Jeonbuk on verge of returning to AFC Champis League final

200 dogs rescued from slaughter in win-win program with farm owners

Language barrier hinders Hong Kong startups setting up shop in Korea

BLACKPINK sets Guinness world record for most-streamed girl group on Spotify

In the Name of God documentary roils entertainment industry

SVBs collapse feared to trigger capital flight out of Korea

Kakao to take over SM as HYBE bows out

Despite 2 straight losses, Korea still alive, barely

JB Financial set for battle against activist fund

Biden, EU leader hold talks on proposal on electric vehicles

Stocks tumble as Wall Street wonders what will break next

Girl with AI earrings sparks Dutch art controversy

Korean cosmetics firms shift focus to North America from China

Magic, anxiety, and modern Korean life

Opposition leader claims forced labor compensation plan may lead to military consequences

Nordic Talks highlight womens efforts in entrepreneurship

Chinas Xi nominates Li Qiang to become premier

Banking regulators shutter SVB, collapse unnerves investors

The Glory part 2 debuts at No.3 on Netflixs global chart

Europe emerges as fastest growing market for hallyu: report

Choi Min-jeong grabs silver in womens 1,500m at ISU World Championships

Jeonbuk on verge of returning to AFC Champions League final

Koreas Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Gustavo Henrique Sousa, right, celebrates his goal during the AFC Champions League quarter-final football match between Vissel Kobe and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in Saitama, Aug 22. AFP-Yonhap

Having won their past two matches in extra time, Korean football team Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are now a victory away from reaching the final of Asias top club tournament for the first time in six years.

Jeonbuk will take on Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Saitama, Japan.

Saitama, just outside Tokyo, has been hosting all knockout matches for the East Region involving teams from Korea, Japan and Thailand, among others as the centralized site. The Jeonbuk-Urawa showdown will be played at Saitama Stadium 2002, which is the home stadium for Urawa during J1 League play.

In the round of 16 last Thursday, Jeonbuk eliminated their K League 1 rivals Daegu FC 2-1 in extra time, with Kim Jin-gyu scoring the winner in the dying seconds. Then in the quarterfinals on Monday, Jeonbuk rallied past Vissel Kobe 3-1, as Gustavo and Moon Seon-min found the back of the net in extra time.

Jeonbuk players are running on fumes, having battled through 240-plus minutes of football over a five-day span. As they are trying to win their first AFC title since 2016 and their third overall, the task wont get easier against Urawa.

Reds routed Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia 5-0 in the round of 16 and then beat BG Pathum United of Thailand 4-0 in the quarterfinals, even after having two early goals wiped off on handball and offside calls upon video reviews.

Six players have scored those nine goals for the Japanese team, including three by the Swedish international David Moberg Karlsson.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors celebrates after winning the AFC Champions League quarterfinal match at Saitama Stadium, Aug. 22, in Saitama, near Tokyo. AP-Yonhap

Urawa will be playing in front of their home supporters, and Jeonbuk will have to contend with a sea of red with fans decked out in Urawas signature color in the hostile confines.

For Jeonbuk, two foreign attackers, Mo Barrow and Gustavo, each had a goal and an assist in the quarterfinals. Head coach Kim Sang-sik said after Mondays victory that he was especially pleased with Gustavos performance, after the Brazilian forward had looked lethargic on the field in some previous matches. (Yonhap)

Veteran midfielder Kim Bo-kyung was subbed out midway through the first half of the quarterfinal match, despite not suffering any injury. Coach Kim explained later that his plan all along was to play Kim Bo-kyung either in the first half or the second half, but the midfielder appeared too fatigued to even be out there for 45 minutes. Jeonbuk are now hoping the 32-year-old former K League 1 MVP will be back at full strength after a couple of days of rest.

Each of the past two AFC Champions League finals featured a K League 1 team. In 2020, Ulsan Hyundai FC edged out Persepolis FC of Iran 2-1 for their second AFC crown. Last year, Pohang Steelers lost to Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia 2-0.

The two-legged final for this season wont be contested until next year. The West Regions knockout stage, involving teams from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, will take place in February 2023. The championship matches will be played on Feb. 19 and 26. (Yonhap)

Language barrier hinders Hong Kong startups setting up shop in Korea

SVBs collapse feared to trigger capital flight out of Korea

Kakao to take over SM as HYBE bows out

Incheon, Jeju receive additional funding to attract medical tourists

Xis iron grip on power clouds Korea-China relations

Coupang withdraws from Japan to focus on Korea, Taiwan

Why is AMCHAM donating to fund for Korean victims of Japans forced labor?

Korea, US to kick off joint military drill Monday

Diplomats learn Korean language, culture

Samsung SDS vows to boost presence in B2B cloud market

From Hyeri to Chaewon: New reality show captures K-pop stars unique chemistry

In the Name of God documentary roils entertainment industry

Film to be made about pioneering sculptor Kwon Jin-kyu

The Glory part 2 debuts at No.3 on Netflixs global chart

Europe emerges as fastest growing market for hallyu: report

World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844