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  Hanwha Eagles’ Noh Si-hwan signs record 11-year, 30.7 billion won non-FA deal Hanwha Eagles infielder Noh Si-hwan has agreed to a record-setting long-term deal with the club.  Hanwha said on Feb. 23 that it signed Noh to a non-free agent, multi-year contract on Feb. 22. The deal runs 11 years and is worth 30.7 billion won, including incentives. The club said it is the longest and largest contract in KBO League history, including both free-agent and non-free agent multi-year deals. The agreement also includes a clause allowing Noh to pursue a move to Major League February 23, 2026
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  WHIB Sets First Concert Tour Starting in March, Visiting 13 Cities in Japan and North America WHIB will launch its first concert tour of 2026 in March, starting in Seoul and continuing through 13 cities in Japan and North America. The tour, titled 'GO UP : Our era,' is scheduled for March 14-15 in Seoul; April 18 in Osaka, April 25 in Yokohama and April 29 in New York; and May 5 in Atlanta, May 7 in Nashville, May 10 in Chicago, May 12 in Kansas City, May 14 in Dallas, May 16 in Denver, May 19 in Salt Lake City, May 21 in Tempe and May 23 in Los Angeles. Now in its third year si February 23, 2026
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  BTS’ Jimin’s ‘Who’ Tops 2.3 Billion Spotify Streams BTS member Jimin has extended his record run on Spotify, underscoring his global reach. According to Spotify charts dated Feb. 19, “Who,” the title track from his second solo album “MUSE,” has surpassed 2.3 billion cumulative streams. The milestone came 581 days after the song’s release on July 19, 2024. Jimin is the first and only Asian artist to reach 2.3 billion Spotify streams with a solo track that does not feature a collaboration with a foreign artist. Nineteen months after its rel February 23, 2026
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  Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics close after 17 days; next Games set for French Alps The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the first to be held in a dispersed format, wrapped up a 17-day run. About 2,900 athletes from 92 national Olympic committees competed for 166 gold medals across eight sports. The Games ended with the closing ceremony held in Italy’s Verona Arena on Feb. 23 (Korea time). The event marked several firsts: Italy hosted the Winter Games for the first time in 20 years, and it was the first Olympics whose official name included two place names. With Mil February 23, 2026
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  South Korea Enters Milan-Cortina Olympic Closing Ceremony With Flag Bearers Choi Min-jeong and Hwang Dae-heon South Korea’s team entered the closing ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics with smiles. The delegation attended the ceremony on Feb. 23 (Korea time) at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy, bringing the 17-day Games to a close. After the host nation’s flag was raised, Greece’s flag appeared first, followed by participating nations in Italian alphabetical order. As in the opening ceremony, South Korea was announced 22nd. Flag bearers Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hal February 23, 2026
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  Shinhan, KB Back Snow and Ice Athletes as Korea Wins at Milan-Cortina Olympics Behind South Korea’s anthems on snow and ice was more than a decade of steady, low-profile support from the financial sector, with long-term backing of lesser-known sports paying off, analysts said. At the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which ended early Sunday in South Korea, the Korean team posted notable results across both snow and ice events. Choi Ga-on’s gold in the women’s snowboard halfpipe was especially symbolic as the country’s first Winter Olympic gold medal in a snow event. February 23, 2026
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  U.S. beats Canada in overtime to win men’s Olympic hockey gold for first time since 1980 The United States captured its first Olympic men’s ice hockey gold medal in 46 years, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime in the final of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The Americans won Sunday (Korean time) at Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, sealing the title on a goal by Jack Hughes 1:41 into overtime. The victory gave the United States its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since the 1980 Lake Placid Games and its third gold medal overall in the event. The United States February 23, 2026
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  Producer Kim Tae-ho Says MBC’s ‘Manitto Club’ Prioritizes Message Over Buzz MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” helped reshape the rules of Korean variety TV, and the generation that grew up on it is often called “Infinite Challenge kids.” Producer Kim Tae-ho’s new show, “Manitto Club,” is built around a familiar “manitto” idea — a secret gift-giver — with a twist: a club of people who split one thing into two and share it. The show debuted with a 2.1% rating before sliding to 1.6%, but Kim said the goal was never to chase hype. “Of course it was disappointing,” he sai February 23, 2026
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  Seiko Matsuda Makes Long-Awaited Korea Concert Debut With 45th Anniversary Tour Japanese pop star Seiko Matsuda held her first concert in South Korea, 45 years after her debut, drawing fans across generations as renewed interest in her music has spread among younger listeners and longtime followers alike. The show took place on Feb. 22 at Inspire Arena in Incheon as part of the Inspire Concert Series #7, titled “Seiko Matsuda 45th Anniversary Concert Tour – Sing! Sing! Sing! in Korea.” It followed stops that included Saitama Super Arena and Japan’s Budokan, where th February 23, 2026
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  Author Kang Ji-young’s Korean-Rooted Characters Drive Global Interest in K-Thrillers A woman in her 50s with urinary incontinence is a cold-blooded professional killer. A bald, potbellied shop owner is an arms dealer. A seemingly ordinary college student is suddenly swept into a war among assassins. In Kang Ji-young’s thrillers, characters look familiar but rarely turn out to be what they seem. The same goes for settings: a neighborhood supermarket or butcher shop can be more than it appears. Kang’s novel “Mrs. Shim Is a Killer,” credited with helping open the door for “ February 23, 2026