K-League to lift 26-year-old ban on foreign goalkeepers

K-League clubs will be allowed to register foreign players as goalkeepers for the first time in 27 years, starting with the 2026 season, the South Korean top division league said. The league banned its clubs from registering foreign players as keepers in 1999, when it had eight teams, in a bid to ensure domestic keepers get enough playing time. The K-League 1 now has 12 teams, with a second tier introduced in 2013. The decision to end the ban on foreign keepers was taken at a board meeting on Th

June 21, 2025

[Graphic News] Real Madrid becomes world’s most valuable soccer club

Forbes has named Real Madrid the world’s most valuable soccer club, with a valuation of $6.75 billion - a 2 percent increase from 2024. The Spanish giant also became the first soccer club in history to surpass $1 billion in annual revenue, reporting $1.13 billion for the 2023-24 season. Manchester United ranked second at $6.6 billion with $834 million in revenue, followed by Barcelona at $5.65 billion. According to Forbes, the top 30 clubs are now collectively worth more than $72 billion, averag

June 19, 2025

Landers pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun signs 2-yr extension

SSG Landers pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun signed a two-year contract extension Friday, likely ensuring that he will finish his career with the only Korea Baseball Organization franchise he has known for nearly two decades. The Landers said Kim, 36, agreed to a new two-year deal worth 3.6 billion won ($2.6 million) -- with 3 billion won in total guaranteed salary and 600 million won in incentives. Kim is currently in the final season of his four-year deal worth 15.1 billion won, signed prior to the 2022

June 13, 2025

[Graphic News] Korean soccer stars shine in Europe

In the 2025 season, South Korean soccer reached new heights as three national stars — Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min — each lifted major trophies with their European clubs. Kim Min-jae anchored Bayern Munich’s defense en route to winning the 2024–25 Bundesliga, securing his first German league title. In doing so, he became the first Korean player to win top-flight championships in two of Europe’s Big Five leagues, having previously triumphed in Serie A with Napoli. Lee Kang-in enjoye

June 12, 2025

Badminton star An Se-young returns victorious

An Se-young, the women’s singles badminton gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, returned home Monday after winning the women’s singles title at the Badminton World Federation’s World Tour Super 1000 Indonesia Open. Despite her dominance on the global stage, the badminton star has been embroiled in a conflict with the Korean Badminton Association following her public call for better treatment and more efficient operations during a press conference at the Paris Olympics.

June 9, 2025

S. Korea coach looking to test young players ahead of World Cup

With South Korea having locked down their World Cup berth early, head coach Hong Myung-bo said Friday he will use the team's one final qualifying match to test young and unproven players. Hong and the rest of the team received a hero's welcome home at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, on Friday evening, some 12 hours after securing their 2026 World Cup ticket by beating Iraq 2-0 in Basra, southern Iraq, in their latest qualifying match. South Korea will compete in their 11th con

June 6, 2025

S. Korea beats Iraq to qualify for its 11th straight World Cup

South Korea on Thursday defeated Iraq 2-0 to clinch a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the team will make its 11th consecutive appearance — likely a last hurrah for its captain Son Heung-min. Kim Jin-gyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu came off the bench to score a goal apiece in the Group B match at Basra International Stadium in Basra, southern Iraq. The two rivals were locked in a stalemate for the first half, but after Iraqi forward Ali Al-Hamadi was sent off for a high foot against Cho Yu-min opport

June 6, 2025

Super subs lift S. Korea to early World Cup berth

After the starters couldn't get anything going, super subs stepped up for South Korea and helped the country grab an early berth for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea blanked Iraq 2-0 for their latest Group B victory in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers at Basra International Stadium in Basra, Iraq, on Thursday (local time). South Korea are tops in Group B with 19 points, three more than Jordan, and those two countries have qualified for the World Cup as the top two seeds in t

June 6, 2025

S. Korea coach, player bracing for difficult match vs. Iraq with World Cup berth in sight

With South Korea closing in on a berth in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, head coach Hong Myung-bo is trying to get his charges prepared for a difficult away match against Iraq. South Korea, world No. 23, will take on 59th-ranked Iraq in their penultimate Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. The match kicks off at 9:15 p.m. Thursday at Basra International Stadium in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, or 3:15 a.m. Friday, South Korean time. South Korea are leading Group B w

June 5, 2025