legacy project. This time, it's a summer sports version, but with a meaningful twist. Since 2015, Korea has been inviting young para-athletes from abroad in the second half of the year, offering training in sports where Korea has particular strength. But before I tell you more, follow me and see how this is all happening. Running at full speed without falling. Drenched in sweat, but still smiling. 16-year-old John, who has dwarfism, dreams of one day competing on the Olympic stage, representing his country as a badminton player. He's been training hard -already around a decade since he first picked up a racket. Nothing stops him from pushing limits; instead, he's eager to keep improving. "I want a new experience for me. Korea is more advanced in training and they, giving knowledge for our players. They have so much respect for others. I like that" John is one of around 60 participants from 16 different countries who came to Korea this summer to take part in the annual international Para sports youth camp in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do Province. And, determination was shown across the court, where shuttlecocks flew rapidly, with players, some in wheelchairs, moving back and forth with precision and speed. This year's program not only features badminton but also powerlifting and archery, offering young athletes with disabilities the opportunity to train and dream big. "This barbell feels heavy to me. But for them? It seems like it's almost no big deal. It's not the body that holds them back but it's the strength inside that drives them forward." At the weightlifting gym, effort and spirit echoed with every lift. Some may not be able to use all parts of their body, but that hasn't stopped them from lifting bars and chasing their goals. "I want to go to the Paralympics and be a champion so I can earn money and make my parents proud. So, I need to stay disciplined and train consistently, especially here where the facility's good." Even when facing physical barriers, these young lifters stayed focused and consistent. Korea, an archery powerhouse, is also sharing its expertise with these future champions. Coaches are helping the participants to adjust their posture and techniques. "Just like everyone's bone structure is different, each person's disability and range of movement also varies. So, we teach them based on each athlete's condition and strength. Even for complete beginners, we structure training step-by-step and make sure it's fun and sustainable." In the end, what matters isn't the physical ability, but the will. And with that in mind, these young athletes continue to run, lift, and aim, toward their dreams. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News, Icheon.

Lamborghini driven by Liverpool's Jota in fatal crash was probably speeding, police report finds

2025/07/09 11:37

Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were likely speeding when the rear tire of their car blew out, causing the crash that killed them both, according to a preliminary report from Spain's Civil Guard on Tuesday. Investigators say a tire imprint analysis suggests Jota, confirmed to be driving, was traveling well above the speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour, while overtaking on a highway near Zamora, Spain, just before midnight on July 3. Evidence indicates that the overspeeding caused the Lamborghini in which they were traveling to veer off the road and crash. The results of the on-site investigation will be sent to the local court before being made public.

S. Korea defeats China 3-0 in EAFF match on Mon.

2025/07/08 13:36

The South Korean national football team kicked off the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship on Monday with a three-nil victory over China. With the match taking place at Yongin Mireu Stadium, the hosts started off the tournament on a high note, with three different players, Lee Dong-gyeong, Joo Min-kyu and scoring a goal apiece. This year marks the 10th edition of the tournament, with the Taegeuk Warriors having won five titles. South Korea will play Hong Kong next at 8 PM on Friday, followed by Japan at 7:24 PM next Tuesday.

[Sports Round-up] S. Korea's men's team get EAFF E-1 Championship underway vs. China

2025/07/07 22:40

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 football. The EAFF E-1 Championships got underway today. In fact, the South Korean men's match with China kicked off at 8 PM. That's right, and the score is currently 1-0. Lee Dong-gyeong after 9 minutes. At Yongin Mireu Stadium, South Korea are getting their EAFF campaign up and running, as they look to regain the title they lost to Japan in 2022. Some team news from earlier today, as Jeon Jin-woo, the K League 1 top scorer, was forced to withdraw due to illness. He was complaining of feeling dizzy, and FC Seoul's Jeong Seung-won was brought in as a replacement. South Korea are the most successful team in the competition with five titles overall, and won it three times in a row from 2015 to 2019. But they lost 3-0 to Japan in the final group game in 2022 to surrender their crown, and will be looking to make amends this time around. Up next is Hong Kong on July 11th, then Japan on the 15th. Moving on to baseball now. In the KBO, the Hanwha Eagles are having their best season in decades. Yes, they are top of the standings at the halfway point for the first time in 33 years. This was confirmed thanks to a 10-1 win over the Kiwoom Heroes on Sunday, to make it 49 wins. The Eagles are now looking for 50 wins at this stage for the first time since 1992, when they last won the regular season. 71-point-4 percent of teams that earn 50 wins at the halfway point go on to win the regular season. Such a good showing has been helped by the team's pitchers with Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss each earning 10 wins. The Eagles will face the in-form Kia Tigers in the last series before the summer break. During which, on July 12th in Daejeon, there'll be the All-Star game, but LG Twins first baseman Austin Dean and Kia Tigers pitcher Adam Oller will both miss out through injury. And now to MLB, mixed fortunes for two South Korean stars. Yes, Kim Hye-seong was back in the starting lineup for the LA Dodgers on Sunday. And by all accounts, he put on an impressive display both at the plate and in the field. He started as hitter number six and second baseman against the Houston Astros, going 1-for-4. His defensive plays in the first two innings earned him standing ovations, getting hold of a Christian Walker hit down the middle before firing it to first base to end the inning. A leaping throw resulted in a similar fate for Yainer Diaz in the second. But, despite this, the Dodgers lost the match 5-1. Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong of the Tampa Bay Rays returned from injury but is out again. Kim made his first appearance for the Rays and first in MLB in 11 months on Friday, going 1-for-3 with a stolen base against the Minnesota Twins, marking his return from a shoulder injury. However, he missed the next two games with cramp in his right calf. The Rays haven't commented on when he'll be back. Alright, thanks for that, Paul. See you again next week. Thanks.

World News: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother die in car crash

2025/07/04 19:40

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, also a professional footballer, died in a car crash just after midnight on Thursday, local time on a highway near Spain's northwestern city of Zamora. Spanish authorities reported that the tire blew out from the Lamborghini they were driving in as it overtook another vehicle, causing the car to veer off the road and burst into flames. Emergency crews confirmed both men died at the scene. 28-year-old Jota had recently got married, and had three young children. He was returning from vacation after helping Liverpool win the Premier League title. Jota made 182 total appearances and scored 65 goals for Liverpool. Tributes poured in from around the sports world, and hundreds of Liverpool fans gathered at Anfield, home of Liverpool, laying flowers in his memory. An investigation has been launched into the crash. The funeral is expected to be held on Saturday in the Portuguese city of Porto. Near Indonesia's tourist island of Bali, a ferry carrying 65 people sank late Wednesday night, local time, leaving at least six dead and dozens missing. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry, carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members, as well as 12 vehicles, sank around 11:20 PM, almost 30 minutes into the five-kilometer Bali Strait crossing, after reportedly suffering engine failure and an engine-room leak. Rescue efforts continued through Thursday in the rough seas, with 31 people saved but dozens still unaccounted for. On Thursday evening, rescue operations were temporarily halted due to strong currents, high waves, and limited visibility. President Prabowo Subianto has ordered a full emergency response, while investigators examine the cause of the accident and whether unlisted passengers were onboard. Indonesia experiences frequent maritime disasters due to its reliance on ferries and lax safety regulations. In Greece, a wildfire is spreading fast on the island of Crete, forcing over 5,000 residents and tourists to evacuate on Thursday. Strong winds reaching 80 kilometers per hour and extreme heat, linked to Europe's early summer heatwave, have led to the rapid spread of the blaze that broke out a day earlier. Two hundred thirty firefighters and 46 fire engines and helicopters have been deployed to contain the fire which are sweeping through forest, farmland, and residential areas. The fire service warns the island remains at very high risk, and with above-average temperatures and little rain forecast, containment is expected to take days. British band Oasis' highly anticipated reunion tour, Oasis Live '25, kicks off on Friday, July 4, in Cardiff, marking the first time Liam and Noel Gallagher have performed on the same stage in 16 years. Tickets for the UK and Ireland leg, featuring 17 stadium dates, sold out within ten hours. A wide range of merchandise, including keyrings, hoodies, and shirts, is on sale ahead of the gig. The tour will travel globally after the UK run, heading to North America, Asia, Australia, and South America, with projected revenue exceeding 200 million U.S. dollars. Oasis Live '25 will land in South Korea in October. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.

Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother die in car crash

2025/07/04 11:36

Now, let's take a look at some stories from around the world with our Choi Chi Hee. Good morning, Chi Hee. Good morning, Eunji. Let's begin with the death of footballer Diogo Jota, which left Liverpool's fans and the world in shock. Tell us more. Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother have died in a car crash in Spain. Diogo Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, also a professional footballer, died in the crash just after midnight on Thursday, local time on a highway near Spain's northwestern city of Zamora. Spanish authorities reported that the tire blew out from the Lamborghini they were driving in as it overtook another vehicle, causing the car to veer off the road and burst into flames. Emergency crews confirmed both men died at the scene. 28-year-old Jota had recently got married, and had three young children. He was returning from vacation after helping Liverpool win the Premier League title. Jota made 182 total appearances and scored 65 goals for Liverpool. Tributes poured in from around the sports world, and hundreds of Liverpool fans gathered at Anfield, home of Liverpool, laying flowers in his memory. An investigation has been launched into the crash. The funeral is expected to be held on Saturday in the Portuguese city of Porto.

KBO draws record 7 million fans in first half of 2025 season

2025/07/03 19:38

The Korea Baseball Organization has set a historic milestone. Over seven million spectators made their way to stadiums in the first half of the baseball season for the first time since the organization's inception back in 1982. Also almost half of the matches were sold out. The average per game attendance this season currently stands at over 17-thousand UP 17 percent on year. Should this trend continue the organization is on track to exceed 10 million spectators this season for the second straight year.

K-Sports highlights with Jason Lee

2025/07/03 16:36

Time for the latest in the world of K-sports, from a great achievement by Korean golfers, and updates on the KBO's upcoming all-star game, to football news. We are joined by our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio who will bring us all the highlights. Hello Jason! Q1. Let's start with success for Korea at the LPGA. (we would have to go all the way back to the first week of May for the last time a Korean won on the LPGA, but that all changed last weekend when) Korea had not just one, but TWO winners at the Dow Championship what happened there? Yeah, last weekend's LPGA event was a team event where players played with a partner of their choice and in the end it was Lee Somi and Im Jin-Hee who came out victorious after beating Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang, both of the US, in a playoff. Both Lee Somi and Im Jin-Hee were rookies to the LPGA tour last year and this was the first victory for both of them so I'm sure it was very special for them compared to the other pairs in the tournament. Q2. How is the team event played? Is it just the best combined score from each pair? Actually, the way the tournament worked is it was alternate shot for the 1st and 3rd rounds so each pair basically plays with the same ball, but they alternate hitting the same ball. For the 2nd and 4th rounds, each player plays their own ball, but the score is the better of the 2 so if one play birdies the hole whereas the other player pars it, they would get a birdie for their score. Lee Somi and Im Jin-Hee both had birdie putts on the 18th hole which could've won them the tournament, but they both missed while Lexi Thompson birdied the final hole to force the playoff. But in that playoff, it went back to alternate shot and Im Jin-Hee sank her birdie putt set up by a nice tee shot by Lee Somi. Megan Khang actually missed a shorter put to hand the Korean pair the victory. They become the 17th and 18th champions on the season as the tour has not had a 2-time winner yet this season. Q3. Moving on to the Korean baseball league, on Wednesday, the KBO total attendance for the season surpassed 7 million fans, in the fastest time ever in KBO history, and we are still more than a week away from the All-Star break. That IS amazing speaking of the All-Star game next weekend we talked about the starting line up a bit last week, but I understand the rest of the team has now been finalized what can we look forward to? I mentioned last week that Samsung's Kim Seong-Yoon didn't get voted on despite leading the league with a.347 average I have to say I was very surprised to see he wasn't selected as a sub either with his own manager Park Jin-Man electing to go with a pair of KT outfielders instead in Ahn Hyun-Min and Bae Jung-Dae. Ahn is a front runner for Rookie of the Year with 15-home runs and a.337 average so I totally get it, but I was honestly pretty surprised Bae Jung-Dae made the team. Fans can get another look at LG outfielder Kim Hyun-Soo again as he's been selected to his record 16th All-Star appearance. That's 1 more than Samsung catcher Kang Min-Ho who will make his 15th appearance. Q4. Also kicking off next week are the East Asia E-1 Football Championships featuring both Korea's mens and womens national soccer teams with matches in Yongin, Suwon and Hwaseong, what are some updates you can give us on the tournament? The big story is that Hong Myung-Bo has elected not to call on his European players for the tournament. So most of the players he'll be using are from the K-League with a few also playing in the J-League in Japan. Jeon Jin-Woo of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors played really well in his first 2 games with the Senior team and I think he'll be a guy the team will try to use a lot. Joo Min-Kyu is a bit older at 35 years old now, but he's been playing well in the K-League 1 and I could see Hong Myung-Bo counting on him for leadership with what's a bit of a less experienced team for the most part. Korea's first game will be Monday against China at 8pm at Yongin's Mireu Stadium should be worth your while to check out if you're in the area. Q5. Speaking of Mireu Stadium in Yongin, it could be host to a new professional soccer team as the K-League looks to expand what are the details on that? Yes, there are 3 teams that want to join the K-League 2, which is the league under the K-League 1 and one of the bids is coming from Yongin that would use Mireu Stadium as their home. The other bids are from the Paju Citizen, just north of Seoul and Gimhae FC, which is in the suburbs of Busan. The 2 latter teams play in the K-League 3, which is a semi-pro league, but it's a league that doesn't yet feed into the K-League 2 like the K-League 2 promotes into K-League 1. There are plans to add K-League 3 and K-League 4, which exist right now as independant leagues, to eventually have promotion to K-League 2, but that's a couple of years away. As for Paju, Gimhae and Yongin, one of them should get into K-League 2 next season which would make it a 14 team league. You've gotta think Paju and Gimhae have the upper hand since they both already have teams in K-League 3. Q6. Staying with the K-League, it was announced this week that the league will be inducting 6 more members into its Hall of Fame who's being honoured? Yes, the K-League created their Hall of Fame 2 years ago in 2023, which was the league's 40th anniversary. 6 members were selected for their innaugural induction and 6 more were chosen for the 2nd induction which will take place every 2 years. The 4 players selected this year were Yoo Sang-Chul, Kim Byung-Ji, Kim Ju-Seong and Dejan Damjanovic along with coach Kim Ho and builder Jung Mong-Jun. Yoo Sang-Chul was a big part of Korea's 2002 World Cup team that went to the semi-finals. Kim Byung-Ji was also a part of that team, but never saw the field as the team's back up keeper he also holds the K-League record for most appearances. Dejan Damjanovic is the first foreign inductee as the league's 2nd leading scorer only behind Lee Dong-Gook, who was inducted 2 years ago. Kim Joo-Seong was league MVP in 1997 and was a top player mostly in the 90s. Q7. And one more soccer question as you mentioned last week that Ki Sung-Yeung and FC Seoul were parting ways, but it seemed that the FC Seoul fans weren't ready to let him go Yeah there was quite the protest to his release and news of him joining the Pohang Steelers as expected. FC Seoul fans over the weekend were visibly and audibly disgruntled over having to see him play in a different K-League uniform. FC Seoul actually hosted Pohang on Sunday and won the game 4-1 but the fans didn't seem to care much they even blocked FC Seoul's team bus after the game for almost an hour in protest of Ki's release and Ki did not play in that game. Q8. And one more thing with baseball, there seems to be a lot of talk about the possibility of the NC Dinos leaving Changwon for another city how likely do you think that is? Yeah, this goes back to the opening week of the season in March when an NC Dinos fan died after being struck in the head by a large metal piece that fell from pretty high up into a crowded area. Obviously there was a lot of finger pointing after the incident and the Dinos aren't happy about how that was handled by the city of Changwon. That among other issues has led them to explore the possibility of moving to a new home. Now, I still think there's a good chance that the 2 sides will figure things out as I think it's a bad look for both sides if they were to move, but the team says they already have much better offers from prospective new homes. I don't know where they could move to, but if I had to guess, the places that make the most sense would be Gimhae, Yangsan or Ulsan as I'm sure they wouldn't want to go too far away from their original fan base. But again, I would think it would be best for all parties to figure out a way to stay in Changwon. Alright Jason, thank you for the updates, have a great rest of the week. Thank you Bella, see you tomorrow.

[Sports Round-up] Potential Korean derby in last 8 of FIFA Club World Cup

2025/06/30 22:39

Time now to take a look at what's been happening in the world of sports. For that, we have our sports editor Paul Neat joining us in the studio. Welcome, Paul. Thank you. Let's start with golf. LPGA sophomores Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi joined forces to earn their maiden U.S. titles. Yes, they won the Dow Championship in Midland, Michigan, on Sunday. They beat the American team of Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson in a playoff. In this team competition, both teams finished at 20-under 260. Im and Lee shot an eight-under 62 in their bogey-free final round with eight birdies to draw level. In the playoff, Im sank a birdie putt set up by Lee's tee shot. Khang had a shorter birdie attempt but missed to hand the South Koreans their first wins. The pair joined the LPGA Tour last year and will split the prize money of just over 799-thousand U.S. dollars. They became the fourth and fifth South Koreans to win on the LPGA Tour in 2025, but are the first to win the Dow Championship, which began in 2019. Moving on to football now. There could be a Korean derby in the FIFA Club World Cup. Yes, indeed. We could see Lee Kang-in versus Kim Min-jae. That's because Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will meet in the quarter-finals on Saturday. PSG and Lee Kang-in beat Lionel Messi's Inter Miami 4-0 on Sunday. Lee came off the bench in the 70th minute to make his third appearance of the competition. Meanwhile, Kim Min-jae was an unused substitute as Bayern beat Flamengo 4-2. Kim is yet to feature in the Club World Cup, having only just returned from an Achilles injury and Bayern are not rushing him back. Lee won the French top division title, the French Cup, and the European Champions League with PSG last year. Kim won the Bundesliga title with Bayern. There could be even more silverware should either team advance. To K League now. Jeonbuk look like they're back to their best. Yes, indeed. At the weekend, they went 10 points clear at the top of K League 1. In Round 21 on Friday, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors beat Gimcheon Sangmu 2-1 thanks to a brace from Italian striker Andrea Compagno. This, along with Daejeon in second place drawing 1-1 at home to Jeju SK, meant Jeonbuk's lead was extended from eight points to 10. This is quite the turnaround from last year, when the Green Warriors finished 10th and had to go through the relegation playoffs. Led by Uruguayan manager Gus Poyet, Jeonbuk are on a run of 17 matches unbeaten and are seeking a first K League 1 title since 2021. Reigning champions Ulsan have slipped to seventh but have two games in hand, having been away in the U.S. for the Club World Cup. And finally, to baseball. It seems highly likely that we'll have another South Korean star in MLB next year. Yes, Kiwoom Heroes infielder Song Sung-mun. According to Yonhap News, scouts from four MLB clubs came to watch his most recent matches. The New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, the Seattle Mariners, and the San Diego Padres are all reported to be interested in his services and have sent scouts to watch him over the past week. Song has previously said he wasn't too keen on a move to MLB but said recently that he spoke to current MLB star Kim Ha-seong, who provided encouragement. He says he'll weigh up his options at the end of the year if he has a good season and if there are clubs interested. Alright, something to keep tabs on. Thanks, Paul. See you next week. Thank you.

[Short-form] A sneak peek into Korea’s baseball fever

2025/06/27 15:35

KBO has attracted over six million spectators in record time, and foreign fans are also joining the craze. Discover what’s fueling K-baseball’s explosive popularity.

K-Sports highlights with Jason Lee

2025/06/27 15:35

Time for the latest in the world of K-sports, from the FIFA Club World Cup, to team transfers to the latest in the KBO. We are joined by our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio who will bring us all the highlights. Hello Jason! Q1. The FIFA Club World Cup is taking place right now in the United States but it's come to an end for Korea. represented by Ulsan HD how did the games go? Yes, unfortunately things did not go very well for Ulsan Hyundai FC as they lost all 3 games, most recently to Germany's Borussia Dortmund 1-0 yesterday morning. To be honest, Jo Hyeon-Woo, who's Korea's National team starting keeper was really the only reason the score wasn't more lop-sided as he really kept the team in it. Ulsan Hyundai FC already had no chance of advancing to the round of 16 after a 1-0 loss to Mamelodi Sundown FC of South Africa followed by a 4-2 loss to Brazil's Fluminense FC. It's obviously disappointing that Ulsan finished 0-and-3 for the tournament, but at the same time, these are some pretty good teams and in the end I thought they held their own for the most part but yeah, it would've been nice if they'll could've pulled out a win or even a draw. Q2. Speaking of the K-League, it seems that Ki Sung-Yueng and FC Seoul are parting ways why is that? Yes, Ki Sung-Yueng was once one of my favourite Korean players starting off with FC Seoul back in 2006 and also playing for: Celtic, Swansea City, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Mallorca before returning to FC Seoul in 2020. He's now 36 years old and at that age most normal players have already retired, but K Sung-Yeung feels that he still has some football left in him and wants to contribute to a team. Unfortunately the way FC Seoul is constructed and with the ambitions they have the 2-sides agreed it would be best for Ki to be moved to another team where he could gain more playing time. Nothing is final yet, but the Pohang Steelers have been reported to be the most likely destination for him to continue his K-League 1 career. And by the way if you're not a soccer fan and are unfamiliar with who Ki Sung-Yeung is, he's the husband of Han Hye-Jin, who of course is quite famous as an actress and TV host. Q3. Speaking of players switching teams, it's not very often that there are trades in the KBO mid-season, but I understand the Twins and Wiz have agreed to a deal ? Yeah, none of the names involved are household names for casual fans, but I think this is more of a deal about roster management and future outlook. The deal saw the LG Twins send 24 year old lefty Lim Jun-Hyeong to the KT Wiz for hitter Cheon Seong-Ho and catcher Kim Jun-Tae. Kim Jun-Tae is probably the most recognizable name in the deal, but I'd say he's probably more of a toss in as we know what he is at 30 years of age and he's more of a back up catcher at this point in his career. The younger guys in the deal are more speculative pieces with Cheon Seong-Ho being a part time player who's been up and down from the future's league he's kind of been GREAT in the Future's League, but then unimpressive in the KBO so my bet is that someone in the LG Twins organization thinks they can coach him to break out because he's certainly shown potential in the Future's League. As for what KT is getting, Lim Jun-Hyong has looked great in his 5 games this year all coming in June and I wonder if LG was trying to sell high on him. Lim had an ERA over 5 coming into this season but he's only allowed 1 run in 4-2/3 innings this year so great, but a very small sample size. My understanding is that LG reached out to KT to add a bat, but this looks like then moving Lim while he's hot but I could be wrong and maybe KT turns him into an Ace we'll have to wait and see. Q4. The Twins give up a reliever I guess it would've been perfect for them if they got former closer Go Woo-Suk back but it looks like he'll be staying in North America a bit longer Yeah this is sort of another reason I wonder if LG was trying to push out Lim Jun-Hyong if they did get Go Woo-Suk then it would've been a numbers game and the reason they dealt Lim, but that wasn't the case. Anyways, yeah let's talk about Go Woo-Suk he was the top reliever in the KBO in 2023 and then the LG Twins allowed him to pursue a Major League career as he signed with the San Diego Padres. Partly through last season, the Padres traded him the Marlins and then earlier this month the Marlins released him sparking speculation that he might return to the Twins in the KBO. However, Go Woo-Suk has signed on with another Major League team as he has signed on with the Detroit Tigers, who were actually the first team to 50 wins. Now Go has yet to play in the Major Leagues as he spent his entire time with both San Diego and Miami in the minors and for now that's the expectation with the Tigers is that he'll report to their AAA team, the Toledo Mud Hens. Most recently Go's ERA was 1.59 with Miami's AAA team the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp although that was a small sample size of just 5-2/3 innings. If he can stick with Detroit he'll be joining a really good team that actually does need some bullpen help so I think this was a great team for him to join if things were not to work out and he returned to Korea, I'm sure the LG Twins would be VERY Excited. Q5. Also the KBO's All-Star game is coming up on July 12th I heard the rosters are set and one player broke the record for most votes? Yes and it wasn't who I would've expected to be honest Kim Seo-Hyeon, the Hanhwa Eagles closer led all vote getters with 1.7-million votes from fans that broke the previous record of 1.4-million votes for Kia's Yang Hyun-Jong back in 2022. So why did Kim Seo-Hyeon get so many votes? He doesn't lead the league in Saves, but he's only 3 behind saves leader Park Yeong-Hyun and he's got the best ERA among the top closers. That along with the fact that he was the first overall pick in the 2023 draft and is having a bit of a breakout party this year and of course the big one is also that he plays for the Hanhwa Eagles who will be hosting the All-Star game this year so you know their fans have been passionately filling the ballot box as well. Q6. With All-Star teams, there are always players who deserve to be on the team but end up missing out are there any notable snubs this year? I think for the most part the most deserving players are in the starting line up, but if I were to highlight a few players deserving the first name that comes to mind would be Samsung's centerfielder Kim Seong-Yoon, who is leading the league with a.354 batting average and a.932 OPS, which is good for 4th I mean you could argue he's having a better season than his own teammate Koo Ja-wook who has been voted in, but obviously Koo has been an All-Star mainstay and is largely regarded as the best player on Samsung. LG's Moon Bo-Gyeong is also putting up All-Star numbers with a.299 average and 13 home runs, but the top 3rd base vote getter for the Nanum team was injured star Kim Do-Young. He's still out with a hamstring injury so it's probable that Moon will just be the starter in the All-Star game even if he wasn't the top vote getter for the position. Thank you Jason for all the sports updates, have a great weekend. Bella, thanks as always, see you next week.

[Hallyu People] Meet the author of "Sgt. Reckless", a Korean warhorse in the Korean War

2025/06/26 15:34

In 1950, when the Korean War broke out, almost two million United Nations troops from 22 countries took part in the conflict, be it through military or medical support. But it wasn't just humans that fought in this war. Today, we want to listen to the story of a heroic warhorse called "Reckless", often referred to as America's greatest warhorse. For that, we now connect to the bestselling author of "Reckless" or "Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse", Robin Hutton. Hello Ms. Hutton! "Sgt. Reckless" is your book about a horse that was involved in the Korean War. In the U.S., it's a required book for enlisted Marines. 10 years after it was first published, its translated Korean version was released in April this year. How do you feel about the publication in the country "Reckless" fought for and the country she originated from? Ms. Hutton, you are known for your affection for military animals. Among them you even decided to write a book dedicated to the warhorse "Reckless". Why was it this horse and what was it that you wanted to convey through her story? Reckless was originally named "Achimhae", which translates into "flame of the morning." It was actually quite small in size, but how come Reckless was chosen to become a military horse? It's very impressive and touching to hear about the efforts of animals during wartime. So, more specifically, what role did Reckless play in the Korean War? Sergeant Reckless was not only the first animal to be officially promoted to the rank of Sergeant, but was also awarded with two Purple Hearts. Please tell us about the significance of this medal. Memorial Day parades in the U.S. also involve a horse similar to Reckless? Can you tell us more about that event? This year marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Back then, 1,789,000 U.S. troops served in the war. Among them more than 90,000 were wounded. The Reckless monuments in the U.S. were said to be a kind of healing symbol and helped veterans who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder? Tell us more about this story. There are six monuments of Sergeant Reckless in the U.S. and two in Korea, one in Yeoncheon , Gyeonggi-do Province and one on Jeju Island, that was erected last year. What does the presence of these statues and the horse itself mean to the two countries respectively and in terms of their bilateral relationship? Thank you very much Ms. Hutton for connecting with us and sharing this incredible story about Sgt. Reckless in your book. Just as the Korean War should not be a forgotten war, let's not forget the noble deeds of war animals like Reckless. Thank you Bella, we'll see you back very soon.

[Sports Round-up] S. Korean nat'l football team squads announced for EAFF E-1 Championship

2025/06/24 00:30

Time now to take a look at what's been happening in the world of sports. For that, we have our sports editor Paul Neat joining us in the studio. Welcome, Paul. Thank you. Let's begin with football. The South Korea national team squads were announced this afternoon ahead of the East Asia Cup. Yes, the EAFF E-1 Football Championships that are being held in Korea next month. For the men's team, 20 of the 23-man squad are players from the K League, with three from the J.League in Japan. The two Kim Tae-hyeons, one from Kashima Antlers in Japan and one from Jeonbuk, as well as Ulsan's Seo Myeong-kwan, Gangwon's Seo Min-woo, Gimcheon's Lee Seung-won, Byun Jun-soo of Gwangju, and Pohang's Lee Ho-jae are in a full national team squad for the first time. South Korea's men's games are being played at Yongin Mireu Stadium. It's a single group of four in a round robin format, consisting of South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and China, with matches set to begin on July 7th. Japan won the last edition in 2022, but South Korea has the most titles with five -the last being in 2019. Meanwhile, the women's competition will be contested between South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan. Matches start on July 9th and games will take place at Hwaseong Stadium and Suwon World Cup Stadium. There are nine overseas-based stars in the squad, including the legendary Ji So-yun, as well as Kim Shin-ji of AS Roma, Lee Geum-min and Choi Yu-ri of Birmingham City, and Lee Young-ju of Levante Badalona. Moving on to table tennis. Not one but two WTT medals for Lim Jong-hoon. Yes, in the mixed doubles and men's doubles. At the 2025 WTT Star Contender in Slovenia on Sunday, Lim won the mixed doubles with Shin Yu-bin as well as the men's doubles with An Jae-hyun. In the mixed doubles, the pair dominated Brazil's Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi in straight sets. It marks their return to the top after a WTT win earlier this year in India. In the men's doubles final, Lim and An stunned the world No. 1 French duo, the Lebrun brothers Felix and Alexis, with a clean 3-zero sweep. To baseball now and the KBO. The Kia Tigers extended their winning streak to six games. Yes, to move up to fourth place in the standings. This comes following a comeback win over the SSG Landers on Sunday. The Tigers were down 2 to 3 in the 8th inning, but Kim Seok-hwan's two-run homer turned the game around. Then, Kim Ho-ryeong's sacrifice fly in the 9th sealed the 5 to 4 win. The Tigers now sit just 2-point-5 games behind 3rd-place the Lotte Giants, and 4-point-5 games behind league-leaders the Hanwha Eagles. Kia have been in great form this month with 12 wins, 1 draw, and just 5 losses, boasting a win rate over 70 percent. And finally, to MLB. Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers played a key role in the team's 13-7 win over the Washington Nationals. Yes, indeed. He went 1-for-4, and hit his fifth double of the season. He later reached base again on an error in the seventh inning, sparking a big rally that broke the game wide open. Though the error didn't count as a hit, it did lead to a bases-loaded opportunity, setting the stage for Shohei Ohtani's bases-clearing triple. Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong of the Tampa Bay Rays is back on the road to recovery from a shoulder injury. He went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run, and two steals during a Triple-A match on Friday. His first game since June 12th after a hamstring problem. Alright, thanks for that, Paul. See you next week. Thank you.

K-Sports highlights with Jason Lee

2025/06/13 14:00

Time for the latest in the world of K-sports, from wonderful news for Korea's national football team and fans alike, to baseball updates we are joined by our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio who will bring us all the highlights. Hello Jason! Q1. The biggest Korean sports news over the past week has obviously been Korea qualifying for next year's World Cup in North America tell us about Korea's two wins! Yes, Korea beat Iraq 2-0 last weekend and then defeated Kuwait 4-0 Tuesday night in Seoul the win in Iraq was actually all Korea needed to qualify so that means Korea does indeed qualify for their 11th straight World Cup Championship dating back to 1986 in Mexico. The only countries to have played in more consecutive World Cups are: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and Argentina and what do those countries have in common? Each have won the World Cup actually other than Spain, each of those countries have won the World Cup at LEAST 3 times! Q2. Because Korea qualified with last week's win in Iraq, coach Hong Myung-Bo used Tuesday's game against Kuwait to play some of his younger or less experienced players who stood out for you in that game? Yes, I thought the best player for Korea was clearly Lee Kang-In he was clearly a different player with the ball and his ability to make plays but of course we already know about him. In terms of younger players that hadn't seen as much attention for the national team, I thought Jeon Jin-Woo of Jeonbuk stood out down the right wing. He played as a sub against Iraq and then started against Kuwait. I think you could really see him look a lot more comfortable in the latter game although he did contribute a nice assist in the game against Iraq as well. Another player that caught my attention was Bae Jun-Ho of Stoke City he's only 21 years old, but his passing ability is amazing. He was playing in just his 7th and 8th national team game while Jeon Jin-Woo was making his 1st and 2nd appearances with the senior squad. Q3. There's basically a year left now before the World Cup next summer, so what's next for Korea's national team between now and then? Korea will actually host the E-1 Football Championship for the East Asian Football Federation next month in Yongin. The 4 country tournament will feature: Korea, China, Japan and Hong Kong and will take place from the 7th to the 15th. This is the 10th iteration of the event and typically Korea hasn't fielded their A-team for this event, but head coach Hong Myung-Bo is planning to use this as the early stages of preparation for the World Cup so I think we can expect to see a lot of Korea's top young players perhaps similar to what we saw against Kuwait. Korea also has a trip planned to North America where they will play both the USA and Mexico in a pair of friendlies against 2 of the 3 hosts for next year's tournament. I think this should be a good feeler for a pair of teams they could be grouped with and also I like the idea of getting a feel for the field conditions ahead of the tournament next summer. Q4. Let's switch to baseball as I heard some legendary Major League Baseball players have visited Korea for a good reason? Yeah both Hall of Famer, Adrian Beltre and World Series MVP Cole Hamels are in Korea right now to offer some advice to the SSG Landers Futures' League players. Now you might wonder: "Why are they here helping out a Future's League team", which of course is the minor leagues for the KBO. Well the answer is: Choo Shin-Soo, the former Major Leaguer and KBO All Star for SSG is now in charge of the SSG Futures' League team. So he's reached out to a pair of former teammates as both Beltre and Hamels were teammates of Choo's when he played for the Texas Rangers. So Lucky for the SSG youngsters that they have an opportunity to learn from some of the best and perhaps more importantly find inspiration from some of the stories I'm sure they'll share. Q5. Choo Shin-Soo is a Legendary Korean baseball player who is coaching the SSG Lander's Future's team Another Korean baseball legend is Lee Seung-Yuop who is no longer coaching for Doosan ? That's right Lee Seung-Yuop had been the Doosan Bears' manager for the past 2 seasons plus. He recently announced that he would be stepping down as manager as his team has clearly under-performed. Doosan is currently in 9th place and have frankly looked awful this season although they did make the post season in each of Lee Seung-Yup's first 2 seasons as manager. It was telling that something might happen as fans had been more vocal about the teams performance as there had audibly been more booing and negative noises at Jamsil stadium as of late especially directed at Lee Seung-Yuop, which is kind of sad because he's such a big legend in the KBO. He still holds the single season home run record with 56 and was ranked 4th on the KBO's all time greatest players list when they ranked the league top 40 players a few years ago for the league's 40th anniversary season. Q6. And one more KBO note, there's going to be a big showdown of the current top 2 teams in the league this weekend as the LG Twins visit the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon that should be a Big Series! Yes, the top team teams clash LG, the champs from 2 years ago and Hanwha the league's perennial doormats that have turned things around this season. Thank you very much Jason for all the updates in the world of K-sports, have a wonderful weekend. Thank you Bella as always, have a great weekend and see you next week.

S. Korean fighter jet damaged during Red Flag Alaska; pilots safe: ROK Air Force

2025/06/11 17:00

A South Korean KF-16 fighter jet was damaged Wednesday during a multinational drill led by the U.S. in Alaska. According to authorities the two pilots were forced to eject in response to an emergency situation during take-off. The pilots were transferred to a nearby hospital and are said to be in stable condition. A separate team from the South Korean Air Force will head an investigation into the incident.

S. Korea defeats Kuwait 4-0 with World Cup spot already secured

2025/06/11 10:00

The South Korean national football team beat Kuwait four-nil on Tuesday night, to wrap up their World Cup qualifying campaign. Playing in front of a home crowd at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, second half goals from Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyeong-gyu and Lee Jae-sung completed the victory after an own goal from Kuwait in the first half. South Korea went undefeated to top Group B with 22 points from six wins and four draws. The Taegeuk Warriors clinched their World Cup berth last Thursday, with a two-nil win against Iraq.

[Sports Round-up] S. Korea aiming to go unbeaten in World Cup qualification for first time in 16 years

2025/06/09 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 the South Korean national football team. The Taeguk Warriors have qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Yes, the 11th World Cup in a row. An achievement that was met with a letter to the KFA from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, offering his congratulations. Qualification was sealed via a 2-0 away win over Iraq on Thursday. The task at hand now, with one more game to go, is to go unbeaten throughout World Cup qualification for the first time in 16 years. The team's record stands at 10 wins and five draws. Korea play against Kuwait in Seoul on Tuesday to see out the third round of qualifying. Another win would also seal top spot in Group B. But there is more to come. In July, South Korea is hosting the EAFF E-1 Football Championship, then the September international break sees friendlies against the USA and Mexico in the U.S. More friendlies will come in October and November, then the World Cup draw is made in December. The World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico kicks off on 11th June 2026. Lots to look forward to then. Let's move on to badminton. Yet another win for An Se-young. Yes, this time the Indonesian Open. Her fifth title of the year was won on Sunday in Jakarta. An Se-young came from behind to beat Wang Zhiyi of China two sets to one. Wang won the first match 21-13, but An roared back with wins in the last two sets -21-19, 21-15. The world number one has now won five of the six competitions she's entered this year, missing only the Singapore Open after losing in the quarterfinals. Moving on to athletics now. Another win for high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok That's right, he won the Diamond League event in Rome. This is the sixth international competition victory in a row for the man they call the "Smile Jumper." In the final on Sunday, Woo beat Oleh Doroshchuk of Ukraine. Woo failed in his attempt to clear the 2-point-3-meter bar, but Doroshchuk was successful. Woo cleared the 2-point-3-2 bar, but his rival failed, and failed with the 2-point-4 to seal the win for Woo Sang-hyeok. 2-point-3 meters was also his best of the season. And finally, to baseball. A milestone match for Kim Hye-seong. That's right, he recorded his first three-base hit in MLB. Kim batted 1-for-2 in a 7-3 win for the LA Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. The hit led to two runs being scored and allowed him to make it to third base. Kim sent a line drive to the deep right field corner, to give the Dodgers a 3-zero lead at the time. He also made something of a spectacular catch in center field in what was an all-around productive day. The 26-year-old joined the Dodgers this year from the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO League. Alright, thanks for that, Paul. See you next time. Thank you.