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Pyo Kyung-min

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Stay tuned for Pyo Kyung-min's latest K-pop stories, where she digs into the backstories that matter. She’d love to hear from you — share your thoughts at pzzang@koreatimes.co.kr. After all, every article gets better with insights from those who love the scene, just like she does!

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K-pop

TOMORROW X TOGETHER trades lore for raw emotion on 'Stick With You'

K-pop boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) returned Monday with a more inward-looking record, its first release since renewing contracts with its agency BigHit Music last August, as the group enters a new phase in its career. The five-member act — Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai — unveiled its eighth mini album, “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns,” led by the emotionally charged single “Stick With You,” a track that lingers in the uneasy space between holding on and letting go. Known for weaving expansive fictional universes across releases like “The Dream Chapter” or “The Chaos Chapter,” and multiple “minisodes,” TXT is now stripping things back. Instead of lore, the members are stepping forward as themselves, channeling years of ambition and quiet doubt into the music. At a press showcase held Monday in Seoul, the group described the album as the result of candid conversations with their production team that were less about concept-building and more about taking stock. “As we entered our eighth year, it wasn’t as glamorous as peopl

Apr 13, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
TOMORROW X TOGETHER trades lore for raw emotion on 'Stick With You'
K-pop

BTS continues 'ARIRANG' tour in Goyang with firepower, heritage

BTS lit up the second night of its large-scale world tour — one that could signal a new beginning not only for the group but perhaps for K-pop itself — with a performance steeped in Korean aesthetics. The group is currently engaged in its "BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’" with three concerts, starting Thursday and continuing over the following weekend at Goyang Stadium, west of Seoul. The tour marks its return roughly four years after wrapping up "BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE" tour in April 2022. The Saturday show signaled a deep infusion of Korean aesthetics even before the official kickoff. Melodies of gayageum, a traditional 12-stringed zither, filled the venue alongside VCR visuals evoking ink-wash paintings, prompting chants of the group’s name from fans in anticipation. Shortly after 7 p.m., all seven members stormed in from the edge of the stage alongside a black-clad mega crew, launching straight into the hip-hop openers “Hooligans” and “Aliens.” Pyrotechnics and fireworks ripped through the air from the very start, but it was the group’s sheer command of the st

Apr 11, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS continues 'ARIRANG' tour in Goyang with firepower, heritage
K-pop

BTS fans flood Goyang ahead of 2nd night of 'ARIRANG' tour

Hours before showtime, the area around Goyang Stadium was already heaving with fans Saturday, as K-pop juggernaut BTS prepared to launch its new world tour, transforming the venue's outer grounds into a sea of purple, flashes of red and black tied to the group's latest album, "ARIRANG." Fans crowded around the stadium's exterior, taking photos, filming videos and adjusting outfits in the band's signature colors. Some held banners and light sticks, while others simply stood back to take in the scale of the gathering. Their conversations carried in multiple languages, reflecting the group's unmistakable global pull. BTS launched its "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG'" with three shows in Goyang, located about 20 kilometers west of Seoul, beginning Thursday and continuing through the weekend. The tour will span 34 cities with 85 concerts across Japan, North America, Europe, South America and Asia, making it the largest tour ever mounted by a Korean act. Additional shows in Japan and the Middle East are also expected. Even outside the gates Saturday, the sense of occasion was unmistakable. Some fans

Apr 11, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS fans flood Goyang ahead of 2nd night of 'ARIRANG' tour
K-pop

How K-pop drives album sales with lifestyle goods

In K-pop, the album is no longer just something fans collect. It has evolved into something they use, incorporating music into their daily lives through practical items. Long a cornerstone of the industry’s revenue model, physical albums have survived the streaming era not by combining with digital platforms, but by changing form. What began as CDs bundled with photobooks, posters and randomized inclusions evolved into merchandise such as keychain albums. Now, a new phase is taking shape, one that pushes albums beyond mere display value and into everyday utility. Belift Lab’s girl group ILLIT offers a clear example of that shift. Ahead of its April 30 return with the EP “MAMIHLAPINATAPAI,” the group unveiled a dog-shaped gua sha version of the album, including a functional self-care tool with the upcoming release. The object retains its real-world use while carrying the group’s visual identity. According to the agency, the idea was designed to reflect the B-side track “GRWM (Get Ready With Me),” with the gua sha evoking a beauty routine. The dog-shaped design also nods to a

Apr 11, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
How K-pop drives album sales with lifestyle goods
K-pop

HYBE’s 1st Latin boy band SANTOS BRAVOS lands in Seoul as K-pop expands global push

A Latin boy band appearing at HYBE Labels headquarters in the heart of Seoul would have seemed unlikely not long ago. For SANTOS BRAVOS, the moment underscores the company’s effort to expand the K-pop production model beyond Korea. The five-member group held a media event Friday at the label’s Yongsan headquarters, introducing itself to Korean press for the first time since debut. The appearance brings the act into the center of the Korean entertainment giant that created it, highlighting the company’s push to build regionally rooted groups beyond K-pop’s home. SANTOS BRAVOS debuted in October 2025 as HYBE’s first boy band under its Latin American branch, formed through a survival program that drew trainees from across Latin America, the United States and Europe. Comprising members from different backgrounds — Mexican-American Drew, Alejandro from Peru, Gabi from Puerto Rico, Kaue from Brazil and Kenneth from Mexico — the final lineup reflects a strategy aimed at building a pan-Latin identity. The group first gained attention through its debut showcase at Mexico City’s Au

Apr 10, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
HYBE’s 1st Latin boy band SANTOS BRAVOS lands in Seoul as K-pop expands global push
K-pop

What to know about Goyang Stadium — and why K-pop acts love it

As BTS prepares to kick off its world tour with a three-day concert run from Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at Goyang Stadium, the choice of venue may prompt a certain question among some — why not Seoul? For an act long associated with landmark stages in the Korean capital, performing outside city limits can seem unexpected. The decision, however, points to a broader shift in Korea's concert landscape, where the stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, has emerged as one of the few venues capable of meeting the scale of K-pop today. Goyang Stadium, located in the mid sized city 20 kilometers northwest of Seoul, has become the default home of large-scale live music in the Seoul metropolitan area, a transformation that has unfolded quickly and largely out of necessity. In 2025 alone, the stadium hosted 18 major concerts, drawing 700,000 attendees and generating roughly 10.9 billion won ($8.2 million) in revenue. The roster includes G-Dragon, who launched his first solo tour in eight years there in March, followed by British rock band Coldplay in April. K-pop girl group BLACKPINK opened its

Apr 9, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
What to know about Goyang Stadium — and why K-pop acts love it
Travel & Food

Young Koreans drive growing obsession with Chinese cuisine

On a recent Tuesday evening, the Myeong-dong branch of Bantianyao Kaoyu, a Chinese restaurant specializing in whole simmered fish dishes, was already filling up well before the dinner rush. Inside, large trays of whole simmered fish arrived one after another, each landing in a bath of deep red chili-laced broth, sending up a cloud of steam over the tables. Despite having arrived at 5:30 p.m., early enough to avoid the usual queue of hungry commuters, most seats had already been claimed by small groups of young diners leaning in close, adjusting burners, reaching for chopsticks and talking. What stood out was not just the food, but the sound. Orders were called out in Mandarin, replies came back in Korean and conversations moved fluidly between the two. The overlap was constant, creating a unique atmosphere that felt increasingly familiar in parts of Seoul where Chinese restaurants cluster. Scenes like this would have been rare outside a handful of neighborhoods just a few years ago. Today, they are part of a shift in how younger Koreans eat and where they choose to spend their evenings. A

Apr 9, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Young Koreans drive growing obsession with Chinese cuisine
K-pop

WJSN's Dayoung brings new confidence to 'What's a Girl to Do'

"I really thought only my mom and I would buy my album." It's a blunt admission from Dayoung, the youngest member of K-pop girl group WJSN, but one that frames the unlikely path she’s taken over the past year. When the singer quietly made her solo debut last September with "gonna love me right?" and its viral lead single, "body," she wasn’t thinking about chart success or viral traction. If anything, she was bracing for the worst. "I didn’t have enough confidence," she said during an interview with The Korea Times at Starship Entertainment headquarters, the singer's management label, Thursday. "I was worried if I release physical albums, they would just sit in storage. I didn’t want to get heartbroken by that." Instead, "body" did the exact opposite. The track began to pick up momentum as listeners responded to both its energy and her raw delivery. What started as a cautious solo experiment quickly turned into a defining moment. "I didn’t expect that kind of love at all," the singer said. "But because of that, I got the chance to release another album. That’s something I’m r

Apr 7, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
WJSN's Dayoung brings new confidence to 'What's a Girl to Do'
K-pop

KickFlip turns flirting into full-blown concept with 'Eye-Poppin''

JYP Entertainment's seven-member boy group KickFlip returns Monday with its fourth mini-album "My First Kick" and lead single "Eye-Poppin'," once again fully leaning into the group's bright, boyish energy. The comeback follows last September's "My First Flip," which playfully captured the rush of first love, and marked the group's career high with more than 400,000 copies sold in its first week. This time, KickFlip turns the page to its twenties, framing the new release as both a prologue and a first leap into youth. Just hours ahead of the Monday release, the group met reporters at YES24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, greeting the press with the same loud enthusiasm that has defined the group since its debut. Amaru, who halted activities last September due to health reasons, did not attend. "Through variety shows, a lot of people have come to know us," Juwang said. "But we really want to show that we're also a strong performance group." Minje pointed to the team's chemistry as the foundation of that strength. "Our performances come from how close we are as members," he said. "I

Apr 6, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
KickFlip turns flirting into full-blown concept with 'Eye-Poppin''
K-pop

Daughter of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt appears in K-pop music video

Shiloh Jolie, the 19-year-old daughter of Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, appeared as a background dancer in a music video teaser for K-pop singer Dayoung, drawing widespread attention online after fans recognized her striking resemblance to her mother. The 30-second teaser, released Thursday by the singer's label, Starship Entertainment, shows Jolie in a choreographed sequence with other dancers, sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, hoop earrings and a lacy brown top. Jolie was reportedly cast through an open audition held in the United States. Starship told a local media outlet that the production team selected her based on her dancing and did not know her identity until after filming had concluded. Jolie's interest in dance has surfaced publicly before. In May 2024, choreographer Lil Kelaan Carter shared a video of her dancing solo on Instagram, writing, "Her movement is crazy." Jolie legally dropped "Pitt" from her surname when she turned 18 in 2024. Angelina Jolie and Pitt, who share six children, separated in 2016 after two years of marriage. Meanwhile, Dayoung, a member

Apr 5, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Daughter of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt appears in K-pop music video
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