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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

Why K-pop groups turn to subunits for new creative chemistry

Across the K-pop industry, established groups are increasingly turning to subunits as both a creative experiment and a business strategy, forming smaller lineups that can explore sounds, concepts and audiences beyond the parent group. The trend has only accelerated this year. In the first five months of 2026 alone, K-pop boy band Seventeen's vocal duo DK x Seungkwan debuted with the mini-album "Serenade" in January, while NCT's duo unit JNJM released its first EP "Both Sides" in February. Most recently, boy band DRIPPIN's trio ChaDongHyeop unveiled its debut single in May. Together, the releases suggest something more deliberate than occasional side projects. In today's K-pop industry, the subunit projects have evolved into structural tools. Avoiding uncertainty For entertainment agencies, the logic is relatively simple. Launching a new idol group requires years of trainee development, financial investment and no guarantee of success. A subunit avoids much of that uncertainty. It arrives with an existing fanbase, brand recognition and promotional infrastructure already in place, while all

May 15, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Why K-pop groups turn to subunits for new creative chemistry
K-pop

KATSEYE announces 27-city tour across Europe, North America

Global girl group KATSEYE announced Wednesday a 27-city arena tour across Europe and North America this fall, a significant expansion from its sold-out run last year. "THE WILDWORLD TOUR," produced by Live Nation, kicks off Sept. 1 in Dublin before running through an eight-city European leg that includes London, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne and Antwerp, wrapping Sept. 17 in Copenhagen. The North American leg begins Oct. 13 in Miami and visits major markets across the United States and Canada, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Montreal, before the tour closes Nov. 27 in Mexico City. The tour supports the group's upcoming third EP, "WILD," set for release on Aug. 14 via HYBE and Geffen Records. HYBE told The Korea Times that the five-member photo on the tour poster was taken during promotions for the group's recent single "PINKY UP," and that it remains unclear whether member Manon will participate in the tour as she is currently on hiatus. The announcement represents a significant step up from KATSEYE's previous run. The group sold out all 16 dates of its 2025 No

May 14, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
KATSEYE announces 27-city tour across Europe, North America
K-pop

FLARE U turns audition show friendship into K-pop debut with 'YOUTH ERROR'

K-pop duo FLARE U released its debut album, "YOUTH ERROR," Wednesday, officially marking its arrival after months of anticipation from fans who first fell for them on an audition show. The two members, Chuei Li Yu from Taiwan and Korean Kang Woo-jin, competed on Mnet's "Boys II Planet" last year, finishing 10th and 16th, respectively. Neither made the final debut lineup, but their easy rapport became one of the show's more talked-about storylines. The name, FLARE U, captures exactly that: two separate sparks becoming one light. A few hours before the official album drop on Wednesday, the two met the press for a media showcase at BlueSquare Woori WON Banking Hall in Seoul's Yongsan District, sharing behind-the-scenes stories leading up to the duo's launch. "After the audition program ended, I took some rest and then prepared for a fan event. I felt sorry that I couldn't share more news in the meantime," Kang said. It was also a period of real growth, he noted. Appearing on a TV show had been a first for him, and the physical and emotional demands caught him off guard early on. "Having gone

May 13, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
FLARE U turns audition show friendship into K-pop debut with 'YOUTH ERROR'
K-pop

YOUNITE seeks connection on new album 'INYUN Part.1'

K-pop boy band YOUNITE stepped back into the spotlight Tuesday with the release of "INYUN Part.1" and its title track "POSE!," a house-inflected single that puts the eight-member group in line with the industry's recent sonic trends. Hours before the album drop, seven of the group's members — Eunho, Steve, Hyungseok, Woono, DEY, Kyungmun and Sion — gathered at NOL Theater Hapjeong in Seoul's Mapo District to share their thoughts on the new project. Eunsang, who stepped back from activities last year due to health issues, did not attend. "Eunsang still needs rest," Eunho said. "With seven of us, we felt we couldn't afford to show any gaps, and that pushed us to work even harder." The album, arriving nine months after the group's previous release, takes its title from a Korean word for a bond that persists across different worlds, something the members describe as neither fate nor coincidence, but something in between. "This album expresses a new turning point," said Woono. "We wanted to capture YOUNITE's desire to connect with as many people as possible." The album's title track "POSE!

May 12, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
YOUNITE seeks connection on new album 'INYUN Part.1'
K-pop

DRIPPIN's 1st unit ChaDongHyeop is ready to make hearts flutter

On a quiet Monday morning in Seoul's Gangnam District, three men took their seats at a cafe table with the carefulness of people who have rehearsed being natural. Cha Jun-ho, Kim Dong-yun and Lee Hyeop, members of K-pop boy band DRIPPIN, were measured in their words and composed in their smiles, projecting the kind of energy that belongs not to rookies, but to veterans stepping into unfamiliar territory. As the group's debut subunit, the three have named themselves ChaDongHyeop, a combination of their names, and are about to release their first single album, "Doogeundae," on Tuesday. It's a milestone six years in the making, the first unit project in DRIPPIN's history since the group debuted in 2020. The wait, the three told The Korea Times, was worth it. "I'd been looking forward to this for so long," Cha said. "Now that we're finally able to show something to our fans, I feel really excited. This is a different kind of start for us, and I want people to see a side of us they haven't seen before." The roughly two years since DRIPPIN's last group activity with "Weekend" in August 2024 wer

May 12, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
DRIPPIN's 1st unit ChaDongHyeop is ready to make hearts flutter
K-pop

Why university festivals matter more than ever in K-pop

Every May, the roars echoing across Korea's university campuses signal something far larger than a typical school celebration. What began as a student-centered tradition has evolved into one of K-pop's most closely watched live stages, a real-time test of an artist's public appeal in front of thousands of young spectators. For idols and entertainment agencies alike, the university festival season in May and Spetember each year has become an unofficial barometer of public sentiment. Unlike music shows or fandom-driven concerts, campus stages place artists directly before a broader, less filtered audience. That is why the period is widely perceived as a fierce competition among universities to secure top-tier performers and among agencies to maximize visibility during the packed spring circuit. This year is no exception. From May 6 to 8, festivals at the University of Incheon and Jeonbuk National University featured lineups including RIIZE, fromis_9, WINNER, KISS OF LIFE, FTISLAND and Jay Park, while festivals at Hoseo University and Dankook University Cheonan Campus also brought acts suc

May 9, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Why university festivals matter more than ever in K-pop
K-pop

From opera to gugak, K-pop companies bid for new IP across genres

As K-pop evolves into a global entertainment system rather than a single genre, styles that once existed only as occasional influences within idol music are beginning to emerge as standalone businesses backed by major entertainment labels. From classical music and gugak to live bands and electronic dance music, Korea's entertainment giants are increasingly expanding beyond K-pop's boundaries, building a new slate of genre-based intellectual property. The clearest recent example comes from SM Entertainment, which surprised the music industry last month by announcing an exclusive recording partnership with world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo through its classical and jazz label SM Classics. Jo became the first recording-exclusive artist signed under the label, linking one of Korea's most globally recognized classical musicians with the company that helped systemize modern K-pop. At a press conference held Wednesday to celebrate the partnership, SM Chief A&R Officer Lee Sung-su described Jo as someone who globalized Korean music long before K-pop's worldwide boom. "K-pop was able to expand global

May 9, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
From opera to gugak, K-pop companies bid for new IP across genres
Travel & Food

How to enjoy Korean amusement parks like locals

On any given weekend, Korea's theme parks fill with the familiar sounds of roller coasters and the chatter of crowds — but look a little closer, and something else begins to stand out. Groups of young visitors pause not at the entrance to rides, but in front of mirrors. Couples adjust matching headbands before posing for photos. Friends scroll through their phones, reviewing shots taken moments earlier, debating which are worth posting. In Korea, a trip to a theme park is no longer defined by what you ride; it is shaped just as much by what you wear, how you document the day and who you share it with. What might appear at first glance to be a conventional leisure activity has, over time, evolved into a distinctly Korean form of social experience, one that the country's parks are increasingly being built around. Theme parks weren't always high on the list of Korean tourist destinations. But with the popularity of Korean dramas and films, an increasing number of visitors are including a theme park visit on their itinerary. The Korea Times offers tips on how to make the most of the experi

May 8, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
How to enjoy Korean amusement parks like locals
K-pop

BTS meets Mexican president ahead of Mexico City concerts

K-pop boy band BTS met Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace in Mexico City on Wednesday (local time), greeting the public from the palace balcony ahead of the group's three-night concert run in the capital as part of its "ARIRANG" world tour. Sheinbaum, who confirmed the visit at a regular press briefing earlier in the day, described BTS as a band that "always carries messages of friendship, peace and love." The meeting carries added weight given the president's long-standing support for the group. In January, she welcomed the confirmation of their Mexico City tour dates, calling it a "historic moment" and noting how long younger Mexicans had waited for the shows. Fans gathered outside the palace, holding signs that read "BTS will always be in the heart of Mexico" and "Welcome to Mexico." Some were even moved to tears at the sight of the group. A reported 50,000 fans gathered outside the National Palace to see the boy band. According to AFP, the excitement for the impending show has been palpable on the streets of the Mexican capital. Fans gathered on Paseo de la Ref

May 7, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS meets Mexican president ahead of Mexico City concerts
K-pop

Billlie arrives with debut studio album, high-voltage lead single 'ZAP'

K-pop girl group Billlie dropped its first full-length album, "the collective soul and unconscious: chapter two," Wednesday, delivering a dark, polished identity unlike anything the team has shown before. Composed of seven members — Moon Sua, Suhyeon, Haram, Tsuki, Sheon, Siyoon and Haruna — the group has built a devoted following since its 2021 debut through standout tracks including "GingaMingaYo" (2022), "DANG! (hocus pocus)" (2023), "BYOB (bring your own best friend)" (2023) and "remembrance candy (prod. IU)" (2024). "The collective soul and unconscious: chapter two" marks the group's first full-length release in five years of activity. Siyoon, Moon Sua and Haram contributed to the album's lyrics, adding a deeper personal layer to the project. "It is such an honor to finally share this album with our fans and more," Tsuki said during a media showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, held a few hours before the album drop on Wednesday. "Working on our first full-length brought back memories of our debut days. I hope we can show everyone how much more we have grown," sh

May 6, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Billlie arrives with debut studio album, high-voltage lead single 'ZAP'
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