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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

K-pop girl groups face off — who takes the crown?

K-pop's "Big Four" entertainment powerhouses are at it again, and this time it's their girl groups taking center stage. SM Entertainment's Hearts2Hearts, YG Entertainment's BABYMONSTER, JYP Entertainment's NMIXX and LE SSERAFIM from HYBE Labels all dropped new releases this fall, sparking a surge of competition that has put the K-pop scene into overdrive. Each group mirrors the sound and spirit of its label, and together they're shaping what the upcoming phase of K-pop power may look like. SM's study in control SM's eight-member rookie group Hearts2Hearts released its first mini-album "FOCUS" on Oct. 20, and its arrival was nothing short of explosive. The record sold 408,880 copies in its first week, the highest-ever debut-week sales for a girl group's first album. The title track "FOCUS" carries SM's signature sheen: a sleek house rhythm, a vintage piano riff and an addictive looping melody that feels as precise as it is hypnotic. The vocals are layered and atmospheric, exactly the kind of refined sound that's defined SM's lineage from Girls' Generation to SHINee. Longtime hitmaker KENZI

Oct 28, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop girl groups face off — who takes the crown?
K-pop

With 'Beat-Boxer,' NEXZ returns to home turf to prove its power

A year after their ambitious debut, boy band NEXZ evolved from promising rookies into one of the most dynamic new forces bridging K-pop and J-pop. Formed through a collaboration between JYP Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, the seven-member act — Tomoya, Yu, Haru, So Geon, Seita, Hyui and Yuki — have spent the past year performing across both countries, earning a significant fandom with their bilingual charm and powerful performances. Now, with their new mini-album, "Beat-Boxer" set for release Monday evening, NEXZ are heading back to Korea, bringing with them a year's worth of growth and a clearer vision. "It's been six months since our last work," said Hyui, reflecting on the Korean comeback during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul's Seongdong District, Thursday. "We worked really hard to show a cooler and more mature side." The five-track release marks another step in their creative evolution, according to NEXZ. Members Tomoya, Yu and Haru took part in choreographing both the title track and pre-release single "I'm Him," continuing their hands-o

Oct 27, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
With 'Beat-Boxer,' NEXZ returns to home turf to prove its power
Korean Heritage

Newly discovered Silla-era tomb in Gyeongju yields armor, crown, human remains

Archaeologists in the city of Gyeongju, once the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE-935 CE), have uncovered a wooden-chamber tomb beneath a major burial mound that is emblematic of burials for the era's elites. The discovery in Hwangnam-dong of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province includes human remains buried with a full set of armor and a helmet, along with earthenware, fragments of a gilt-bronze crown and protective gear for a horse. Gyeongju will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and the city government of Gyeongju held a joint press conference at the site Monday, announcing that a wooden-chamber burial had been found, located beneath the previously excavated Hwangnam-dong No. 120 mound site, which consists of a stone-mound wooden-chamber tomb. "The area had been damaged by farming, but we have been steadily excavating the site since 2018," an official from the Silla Cultural Heritage Research Institute, a foundation established by the local city government, said. "Six wooden

Oct 20, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Newly discovered Silla-era tomb in Gyeongju yields armor, crown, human remains
K-pop

K-pop 'Season's Greetings' explained: Holiday merch that's more than a gift set

Every winter, as the K-pop calendar fills with award shows and comeback announcements, another ritual quietly takes over fandom timelines — the release of a special line of year-end merchandise known as "Season's Greetings." What began as a simple holiday gift has grown into a unique K-pop tradition — a blend of pop culture and commerce that shapes how fans celebrate the season and stay connected to their favorite idols. The K-pop version of Season's Greetings generally refers to a yearly merchandise bundle, often packed with calendars, diaries, postcards and exclusive photo cards, reimagined each year around a new concept or theme that reflects a group or idol's identity. Typically released as early as October and through December, the merch bundle has come to represent a way for fans to look back on the year and step into the next one with their favorite idols. On the surface, they might seem like simple desk accessories, but in spirit, they're almost tokens of belonging. For entertainment companies, the winter merch tradition is considered a pillar of revenue. Unlike albums, which

Oct 20, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop 'Season's Greetings' explained: Holiday merch that's more than a gift set
K-pop

K-pop eyes historic breakthrough at 68th Grammy Awards

As first-round voting for the 68th Grammy Awards concluded Wednesday, anticipation is rising over whether K-pop — a growing global music force previously snubbed by the Recording Academy — could finally break its losing streak at the ceremony. Hosted by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences since 1959, the Grammys have long stood as the highest honor in the American music industry, symbolized by its golden gramophone trophy. No K-pop act has yet claimed one of the awards. This year, however, hopes are high. The eligibility window for the 68th Grammys, covering releases from Aug. 31, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2025, has produced some of K-pop’s most globally successful records to date. Among the notable contenders are BLACKPINK vocalist Rosé and Bruno Mars’ hit single "APT." and "Golden," the standout track from Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." Both songs will compete for nominations in two of the Grammys’ most coveted general categories: Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Their respective albums — "Rosie" and "KPop Demon Hunters" — are also in contentio

Oct 17, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop eyes historic breakthrough at 68th Grammy Awards
Travel & Food

Korea’s bread pilgrimage: From bagel queues to city pride

Leaning against Jeju's serene beaches, a bustling line forms not for the view but for a single, somewhat unexpected purpose: to buy bagels from the island's famed branch of London Bagel Museum. Here, the scent of freshly baked bread drifts through the sea air as visitors hold empty trays in anticipation. For many, the first bite into the bagel is less about hunger than the reward of patience — chewy, fermented dough wrapped around thick, salty cream cheese. The craze doesn’t stop at Jeju. The brand, with branches in Seoul’s popular areas of Anguk, Jamsil, Yeouido and more, draws equally long lines wherever it goes. The name itself combines the founder’s favorite words, evoking both nostalgia and a sense of gravitas. Scenes like this now play out across Korea. From the southern island of Jeju to the hipster streets of Seoul's Seongsu-dong and the mid-sized city of Daejeon, bakeries have become destinations as familiar as cafes or galleries. Queuing for bread has turned into a modern ritual, and the term "ppangji sullye," the Korean word for "bread pilgrimage," has entered everyday

Oct 16, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Korea’s bread pilgrimage: From bagel queues to city pride
Shows & Dramas

Mnet reboots 'Unpretty Rapstar' as 'HIP POP Princess,' aims to create cross-cultural girl group

Nearly a decade after redefining the image of women in the Korean hip-hop scene, Mnet's beloved "Unpretty Rapstar" franchise is back — and bigger than ever. The network behind Korea's numerous game-changing audition programs is rebooting the survival series as "Unpretty Rapstar: HIP POP Princess," a Korean-Japanese collaboration that aims to create a girl group blending the grit of hip-hop with next-generation pop sounds. The new series receives the torch from the original, which aired from 2015 to 2016 and catapulted unapologetic women rappers like Jessi, Heize, Cheetah and i-dle's Soyeon into the spotlight. But this time, the stage goes global. A total of 40 contestants — 20 from Korea and 20 from Japan — will compete not only for a debut spot, but also for the chance to bridge two cultures through a shared rhythm. During a press conference held Wednesday at a hotel in Seoul's Gangnam District, Mnet unveiled the project's creative direction and lineup of mentors, describing the reboot as "a cultural dialogue through music." The program's main producer, Jeong Min-seok, said the goa

Oct 15, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Mnet reboots 'Unpretty Rapstar' as 'HIP POP Princess,' aims to create cross-cultural girl group
K-pop

10 years on, Taeyeon still stands out in K-pop for range, vocal prowess

When Taeyeon first stood on stage as part of Girls' Generation in the late 2000s, few could have predicted that she would one day become one of K-pop's most enduring solo voices. Over the past decade, the singer has broken away from the image of a typical girl group member to carve out a career defined by vocal prowess, stylistic range and emotional honesty. Now, after officially marking her 10th solo debut anniversary on Oct. 7, Taeyeon stands as a rare figure in the cutthroat industry, one who effortlessly bridges commercial success and artistic credibility. Taeyeon's journey began with K-pop giant SM Entertainment's flagship girl group, whose hits like "Gee" (2009), "Genie" (2009), "Oh!" (2010) and "I Got a Boy" (2013) became cultural milestones during the genre's global ascent. As the group's lead vocalist, Taeyeon's clear tone and emotive delivery helped shape Girls' Generation's signature sound, cementing the singer as one of the era's most powerful performers. Thanks to her standout vocal talent, Taeyeon's solo potential surfaced early. Barely six months after her Girls' Generation

Oct 10, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
10 years on, Taeyeon still stands out in K-pop for range, vocal prowess
Shows & Dramas

K-beauty craze sparks new wave of reality shows

K-beauty's global momentum is now reshaping prime-time entertainment. As the nation's cosmetics exports continue to reach new heights, peaking at a cumulative $8.5 billion through the third quarter of 2025, broadcasters are responding with beauty-themed variety shows that bring the industry's creativity to the screen. From a makeup competition hosted by K-pop icon Lee Hyo-ri to a New York-based reality show about opening a cosmetics store, the genre is currently undergoing a stylish global transformation. Korean streaming service Coupang Play combines two fan-favorite elements — beauty and survival — in its new reality series "Just Makeup," which premiered Oct. 3. Hosted by Lee Hyo-ri, the program brings together some of Korea's most prominent makeup artists, including Jung Saem-mool, Seo Ok and Risabae, who serve as judges. Positioned as the first Korean show to turn the beauty industry into a survival competition, "Just Makeup" breaks new ground by treating makeup artistry as a test of technique and creativity. In its opening episode, contestants were randomly paired with models an

Oct 9, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
K-beauty craze sparks new wave of reality shows
K-pop

The Boyz, QWER's clash over light stick designs exposes K-pop's gray areas

In K-pop, a light stick is more than just a glowing accessory — it’s a symbol of fan identity. But a fight over two nearly identical megaphone-shaped designs has recently ignited one of the fiercest fan wars of the year, drawing battle lines between boy group The Boyz and rookie girl band QWER. What began as a disagreement over K-pop merchandise has since snowballed into something far more harmful, with online clashes escalating into real threats of violence and growing calls for the industry to set clearer standards. On Sept. 25, The Boyz’s agency One Hundred stepped in amid the mounting uproar with a formal statement, acknowledging the “confusion and discomfort” fans had experienced. The company said it had raised the issue with QWER’s management and requested design changes, but said no resolution had been reached. It added that legal action was now under review. The conflict first erupted Sept. 16, when QWER unveiled its first official light stick ahead of its debut world tour. The design — a white megaphone with the group’s logo in the speaker — immediately drew co

Oct 2, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
The Boyz, QWER's clash over light stick designs exposes K-pop's gray areas
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