sports: Korean Competitors LPGA Rescinds Forcible
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LPGA Rescinds Forcible Offer of ESL Classes to Korean Competitors
The LPGA — which stands for Ladies Professional Golf Association, not Lesbian Professional Golf Association — just retracted an earlier statement about requiring all players (read: Asians) who are not proficient in English to learn the language, or face banishment. The tour frowned heavily upon players who couldn’t deliver interviews or acceptance speeches to American TV networks — because this is America, and if we wanted mute athletes, we’d go ask Michael Phelps to put his iPod back in.
Unfortunately, the LPGA just realized that its biggest chunk of revenue dollars comes not from Titleist, but from broadcast licensing fees from — get this — Korean television [via Salon]. So the league pulled the order for English-speakers only and pretended it did so for the sake of diversity .
The fact that this diversity is only comprised of “about five to seven” of the 45 Koreans on tour who don’t speak passable English will be glossed over for more of that sweet, sweet Korean won that the American fashion industry has become so fond of.
culture news sports: North Koreans Olympics Park
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Park to miss Olympics, but not North Koreans
혻혻 SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) — Park Ji-sung of Manchester United will miss the upcoming Beijing Olympics due to fears of injury, but the 27-year-old midfielder is still likely to make his presence felt at Sunday’s rare World Cup qualifier between the two divided Koreas in Seoul, soccer officials said. more »
Seol Looks to Rebound in Pecking Order
Seol Ki-hyeon talks to reporters after a practice at the As-Salt Field in Amman, Jordan, Thursday. / Yonhap more »
news sports: Quality of Foreign Baseball Players in Korea Increasing
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Quality of Foreign Baseball Players in Korea Increasing
The Sports Chosun recently positive evaluated not only the skills of foreign baseball players in the Korean Baseball Organization but also the effect they are having on their Korean teammates and Korean baseball in general.
news sports: Court of Arbitration for Sport Probe Seoul taekwondo
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Probe called for into taekwondo body
SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) — A trio of South Koreans have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to look into alleged irregularities at the world taekwondo governing body following a labor dispute, their spokesman said Thursday.
혻 혻 “Two of them have unduly been fired by the World Taekwondo Federation,” said Lee Hang-jae, a labor activist, claiming the suitors received unfair treatment because of their history of forming a union at the Seoul-based federation that runs a small manpower pool.
혻혻 But the federation said it has yet to be notified of the case by the Switzerland-based tribunal, adding the three have already dropped their case at a local labor commission hearing. It also said the trio could be mounting a smear campaign aimed at undermining the sport’s international status.
혻혻 Lee said the probe, if begun, would also raise other issues, including an allegation that a senior federation official sought to bribe an International Olympic Committee member last year to help his boss rise to a similar post.
혻혻 Taekwondo, practiced by some 60 million people around the world according to the federation, has been an Olympic event since 2000. South Korea expects to win at least two gold medals in the sport in the coming Beijing Olympics.
혻혻 samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
korean disapora sports: Major League released S. Korean pitcher
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S. Korean pitcher may be released from Major League: team
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) — South Korean Baek Cha Seung, pitching in the U.S. Major League Baseball, faces release from the Seattle Mariners, the team said on its official Web site monitored here on Friday.
혻 혻 “The Mariners have designated right-handed pitcher Baek for assignment,” the site said, adding the team had eight days left as of Friday until it decides to trade, release or send Baek to the minors.