Latest news with #Seoul
The Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Sun
South Korea lift bizarre little-known 26-year ban on signing foreign goalkeepers
A 26-YEAR ban on foreign goalkeepers in South Korea's top soccer league has been lifted effective from the start of the 2026 season. Only Korean goalkeepers have been allowed to play in the K League, the oldest professional domestic league in Asia since 1999. 2 2 The rule was originally introduced to protect homegrown talent when there were only 10 professional clubs. Following a board meeting in Seoul this week, the K League announced that with 26 professional clubs now competing across the top two tiers, there's enough room to accommodate international goalkeepers. The increase in the number of clubs means there are sufficient opportunities for domestic goalkeepers to play, even with the inclusion of foreigners. The board said in a statement: 'Starting in 2026 clubs will be permitted to register foreign goalkeepers. "The K League previously restricted their participation beginning in 1996 and introduced a full ban in 1999. "To encourage the development of domestic goalkeepers as most clubs at the time relied on foreign players in the position. "We have considered the fact that, with foreign player registrations restricted, the salary increase rate of domestic goalkeepers has risen disproportionately compared to outfield players.' There have reportedly been concerns over a shortage of quality keepers in the country due in part to the expanded size of modern rosters which typically include three or four goalkeepers. The decision to lift the ban is now expected to directly increase the number of foreign players in the K League. The move also brings the K League in line with other major Asian leagues, such as those in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and China. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein SENT OFF for bizarre grass-eating celebration after goal in Asian Cup Another rule that was introduced last season was a homegrown classification for youth players of foreign nationality who have spent a significant period developing in South Korea. If a foreign player has been registered with a domestic amateur team for three consecutive years, or a total of five years, before signing their first professional contract, they are now classified as a domestic player and will not occupy a foreign player slot.
CTV News
an hour ago
- Sport
- CTV News
South Korea lifts 26-year ban on foreign goalkeepers in the K League
Ulsan HD's Jo Hyeon-woo blocks a shot during the Club World Cup group F soccer match between Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns in Orlando, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux) SEOUL, South Korea — A 26-year ban on foreign goalkeepers in South Korea's top soccer league has been lifted for the start of the 2026 season. Only Korean goalkeepers have been allowed to play in the K League, the oldest professional domestic league in Asia, since 1999. The rule was introduced in a bid to protect homegrown talent when there were only 10 professional clubs. The K League announced after a board meeting in Seoul this week that because there's now 26 professional clubs in the top two tiers of competition, there's enough room for international goalkeepers. 'The increase in the number of clubs means that there are enough opportunities for domestic goalkeepers to play even if foreign goalkeepers are allowed,' the board said in a statement. 'We considered the fact that with foreign player registrations restricted, the salary increase rate of domestic goalkeepers has increased disproportionately to outfield players.' There were reportedly concerns, due to the increased size of modern rosters which contain three or four goalkeepers, that there's a shortage of quality keepers in the country. The move will put the K League in line with other major Asian leagues in Japan, Saudi Arabia and China. ___ The Associated Press
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
News: K League's Foreign Goalkeeper Ban to be Scrapped From 2026
The K League will, from 2026, allow foreign goalkeepers, scrapping a ban that had been in place since 1999. Other rules have been tweaked regarding K League 2 matchday squad sizes and eligibility for the Young Player of the Year Award. The Korea Professional Football League held its third board meeting of 2025 on Thursday, the 19th, at the Football Centre in Sinmunno, Seoul. The following items were resolved: Foreign goalkeepers to be permitted from 2026 Increase in squad size for K League 2 matches Inclusion of all homegrown players in eligibility for the Young Player of the Year Award Appointment of new board members Review of disciplinary ruling regarding FC Anyang. Foreign Goalkeepers Allowed from 2026 From 2026, the registration of foreign goalkeepers will be permitted. During the mid-1990s, when the K League operated with just eight teams, most clubs fielded foreign goalkeepers as first-choice players. To foster the development of domestic goalkeepers, the League began restricting the number of appearances by foreign goalkeepers from 1996, eventually imposing a full ban on their registration from 1999. Advertisement The Board explained that the goalkeeper position, being highly specialised, had seen disproportionate wage increases for domestic players due to the restriction. Furthermore, as the number of clubs has significantly increased since the initial ban, sufficient opportunities for domestic goalkeepers remain even with the inclusion of foreign players. Accordingly, the clause mandating that goalkeepers be domestic players will be removed from the K League regulations from 2026, applying to both K League 1 and K League 2. K League 2 Matchday Squad Size to Increase to 20 from 2026 From the 2026 season, the K League 2 matchday squad size will be expanded from the current 18 players to a maximum of 20. K League 1 has already implemented the 20-player squad format starting from the 2024 season. Currently, K League 2 matchday squads consist of 11 starting players and seven substitutes, totalling 18, but this will change to 11 starters and nine substitutes. The Board cited improved tactical flexibility through more substitution options and the need to ensure domestic player opportunities as reasons for the change, particularly given the removal of the AFC and ASEAN foreign player quotas and the resulting increase in the number of foreign players who can be registered regardless of nationality. Homegrown Players Eligible for Young Player of the Year Award Eligibility for the Young Player of the Year Award, previously limited to Korean nationals aged 23 and under, will be extended to include all 'homegrown players'. The Board stated that players who have been developed within the domestic football system and signed as professionals with K League clubs, thereby holding the same status as Korean players, should equally be considered eligible for the award. Appointment of New Board Members Kim Seung-hee, Executive Director of the Korea Football Association, and Kwon Il, General Manager of Gimpo FC, have been appointed as new members of the League's Board of Directors. Review of FC Anyang Disciplinary Decision The League has decided to uphold the disciplinary committee's decision and dismiss FC Anyang's appeal regarding a fine of 10 million KRW. Last month, on Tuesday the 20th, Mayor Choi Dae-ho, the club owner of FC Anyang, held a public press conference at Anyang Sports Complex's media room where he made negative remarks about refereeing decisions and actions deemed to have defamed the K League and harmed its reputation.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘People And Meat' Introduces Three Hard To Forget Characters
In 'People and Meat' three seniors enjoy a meal they cannot pay for. The central characters in the 2025 Korean film People and Meat might fade into the background on a busy street in Seoul. Two of the characters are old men collecting discarded cardboard to sell. It's a wearying job that requires scouring the neighborhood for old boxes and their work barely earns them pocket change. The third of these characters is an old woman crouching by the vegetables she sells on the sidewalk. Passers-by might easily dismiss any of these characters. They are poor. They are old. They are nondescript. And yet these characters, the film's protagonists, deliver a touching and often funny meditation on life that makes them difficult to forget. They first get involved with each other when a fight breaks out between neighborhood newcomer Ui-sik (Jang Yong) and Hyun-jong (Park Keun-hyung), a longtime neighborhood resident. When they start fighting over cardboard Hwa-jin (Ye Su-jeong), the vegetable seller tries to shoo them away. She has no idea they will change her life. Ui-sik and Hyun-jong quickly make up. They share some tea and talk about the indignities of old age. They nostalgically reminisce about beef and radish soup and plan to make some together, roping in Hwa-jin because neither of them knows how. Then Ui-sik proposes a radical idea. Hyun-jong, played by Park Keun-hyung, collects cardboard to make ends meet. What they need is to nourish themselves with some delicious meat in a restaurant. He invites them to dine, but when it comes time to pay confesses he has no money and instructs them to dash out without paying. It's a bolder thing than Hwa-jin has ever done. She's been a law-abiding citizen all her life. However, that meat was delicious, satisfying their taste buds after many meals of cat food or worse. Dining and dashing gives them something to do, a chance to interact, and provides a touch of drama in their uneventful lonely lives. Although dining and dashing is not a victimless crime, it's hard to fault these seniors for wanting to have a decent meal. Unwise life choices, but also random accidents, have left them alone and in limited circumstances. A decent meal seems like a small thing to begrudge them. They see other seniors enjoying their golden years, dining out, and playing golf while they continue to work every day and still don't have enough to eat. The free meals they share are enjoyable, a chance to feel part of the wider world, so their small crime spree continues. There are many films—from Babette's Feast to Fried Green Tomatoes to Ratatouille that use food to propel the plot and in this film the stolen meals become a metaphor for the nourishment these characters derive from engaging with each other. The film also becomes a wistful poem about life and aging, one that observes the injustice of old age with humor and kindness. Defying the law is risky and there are consequences, but the film seems to say that there are also consequences to a life not lived, to not making the most of the rest of your life, whatever age you are. All three actors imbue their roles with a quiet dignity. Park has appeared in dramas such as Island and The Good Detective, while Jang had roles in the dramas Hold Me Tight and Avengers Social Club. Ye's prolific career includes roles in the films Project Silence and An Old Lady, and dramas such as ,The Worst of Evil, Jirisan, One The Woman and Mine. Yang Jong-hyun directed the film written by Lim Na-moo. People and Meat had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
All 7 BTS members are now done with mandatory service
Suga, a member of South Korean K-pop band BTS, poses for photographers in Seoul, South Korea on May 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) SEOUL, South Korea — Suga, a rapper and songwriter in the global K-pop sensation BTS, has been discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service, marking the official return of all seven members from their enlistment duties. The label confirmed that Suga completed his alternative service duties on Wednesday after using up his remaining leave. His official discharge date is Saturday. BTS' management agency, Big Hit Entertainment, had said earlier that no events were planned for Suga's release out of concern for overcrowding. It is a momentous occasion for fans of the K-pop group BTS. The seven singers of the popular K-pop band plan to reunite as a group sometime in 2025 now that they've finished their service. Last week, BTS superstars RM and V were discharged from South Korea's military after fulfilling their mandatory service. Jimin and Jung Kook were discharged a day later. All four were enlisted in December 2023. Six of the group's seven members served in the army, while Suga fulfilled his duty as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service. Jin, the oldest BTS member, was discharged in June 2024. J-Hope was discharged in October. In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea. The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren't subject to such privileges. However, in 2020, BTS postponed their service until age 30 after South Korea's National Assembly revised its Military Service Act, allowing K-pop stars to delay their enlistment until age 30. There was heated public debate in 2022 over whether to offer special exemptions of mandatory military service for BTS members, until the group's management agency announced in October 2022 that all seven members would fulfill their duties. ___ Juwon Park And Maria Sherman, The Associated Press AP Music Writer Maria Sherman reported from New York.
