South Korea has climbed two spots in the men's hockey world rankings, weeks after earning a promotion to the top-tier world championship.
The International Ice Hockey Federation on Monday unveiled the latest world rankings, and South Korea reached No. 21, its all-time high.
South Korea ranked 33rd in April 2010. It had stayed at No. 23 since 2014 before taking another step forward less than a year before its Olympic debut on home ice at PyeongChang 2018.
South Korean players pose for pictures after finishing second at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division I Group A in Kiev, Ukraine, on April 28, 2017. (Hockey Photo)
South Korea finished second at the IIHF World Championship Division I Group A in April in Ukraine and earned a promotion to the top-notch IIHF World Championship for next year.
Coached by former National Hockey League defenseman Jim Paek, South Korea will face Canada (No. 1), the Czech Republic (No. 6) and Switzerland (No. 7) in the group phase of the Olympic tournament next February. South Korea will then make its IIHF World Championship debut three months later in Denmark.
Kazakhstan remained the top Asian nation at No. 17, down from No. 16 in the previous rankings. Japan traded spots with South Korea, slipping from 21st to 23rd.
The IIHF rankings are determined on the final positions in the last four IIHF championships and in the most recent Olympics. (Yonhap)
