2023 Sports Top 10 News Stories

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2023 Sports Top 10 News Stories

Published: 29 Dec. 2023, 08:00 Updated: 01 Jan. 2024, 10:55

JIM BULLEY
jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr

1. LG Twins taste victory again in long-awaited return to the top

The LG Twins lift the championship trophy after defeating the KT Wiz during Game 5 of the 2023 Korean Series, ending a 29-year drought. [NEWS1]

The LG Twins ended 29 years of hurt with their first KBO pennant and Korean Series title wins in nearly three decades this year, rising to the top of Korean baseball after one of the longest dry spells in league history.

The long, long wait for the Twins finally came to an end on Nov. 13, when the Seoul club beat the KT Wiz to bring the Korean Series trophy back to their side of Jamsil Stadium in southern Seoul for the first time since 1994.

The Korean Series culminated in a surprisingly quick 6-2 win for the Seoul club, capitalizing on a good third and fifth inning and a strong performance on the mound to shut down the Wiz and take their fourth straight win in Game 5 of the seven-game series.

The ease with which the Twins took the pennant echoed the club’s success during the regular season. The Seoul club secured the pennant more than a month earlier, locking in that title — also the club’s first since 1994 — on Oct. 3 with eight games still to play in the regular season.

Twins captain Oh Ji-hwan was named Korean Series MVP with three home runs and eight RBIs. Oh became the first player ever to homer in three straight Korean Series games earlier in the series, and would later go on to earn a Rolex for his troubles.

2. Kim Ha-seong becomes first-ever Korean to win MLB Gold Glove

San Diego Padres second baseman Kim Ha-seong catches a popup by Oakland Athletics' Carlos Perez during the second inning of a game on Sept. 16 in Oakland, California. [AP/YONHAP]

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres became the first Korean player ever to win an MLB Gold Glove in November, beating out competition from Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman after being nominated in two categories.

Kim was the second Korean to be a finalist for a Gold Glove, after Choo Shin-soo in right field in 2012, and the only Korean ever to win one.

That win also made Kim the only player ever to win both the MLB Gold Glove and the KBO Golden Glove — the KBO's version of the award that focuses more on offensive performance than defense — which he won three times from 2018 through 2020 as a shortstop when he played for the Kiwoom Heroes.

Kim shone in the 2023 season, finishing among the league leaders with +10 outs above average. He combined for 16 defensive runs saved, 10 at second, and three each at third and short. He played 106 games at second base, 32 at third and 20 at shortstop this season.

3. Lee Kang-in signs with PSG as he continues his international rise

Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in, left, fights for the ball with AC Milan's Tijani Reijnders during a UEFA Champions League first round Group F match at San Siro Stadium in Milan on Nov. 7. [AFP/YONHAP]

Lee Kang-in became the first Korean player to sign with French football club Paris Saint-Germain in July, joining a star-studded lineup that at the time included both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Lee scored his first PSG goal in a Champions League game against AC Milan in October, which PSG won 3-0. He scored his first Ligue 1 goal a week later, in a 3-0 victory over Montpellier.

But it’s perhaps been a bigger year for Lee outside of France.

PSG released Lee during the middle of the season to represent Korea at this year’s Hangzhou Asian Games. While Lee never saw a full 90 minutes on the pitch, he did gain an exemption from mandatory military service.

Lee has also been a regular on Jurgen Klinsmann’s Korean national squad. He scored for Korea in back-to-back friendlies, against Tunisia and another against Vietnam, as Klinsmann recovered from an early slump, and then again in Korea’s first second round game of the Asian qualifiers to the 2026 World Cup against Singapore.

4. Son Heung-min captains Spurs through season of righting the ship

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min is pictured after a match against Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Nov. 6. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

With the departure of both Harry Kane and the exile of Hugo Lloris, Son Heung-min was named the new Tottenham Hotspur captain ahead of the 2023/24 season under new manager Ange Postecoglou.

As well as the shiny title, Son’s new rank came with some serious hard work.

Postecoglou and Son are working to breathe life back into a club that has failed to win any serious silverware for more than half a century, revamping the playing style and tactics for a team that has for so long heavily relied on Kane’s right foot.

But Son proved more than up to the challenge. Partnering with James Maddison in the middle, Son led a dynamic Spurs squad that quickly rose to the top of the table in the early days of the season. Some crucial injuries — including to Maddison — interrupted that run, but Spurs continue to hold their own as the season rolls on.

Son himself has already had a fantastic season, passing double-digit goal numbers before the end of the year. His work as captain has also been highly praised, and he clearly has the entire squad behind him on the pitch.

5. T1 wins League of Legends World Championship in Seoul

Members of team T1 are seen on the screens during the final round of the 2023 League of Legends World Championship against China's Weibo Gaming at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Nov. 19. [AP/YONHAP]

Tens of thousands of fans of online game League of Legends (LoL) flocked to Korea this fall for the 2023 LoL World Championship, a six-week tournament held in arenas across Seoul and Busan.

Ahead of the finals, a “Worlds Fan Fest” by gamemaker Riot Games and the Seoul Metropolitan Government transformed Gwanghwamun Square into a playground of gaming booths and merch stands. And on the day of the final between Korea’s T1 and Chinese team Weibo Gaming, which took place at a sold-out Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, thousands of fans packed together in the cold to watch the last round at the Square on a big screen.

T1 swiftly took down Weibo Gaming 3-0 in the best-of-five final as the hometown team were crowned champions for the fourth time — the most wins for any team in tournament history.

This year’s Worlds was at one point the most-watched tournament in Esports history, breaking the record for peak concurrent viewers with more than 6 million, according to Esports data aggregator Esports Charts.

6. Korea beats Japan to keep football streak alive with another Asian Games gold

Korea celebrates winning the men's football gold medal match against Japan at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Oct. 7. [XINHUA]

Korea beat age-old rivals Japan 2-1 in the final of the men’s football tournament at the Hangzhou Asian Games, becoming the first-ever country to win three consecutive Asiad gold medals in the event.

The U-24 national team’s victory added to an Asiad medal haul that saw Korea secure 42 gold, 59 silver and 89 bronze medals across 39 sports.

Men’s football was one of the few team sports in which Korea won a gold medal, the notable other being men’s baseball. In that event, Korea beat Chinese Taipei in the final after seeing off Japan in the semis. The Korean handball, hockey and volleyball teams all failed to do so.

Korea also saw great success in the individual events at the Asiad, with Korea’s archers, swimmers and fencers all proving especially dominant.

Male gold medal-winning athletes at the Asiad also earn a military exemption, with Europe-based football players like Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and Jeong Woo-yeong of VfB Stuttgart among the winners now able to continue their careers uninterrupted.

7. An Se-young dominates badminton in milestone year for Korea

Korea's An Se-young celebrates after defeating China's Chen Yufei in their women's singles badminton gold medal match at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Oct. 7. [AP/YONHAP]

An Se-young became the first Korean ever to win a women’s badminton singles world title at the 2023 Badminton World Federation World Championships in August, beating Carolina Marin of Spain to take the highest honor in the sport.

An, the world No. 1, then returned to the court a month later to win the women’s single event at the Hangzhou Asian Games, beating Chen Yufei of China to the title.

Both of those victories mark huge milestones for Korean badminton. An was the first Korean to win the Asian Games tournament in 29 years, and the first Korean to even play in a final at the World Championships in 30 years.

An, 21, won eight World Tour gold medals throughout the 2023 season, alongside her World Championships title and two gold medals at the Asian Games — she also medaled in the women’s team event.

An beat long-time rival Chen — the current world No. 2 — en route to both the World Championship and Asian Games titles. That shift in momentum toward An suggests that her dominance at the top of the badminton world could continue for some time.

8. Woo Sang-hyeok becomes first Korean to win Diamond League Final

Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok competes in the men's high jump final during the Diamond League Final at Stadion Letzigrund stadium in Zurich on Aug. 31. [AFP/YONHAP]

High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok became the first Korean in any discipline to win a Diamond League Final title in September, claiming one of the most prestigious athletic awards available.

At the Diamond League Final — the culmination of the top tier of World Athletics competition — Woo cleared 2.35 meters to secure gold.

That record of 2.35 meters was on par with his own personal best and the standing Korean record.

Even before Woo made that record and won the title, he was already the best high jumper in Korean history as he was the first Korean athlete ever to reach the Diamonds Final, where only the top six athletes in each discipline are invited to compete.

Woo followed that Diamond League win with a silver medal at the Asian Games, where he fell short of 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Mutaz Barshim of Qatar in the final. Although he lost out at the Asian Games, he did win the Asian Championship earlier in the year in July, taking gold in a pared-back field.

9. Kim Min-jae joins Bayern Munich after getting hero treatment in Italy

Kim Min-Jae lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Serie A title at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italty. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Kim Min-jae became the first Korean ever to win the Scudetto, the Serie A title, in May this year, bringing the title back to Naples, Italy 33 years after Diego Maradona last led the club to the top.

Kim, who spent just one season in Naples, was hailed as one of the heroes of the championship team, having racked up a string of accolades including Player of the Month twice, Serie A best defender for the season, Serie A team of the season and even the European Sports Media’s continental team of the season.

By May there were murals of Kim’s face painted on the historic buildings of Naples and fans screaming in Napoli blue wherever he went — the full hero treatment usually reserved for the top strikers, not defenders like Kim.

That single season made Kim the most successful Korean footballer ever to play in Serie A, and triggered an arms race over the summer as top clubs fought to trigger Kim’s narrow release clause while Napoli looked to shut that door for good.

Bayern Munich won the race, signing Kim on a five-year deal in July that ended months of speculation on where the star center-back would go.

10. KBO overhauls national team structure after humbling World Baseball Classic

Korea's Park Hae-min reacts after he bunts for a single during the third inning of the first round Pool B game between against China at the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on March 13. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea made an early exit from the 2023 World Baseball Classic after a surprising 8-7 loss to Australia on Pool B’s opening day severely diminished the national team’s chances of qualifying to the quarterfinal round.

Later, a tough, however expected, 13-4 loss to Japan sealed the deal and sent the Korean team home after the group stage for the third time in a row.

It was a disappointing finish for Korea, who entered the postponed WBC, originally set to take place in 2021, with a stacked international squad. San Diego Padres’ Kim Ha-seong, along with Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals and Choi Ji-man of the Pittsburgh Pirates had joined Korea’s 30-man team from the big leagues.

In response to the early exit, the KBO announced plans to completely revamp how it handles the Korean national team.

The league began appointing a permanent manager to oversee the national team, a radical change from the former system of picking a KBO manager when an international tournament comes around, with a full staff and the possibility of international friendlies in the future.

BY THE KJD SPORTS DESK [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]