Sep 20, 2017

Swansea City's Ki Sung-yueng set for comeback

South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yueng is set to make his comeback in the near future after completing his rehabilitation process, a source close to the player said Wednesday.The source in Seoul said Ki is likely to make his return for Swansea City next week as he is now able to fully join the English Premier League club's training. The development raises hope for the national team preparing for the 2018 FIFA World Cup."Ki has completed his rehab and has been participating in full training starti

Sep 20, 2017

Beckham says Korean natl. team will improve

David Beckham said Wednesday he thinks the South Korean national football team will overcome difficult situations and become a better team, emphasizing that all teams and players go through adversity.The 42-year-old retired football star from Britain visited South Korea as a global ambassador for AIA, the pan-Asian insurance group, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the country, to talk about healthy lifestyle and promote the company's new campaign "What's Your Why?"During a press conf

Sep 19, 2017

Korean midfielder set to join UAE's Al Ahli

South Korean midfielder Kim Young-wook is set to sign with United Arab Emirates football club Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, officials from his current club said Tuesday. K League Classic team Jeonnam Dragons said they're pushing for Kim's move to Al Ahli, and the player will soon fly to Dubai for a medical. The Arabian Gulf League, the UAE's top league, started its new season last weekend, and the player registration deadline is the second week of October.  In this file photo taken Feb. 23, 2017, Jeonna

Sep 18, 2017

Venue confirmed for Korea's football friendly vs. Russia

South Korea will play against the 2018 FIFA World Cup hosts Russia at a multi-use stadium in Moscow next month, the national football governing body said Monday.The Korea Football Association said the match will kick off at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 local time (or 11 p.m. in Seoul) at the 30,000-seat VEB Arena, home of PFC CSKA Moscow.The KFA earlier this month announced that South Korea will take on Russia for their 2018 World Cup preparations. The showdown in Moscow is the first friendly since South Ko

Sep 18, 2017

7 out of 10 Koreans say natl. football team needs Hiddink

More than 70 percent of South Koreans believe the men's national football team needs to hire Dutch tactician Guus Hiddink for the FIFA World Cup next year, a survey showed Monday.In the survey of 505 adults conducted by Realmeter nationwide last week, 70.2 percent said that Hiddink should be given a job, whether as a coach or a technical advisor, within the national football team for the World Cup in Russia. Hiddink previously guided South Korea to the 2002 World Cup semifinals.The survey was co

Sep 15, 2017

Football executive reaffirms support for nat'l team boss amid Hiddink row

The technical director of South Korean football on Friday reaffirmed his stance that the men's national team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be led by current boss Shin Tae-yong, rejecting speculation that former head coach Guus Hiddink might return to his old job. Kim Ho-gon, who leads the Korea Football Association's technical committee, said in a statement that his trust in Shin remains the same and emphasized that the 46-year-old South Korean will coach the national team at the World Cup in

Sep 15, 2017

Guus Hiddink likely to meet Korea football coach in Russia next month

Guus Hiddink, who recently pledged his support for South Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is expected to meet current national football team boss Shin Tae-yong next month in Russia, an official with the Korea Football Association said Friday, amid speculation of the Dutchman returning to a coaching job. South Korea will face the 2018 World Cup hosts Russia in a friendly match in Moscow on Oct. 7. Hiddink, who guided South Korea to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, is scheduled to visit

Sep 15, 2017

Korea falls 2 spots to 51st in FIFA rankings for Sept.

South Korea, which recently qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has dropped out of the top 50 in the latest world rankings from the world football governing body.According to the September rankings unveiled by FIFA on Thursday, South Korea fell two spots to No. 51, having accumulated 659 points. The country trails three other Asian Football Confederation members: Iran (23rd), Japan (40th) and Australia (50th). South Korea began 2017 at No. 37, but its ranking has gradually fallen over the yea

Sep 14, 2017

Guus Hiddink says willing to support Korean football in any way

AMSTERDAM -- Former men's national football team head coach Guus Hiddink said Thursday that he is willing to help South Korean football in any way. Hiddink, who guided South Korea to the 2002 FIFA World Cup semifinals, told South Korean reporters in Amsterdam that he is ready to help the men's national football team if the Korean people want him back. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager said he has yet to talk with the Korea Football Association, but if he receives an official offer, he i

Sep 14, 2017

Football officials booked over misappropriation allegations

Former and current executives at the national football governing body were charged over allegations of misappropriating the organization's budget, police said Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said 11 former and current employees of the Korea Football Association were arrested without detention for breach of duty, as they allegedly exploited their group's money for private use between 2011 and 2012. The police said Cho Chung-yun, former president of the KFA, took his wife on busines

Sep 14, 2017

Pro soccer league appeals against mediation order over 2016 promotion playoff result

South Korea’s pro soccer league office on Thursday said it has filed an appeal against a mediation order from a local court that recommended amending last year’s promotion playoff result. 　The K League said it filed an appeal with the Seoul Central District Court to challenge its mediation committee’s order that the second leg of the promotion playoff match between Seongnam FC and Gangwon FC on Nov. 20, 2016, should be forfeited. The mediators said Seongnam should have been awarded a 3-0 win sin

Sep 14, 2017

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores 1st goal of season

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min has scored his first goal of the season in his club's victory at a European club competition. Son, who started as left winger, netted the opening goal in the Spurs' 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in Group H match at the UEFA Champions League at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time). The 25-year-old found the net with his left foot just four minutes after the kickoff.This was Son's first goal of the 2017-18 season. He has appea

Sep 12, 2017

Korean organizers make nearly W6b profit from U-20 World Cup

South Korean organizers of the FIFA U-20 World Cup said Tuesday they made nearly 6 billion won ($5.2 million) in profit from this year's youth football tournament. The local organizing committee for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, led by Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, said it generated 24.9 billion won in revenue and spent 19 billion won, resulting in 5.9 billion won in profit.  In this file photo taken June 11, 2017, England national football team players celebrate after win

Sep 11, 2017

Natl. team coach vows to play attacking football in friendlies

South Korea's national football team head coach Shin Tae-yong said Monday his side will play attacking football in upcoming friendly matches for its preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea clinched its ninth consecutive World Cup appearance last week after finishing runners-up in Group A in the final Asian qualifying round. In Asia, the top two teams each in Groups A and B directly advance to the World Cup in Russia, while third-placed teams have to enter a playoffs to earn a berth.