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Rewind 2024: Korea's top 10 sports stories

Published: 26 Dec. 2024, 11:04 Updated: 27 Dec. 2024, 16:24

JIM BULLEY
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PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

Kim Ye-ji poses for a photo on May 27 at a media event ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. [YONHAP]

1. No fame, no game in Paris

Korea’s biggest sporting stories this year didn’t come from the pitch, pool or piste but from the biggest arena of all — the internet.

At the Paris Olympics, athlete after Korean athlete found viral fame, often for things that had little to do with their actual sporting prowess.

Kim Ye-ji was perhaps the biggest star of the Games. Stepping up to shoot like she has at competitions for years, the world champion became an immediate internet favorite with her laid back demeanor and unflinching focus. Pair that with an all-black tracksuit and futuristic shooting glasses and you have a meme waiting to happen.

Kim Ye-ji listens to her coach at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in France on July 27. [YONHAP]

Kim’s fame hasn’t dimmed post-Paris. She’s gone on to become the face of Tesla, model for Louis Vuitton and snap up a role in a TV drama.

Kim wasn’t the only one to find unexpected fame in Paris. Judoka Huh Mi-mi, who renounced her Japanese citizenship to represent Korea, became a fan favorite due to her backstory, while fencer Oh Sang-uk and sport shooter Choe Dae-han earned their spot in the global zeitgeist on looks alone — although Oh adding a gold medal to the mix certainly didn’t hurt.

2. Rumble in the locker room

Korea’s Asian Cup campaign hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons this year when news broke of a locker room spat between Korean football's two biggest stars: Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in.

Reports of a physical altercation the night before Korea’s semifinal clash with Jordan sparked a frenzy, with Son reportedly dislocating a finger in the scuffle. Details trickled out later — Son, it seems, wasn’t thrilled about younger players sneaking off from a team dinner to play table tennis, and things quickly escalated.

Son Heung-min, right, and Lee Kang-in discuss tactics before taking a free kick during an Asian Cup group stage game against Bahrain in Doha on Jan. 15. [YONHAP]

Son returned to Tottenham with his finger taped up and Lee to Paris Saint-Germain with his tail between his legs. The younger star quickly apologized, as did Son, and the two made peace a week later in London. They've been fine since then, both returning to the Korean squad as if nothing had ever happened.

The drama overshadowed Korea’s semifinal loss, a 2-0 defeat to Jordan that ended their Asian Cup run. The early exit was a huge disappointment for Korea and turned out to be the final nail in the coffin of Jurgen Klinsmann’s managerial career here.

3. Korea vs. Chung Mong-gyu

KFA President Chung Mong-gyu has found himself at the center of a growing controversy once again this year, this time over his handling of the national team’s coaching appointments. Allegations surfaced that he appointed Jurgen Klinsmann without proper consultation with the National Team Committee, a breach of KFA procedures.

The controversy deepened when it was revealed that Chung had also been involved in the shock appointment of Hong Myung-bo, with critics claiming that the process was marred by undue influence.

Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu looks on during the K League Awards at Swiss Grand Hotel Seoul in western Seoul on Nov. 29. [NEWS1]

In September, Chung was called to appear before the National Assembly’s sports committee, where he faced intense scrutiny over his role in the appointments. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also launched an investigation into the KFA’s practices, accusing the organization of breaching its own rules.

Despite the mounting pressure, Chung defended his actions and the KFA dismissed the allegations. But the calls for accountability didn’t stop there. A few months later, and with the government still advising that he be suspended, Chung defied his critics and announced that he would be running for a fourth term as president in the new year.

4. Tigers roar as KBO enjoys record season

The Kia Tigers toss manager Lee Bum-ho into the air after beating the Samsung Lions 7-5 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Oct. 28. [NEWS1]

The Kia Tigers had a season to remember in 2024, clinching both the KBO regular season and Korean Championship titles.

After a dominant campaign that saw them secure the pennant with seven games still to play, the Tigers went on to dominate the Samsung Lions in the Korean Series to capture their 12th championship title. With the win, the Tigers remain undefeated in the Korean Series.

Much of the credit for the Tigers’ success went to rookie manager Lee Bum-ho. Promoted from hitting coach to manager ahead of the season, Lee’s leadership guided the team through a dominant year. Under his watch, the Tigers built on a strong regular-season performance and continued their winning ways when it mattered most, in the postseason.

The Tigers’ victory came as part of a record-setting year for the KBO.

In 2024, the league surpassed 10 million in total attendance for the first time ever. With fans flocking to stadiums in unprecedented numbers, the KBO saw a massive surge in popularity, culminating in a thrilling season that was as much about the league’s future as it was about the Tigers’ historic run.

5. Major League minibreak

Major League Baseball made history by bringing regular-season action to Korea for the first time this year.

It had been over 100 years since MLB teams last played in the country, when exhibition games took place back in 1922. This time, the MLB Seoul Series saw the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres face off at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome as part of the MLB’s Opening Series.

The MLB Seoul Series flag is seen outside Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on March 13. [NEWS1]

Before the regular-season games, the teams played four exhibition matches: the Dodgers faced the Kiwoom Heroes while the Padres played the Korean national team. The Dodgers also played the national team and the Padres took on the then-reigning champion LG Twins in the final exhibition games. But the real fireworks came when Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers and Kim Ha-seong’s Padres took the field for two official season games.

The series, which was quickly overshadowed by legal issues surrounding Ohtani’s translator, was split, with the Padres winning the first game and the Dodgers taking the second.

6. Progrès à Paris

Korea's Kim Je-deok competes against Brady Ellison of the United States in the men's individual archery quarterfinals at the Invalides in Paris at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 4. [NEWS1]

Korea sent their smallest delegation to Paris since the 1976 Olympics, but still managed to pick up 32 medals — 13 gold, nine silver and 10 bronze.

Korea’s ever-present dominance in archery was back on display, with Team Korea sweeping all five gold medals. The Korean shooting team also contributed heavily to the total medal count, with six medals — three gold and three silver — and produced its share of breakout stars such as Ban Hyo-jin, the youngest Korean to claim a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.

Korea returned to the top of the podium in taekwondo with Park Tae-joon and Kim Yu-jin winning a gold apiece, while over in badminton, An Se-young took gold and became the first Korean female badminton player to do so since Bang Soo-hyun in 1996.

Kim Woo-min ended Korea’s medal drought in swimming by becoming the first Korean swimmer to medal since 2012 with a bronze in the men’s 400-meter freestyle. Table tennis pair Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon achieved a similar feat, taking bronze in the mixed doubles to end a 12-year drought.

Shin also won bronze in the women’s team event alongside Jeon Ji-hee and Lee Eun-hye.

7. Choi Jeong shoots for the moon

SSG Landers veteran slugger Choi Jeong had another big season in 2024, but this one came with a mark in the history books that is unlikely to be touched for some time.

Choi broke the all-time KBO home run record on April 24, knocking the 468th home run of his career over the wall while on the road at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan. That long ball broke the long-standing record held by former Samsung Lions superstar Lee Seung-yuop, now the manager of the Doosan Bears.

Choi Jeong hits a home run at the bottom of the ninth inning of a game between the SSG Landers and Kia Tigers at SSG Landers Park in Incheon on Aptil 23. The long ball, the 467th of his career, saw him tie the all-time KBO home run record with Samsung Lions star Lee Seung-yuop. [YONHAP]

Choi, now 37, showed no sign of slowing down and has now extended that record to 495 with his biggest slugging season since 2017. He hit 37 home runs in the 2024 regular season, putting him at No. 3 in the KBO.

The historic record was the culmination of two decades of work at the Landers, where Choi started his career and has remained ever since. Since his sophomore year in 2006, Choi has been one of the KBO’s most prolific hitters with more than 10 home runs every season and home than 20 home runs for nine straight seasons from 2016.

8. Panic! at the Badminton Korea Association

An Se-young had a busy day on Aug. 5. First she had a gold medal to win, then she used that platform to call out the Badminton Korea Association for a whole host of issues including its treatment of her and athletes in general.

The result was a media frenzy. Korean celebrities, including athletes, rarely publicly criticize the organizations that manage them, and An fired her shot from the biggest stage in world sports.

Korea's An Se-young competes in the gold medal women's singles badminton match at the Paris Olympics in Paris on Aug. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Sports Ministry quickly launched a probe, finding that the BKA had inconsistencies in funding, discriminatory practices within the business leagues and evidence of breaking their own policies to receive kickbacks. The ministry is now calling for a police investigation into BKA President Kim Taek-kyu, accusing him of embezzlement and breach of trust.

The BKA were not the only ones with problems. Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung was also probed and eventually suspended, although, much like the KFA's Chung Mong-kyu, Lee appears to still be planning to run for reelection.

9. Sonny gets some company as Yang Min-hyeok joins Spurs

Korean midfielder Yang Min-hyeok trains at Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground in London in a photo shared on Spurs' official Instagram account on Dec. 20. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Yang Min-hyeok — or Min-hyuk, the world still seems to be undecided on which romanization to use — took less than a season with Gangwon FC to land on Tottenham Hotspur's radar, signing with the club in July to became the youngest Korean to join a Premier League club at 18 years and 103 days.

Yang stayed in Gangwon until the end of the K League season, flying to London in December to finally join the club. Throughout the K League campaign, Yang racked up 12 goals and six assists across 38 appearances.

Yang's rapid ascent is made even more remarkable when you realize that the wunderkind didn't even turn pro until June — prior to that he was still playing on a semi-pro contract designed for high school students. That contract, which only earned Yang 1 million won ($690) a month, could have run through December this year, but Gangwon decided to reward the rising star early.

As it turned out, Gangwon's gesture did little to keep Yang in the country. Within a month of that deal, Yang had been snapped up by Spurs and would go on to meet his new teammates later that month when he facede them as part of Team K League in an exhibition match as part of the Coupang Play Series.

10. Lights, Camera, Lingard!

It's not quite a Midus touch, but everything Jesse Lingard touches turns into a news story.

The former Manchester United midfielder shocked the world — or at least the small part of it that cares about what Jesse Lingard does — when he rocked up on Korean shores with a shiny new FC Seoul contract in February, making him the highest profile player anybody can remember making the leap to the K League.

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard celebrates scoring during a K League 1 match against Gangwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on June 26. [NEWS1]

Lingard, for anybody that does not know, has faced criticism from the football world before for committing the cardinal sin of having a life outside the sport. In Lingard's case that life includes a loud social media presense, a clothing brand and an Esports team, so accusations that its a distraction from football may not be entirely unfounded.

That criticism continued in Korea, where manager Kim Gi-dong lambased Lingard with the now iconic "fame doesn't win football games" when his expensive new signee got off to a bad start. The two have patched things up since and Lingard did settle down, even temporarily taking the captain's armband in June and ending the season with six goals and three assists.

Off the pitch, Lingard is still as visible as ever. He kicked up controversy in September when he was fined for illegally riding an electric scooter with a driver's license or helmet, and then ended the year on a bang by announcing he was about to drop a (potentially K-pop) single.

BY JIM BULLEY AND PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]