Women's World Cup-bound half-Korean 'proud and honored'

As the first player of mixed heritage to be named to the South Korean women's senior national football team, Casey Phair said Wednesday she was "honored" with the opportunity to represent the country of her mother's birth. "I feel really proud and honored to be given this opportunity," she told reporters at the National Football Center in Paju, 40 kilometers northwest of Seoul, moments after head coach Colin Bell named her as one of 23 players for the FIFA Women

July 5, 2023

Half-Korean teenager Casey Phair named to S. Korean Women's World Cup team

Casey Phair, a half-Korean teenage forward, was named to the South Korean national football team for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup on Wednesday. At the National Football Center in Paju, some 40 kilometers northwest of Seoul, head coach Colin Bell unveiled his 23-player roster for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, along with two reserves. Phair, born to an American father and a Korean mother in the United States, is the first player of mixed descen

July 5, 2023

Celtic FC withdraw from S. Korean summer trip

The Scottish football champions Celtic FC have withdrawn from their planned summer trip to South Korea, citing the local promoter's failure to meet financial commitments. Celtic made the announcement on their website Tuesday. Featuring South Korean forward Oh Hyeon-gyu, Celtic had been scheduled to play the Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, which employ another South Korean international, Hwang Hee-chan, later this month. However, Wolves first pulled out of the summer tour last T

July 5, 2023

Women's soccer legend wants to mark end of era with goal at World Cup

Preparing for the third and possibly her last FIFA Women's World Cup, veteran midfielder Ji So-yun said Monday she wants to mark the end of an era with a goal at the big event. Ji is the all-time leading scorer in South Korean football, male or female, with 66 goals, and is tied with teammate Cho So-hyun for the most caps by a Korean football player with 144. At 32, Ji could be playing at her final World Cup this summer in Australia. The same could be said of the vast majority of her teamma

July 3, 2023

AS Roma’s summer trip to S. Korea canceled

A summer exhibition tour by the Italian football club AS Roma has been canceled. Stadium X, the local promoter for the proposed preseason trip, announced Friday AS Roma’s matches against the Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the K League 1 side Incheon United will not take place as scheduled. The announcement comes on the heels of a report in Italian media over the weekend that AS Roma would not travel to South Korea because local organizers had not delivered on financial com

June 30, 2023

Top pro football league tops 10,000 in average attendance in 1st half

On the strength of an offensive surge and a tight race in the middle, the top South Korean professional football league has established an attendance record for its current format. The 12 teams in the K League 1 averaged 10,328 fans per match through 19 out of 38 contests this season, the league office announced Tuesday. It's the largest figure for the first half since the K League introduced the promotion-relegation system in 2013. Last year, with the country still not fully out of the COV

June 27, 2023

S. Korean defender Kim Ji-soo signs with Brentford

South Korean football defender Kim Ji-soo has signed with the Premier League club Brentford. Brentford announced their acquisition of the 18-year-old Monday for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal, with a club option for a fifth year. The deal is subject to international clearance, Brentford added. Kim, who completed a medical late last week, will join Brentford's B-team for pre-season training this week. Kim played in 19 matches for Seongnam FC in the K League 1 last year on a semi-pro

June 27, 2023

Celtic target Yang Hyun-jun declares desire to move to Europe

Caught between a European club wanting his services and his current team hoping to hold onto him, Gangwon FC attacker Yang Hyun-jun has made it clear he'd like to play overseas someday. "It's a dream for every player to go to Europe," Yang said after a 1-1 draw against Suwon FC in a K League 1 match Sunday, three days after Gangwon acknowledged having received an offer from Scottish champions Celtic FC for the promising 21-year-old. "I know our team is in a difficult sit

June 26, 2023

Korean soccer players suspended for 1 game, fined W15m for allegedly racist comments

Three Korean soccer players with Ulsan Hyundai FC were suspended for one game and fined 15 million won ($11,500) each on Thursday for posting allegedly racist comments online. A disciplinary committee under the Korea Professional Football League announced their decision to punish Ulsan defender Lee Myung-jae and his teammates Lee Gyu-sung and Park Yong-woo for posting allegedly racist comments on social media, one of which referenced Thai player Sasalak Haiprakhon earlier this month. This marks

June 22, 2023

National football team defender Kim Jin-su likely out 2 months with orbital fracture

Veteran South Korean left back Kim Jin-su will be sidelined for about two months after suffering an orbital fracture during a friendly match against El Salvador on Tuesday. Kim sustained the facial injury in an inadvertent collision with teammate Lee Jae-sung late in the first half at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in the central city of Daejeon. Kim briefly moved to the sidelines to get treatment and came back on, before being subbed out in the 58th minute. Kim's face was badly swollen by then,

June 21, 2023

S. Korean intl. Cho Gue-sung itching for move to Europe

After basking in unexpected stardom on the heels of his breakout performance at the FIFA World Cup last fall, South Korean striker Cho Gue-sung fielded offers from European clubs for the winter transfer window. Cho ultimately stayed put with his domestic club, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He wrapped up his first scoring title in the K League 1 in 2022, further cementing his status as the next big thing coming out of South Korea. By foregoing a chance to move to Europe while the iron was hot, Cho was

June 21, 2023

Klinsmann sold on future of S. Korean football

While coaching the senior men's national football team for South Korea, Jurgen Klinsmann hasn't lost the sight of the pipeline that will be feeding him youthful talent in the near future. The German tactician doesn't just want to wait around for young athletes to develop, though. He wants to be involved in their progress. At a press conference Monday, the eve of South Korea's friendly against El Salvador in the central city of Daejeon, Klinsmann spoke of how "excited&quo

June 20, 2023

S. Korea coach, captain praying for safe release of player held in China

The head coach and the captain of the South Korean men's national football team said Monday they are praying for a safe and quick release of Son Jun-ho, an international veteran placed under formal arrest in China. "We all feel for Jun-ho. We all pray for him and his family that his situation gets resolved as quickly as possible," head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said at a press conference held on the eve of South Korea's match against El Salvador. "We hope that we get him ba

June 19, 2023

Lineup experimentation likely to continue for S. Korea vs. El Salvador

Handed a depleted roster with a few key players out due to injuries and other circumstances, South Korea men's football head coach Jurgen Klinsmann had little choice but to tinker with his lineup and even formation in a 1-0 loss to Peru on Friday. With no reinforcements on the way, Klinsmann will likely continue with his experimentation in South Korea's next friendly match, against world No. 75 El Salvador, kicking off at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, some 140 k

June 18, 2023

Struggling K League club Gangwon FC replace head coach

Stuck in the relegation zone for most of the ongoing K League 1 season, Gangwon FC made a head coaching change Thursday. Gangwon announced they have parted ways with head coach Choi Yong-soo and replaced him with Yoon Jong-hwan. "We felt this was time for a change and a fresh start," Gangwon said in a statement, adding that Choi had met with team CEO Kim Byung-ji on Wednesday night to offer his resignation. With the K League 1 currently on an international break, Gangwon FC find themse

June 15, 2023

Klinsmann takes new-look team in pursuit of 1st win as S. Korea head coach

Jurgen Klinsmann will be hoping the third time will be the charm, as he takes his third crack at winning his first match as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team this week. South Korea, ranked 27th, will host 21st-ranked Peru at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in the southeastern city of Busan at 8 p.m. Friday. It will be the first of two friendlies for South Korea this month, as they will face El Salvador in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, next Tuesday. In Klins

June 14, 2023

Son Heung-min questionable for friendly vs. Peru following sports hernia surgery

South Korean captain Son Heung-min is questionable for an upcoming friendly match against Peru after undergoing sports hernia surgery about two weeks ago, a national team official said Tuesday. According to the official for the Korea Football Association, Son had surgery after returning home upon completing the Premier League season at Tottenham Hotspur on May 30. "It's been about two weeks and he's focusing on recovery," the official said. "We'll have to wait and s

June 13, 2023

Fixtures set for Seoul visit by Man City, Atletico Madrid

Fixtures for the summer Seoul visit by Manchester City and Atletico Madrid were set Tuesday. The Korea Professional League and the South Korean streaming service Coupang Play jointly announced that the two European giants will clash at 8 p.m. on July 30 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Before that, at 8 p.m. on July 27, Atletico Madrid will take on "Team K League," made up of stars from the domestic circuit. The K League will finalize the All-Star squad sometime in July. Plans for exhibitio

June 13, 2023

S. Korean football club Ulsan apologize for players' racist comments toward Thai player

South Korean football club Ulsan Hyundai FC issued an apology on Monday for their players' racist comments made online toward a Thai player. Ulsan, the defending K League 1 champions, took to social media to apologize to fans and to the Thai player in question, Sasalak Haiprakhon, for "inappropriate words and action" by some of their players. The club said they will soon open disciplinary proceedings. The comments in question were made on the Instagram page for Ulsan defender Lee

June 12, 2023

S. Korea captain thanks teammates for sacrifice at U-20 World Cup

As South Korea's captain at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, midfielder Lee Seung-won led with his words and deeds. Lee was South Korea's lone scorer in their 3-1 loss to Israel in the third-place match at La Plata Stadium in La Plata. He finished with team highs of three goals and four assists. The combined total of seven is the highest ever by a South Korean player at a male FIFA tournament. And at every turn throughout the tournament, Lee tried to deflect the spotlight from him

June 12, 2023