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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
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  Eileen Gu Wins Olympic Halfpipe Gold Again at Milan-Cortina Games Eileen Gu of China won the women’s freestyle ski halfpipe at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, securing her second straight Olympic title in the event. Gu scored 94.75 in the final on Feb. 22 (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. China’s Li Fanghui took silver with 93.00, and Britain’s Zoe Atkin won bronze with 92.50. The final, originally scheduled for Feb. 21, was postponed a day because of heavy snow. Gu advanced to the final in fifth place from qualifying. She opened with February 22, 2026
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  Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Close; South Korea Finishes 13th, Seoul Court Sets Up Insurrection Appeals Panels First Olympics with 'two flames' heads into history The 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, staged for the first time with “two flames,” will close with a ceremony starting at 4:30 a.m. Korean time on the 23rd at the Verona Arena in Italy. It was the first Olympics in 20 years to be held in Italy, and the first to include two place names in a single official Games title. The opening ceremony featured athlete entries and torch events in both Milan and Cortina February 22, 2026
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  South Korea’s Four-Man Bobsled Team Finishes Eighth as Olympic Schedule Ends South Korea’s national bobsleigh team wrapped up the country’s final event of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics with an eighth-place finish in the men’s four-man race. The South Korean sled piloted by Kim Jin-su, with Kim Hyeong-geun, Kim Seon-uk and Lee Geon-woo, placed eighth on Saturday (Korea time) at the Cortina Sliding Center in Italy, based on combined times from four heats. Kim’s crew posted a total of 2 minutes, 44.25 seconds over the first three heats, advancing to the fou February 22, 2026
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  Korea Meets Gold Target at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Calls for Better Facilities and Funding South Korea’s Olympic team held a wrap-up news conference to review its results at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics and outline sport-by-sport priorities. Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and head of delegation Lee Soo-kyung attended the news conference Feb. 22 (Korea time) at Korea House in Milan. South Korea won three gold, four silver and three bronze medals, improving on its Beijing results of two gold, five silver and two bronze. February 22, 2026
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  Hyundai Motor Group Invests Millions in U.S. Robotics Software Startup FieldAI Hyundai Motor Group has invested millions of dollars in a U.S. robotics startup, industry sources said. According to the robotics industry on Feb. 22, Hyundai Motor Group recently made a multimillion-dollar investment in FieldAI, a U.S. robotics software startup. FieldAI develops AI software for robot control, with strengths in physical AI that helps robots move autonomously and carry out tasks. Its “Field Foundation Model” (FFM) is designed to help robots detect and assess risks in re February 22, 2026
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  Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics to close Feb. 23 after first Games with two flames The 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, staged for the first time with “two flames,” will end on Feb. 23. The closing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 4:30 a.m. Feb. 23 in South Korea at the Verona Arena in Italy. The Games marked the Olympics’ return to Italy for the first time in 20 years and were the first to include two place names in a single official title. The opening ceremony featured athlete entries and torch events in both Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with the flame li February 22, 2026
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  Vice Culture Minister Kim Dae-hyeon Pledges Better Winter Training Facilities, New Military Sports Teams Kim Dae-hyeon, second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, visited the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics and promised to work to improve conditions for South Korea’s athletes. Speaking at the South Korean team’s disbandment ceremony on Feb. 22 at Korea House at Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, Kim said he had “two policy takeaways” as the vice minister in charge of sports. He said he was grateful to athletes for strong performances in events such as snowboard halfpip February 22, 2026