K-pop’s virtual idol boom reaches stadium scale, reshapes industryThe sight of a virtual idol group filling Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, a venue long reserved for K-pop’s most powerful performers, would have seemed implausible only a few years ago. But PLAVE, a virtual K-pop boy band under VLAST, drew 37,000 fans to the arena on Nov. 21-22, marking a breakthrough moment for the genre’s expanding virtual idol sector and redefining who — or what — can claim the country’s largest stages. The five-member virtual act closed its 2025 Asia tour with two “DASH: Quantum Leap Encore” shows, ending a run that began in August and included stops in Taipei, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok and Tokyo. The Seoul encore was held at Gocheok Sky Dome, one of Korea’s largest concert venues and typically reserved for top-tier acts such as BTS and BLACKPINK. PLAVE is the first virtual group to join that roster. The two shows drew more than half a million presale ticket attempts before selling out, underscoring the commercial momentum behind virtual acts and the growing appetite for technology-driven performers. The milestone reflects broader changes in the K-pop mNov 30, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
G-Dragon named Artist of the Year at 2025 MAMA AwardsG-Dragon was named Artist of the Year at the 2025 MAMA Awards on Saturday, delivering a heartfelt message as the ceremony unfolded in a restrained tone following a deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong. The BIGBANG frontman accepted the night's top honor at Kai Tak Stadium, reflecting on his year and thanking fans for their support. "Thank you. I made my comeback through MAMA last year, and this year's activities feel different from any other year," he said after receiving the honor from Hong Kong-born Chinese actor Chow Yun-Fat. "I'm so grateful to VIPs and all the fans. I love you all. Next year marks our group's 20th anniversary, and I'll come hang out and party with my friends so I won't be lonely. See you next year," he said, referring to the name of BIGBANG's fandom. The award presentation came during the second night of the two-day ceremony, held under subdued conditions as the K-pop industry paid tribute to victims of a high-rise fire that killed more than 100 people earlier in the week. Attendees dressed in black or muted colors, and organizers scaled back parts of the program to rNov 30, 2025By Yonhap
MAMA Awards proceeds in subdued mood after Hong Kong fire, recreates scenes from 'KPop Demon Hunters'The second night of the 2025 MAMA Awards was held in a subdued atmosphere in Hong Kong on Saturday as the K-pop industry paid tribute to victims of a deadly fire in the city. Celebrities and guests dressed in black or muted colors at the ceremony at Kai Tak Stadium to honor those who lost their lives and to show solidarity with Hong Kong residents. Actor Kim Hye-soo, who hosted the ceremony, opened the evening by saying her "heart grew heavy" after hearing the tragic news. "I sincerely offer condolences to everyone affected by this sudden accident and to those who lost loved ones," she said. "I earnestly hope that some miracles still remain for us." Presenter Yim Si-wan also extended sympathy for the bereaved, while G-Dragon, one of the winners at evening, pledged to support Hong Kong residents through his art. The singer had earlier donated HK$1 million ($128,452) to relief efforts. The ceremony drew global attention with a live-action recreation of scenes from Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." Babymonster members Pharita, Ahyeon and Rora took the stage as the in-film triNov 29, 2025By Yonhap
K-pop’s underdog era ends with the rise of wealthy traineesA brief exchange between a security guard and a housekeeper over an intercom, announcing that "Madame is arriving" was unintentionally broadcast during a YouTube livestream by Annie (Moon Seo-yoon), a member of the new co-ed group Allday Project. The video spread quickly, and K-pop fans reacted with fascination, saying they felt like they were “indirectly experiencing the daily life of a real conglomerate family.” Annie is the granddaughter of Lee Myung-hee, chairman of Shinsegae Group, and the eldest daughter of Jung Yoo-kyung, president of Shinsegae. She joined The Black Label as a trainee in 2016 at the age of sixteen. It is the first time a direct descendant of a "chaebol," a conglomerate-owning family, has entered an agency as a trainee and debuted as part of a K-pop idol group. Children of wealthy families, such as Loren (Lee Seung-joo), son of Naver founder Lee Hae-jin, are increasingly attempting to become K-pop trainees. Since H.O.T.’s debut in 1996, the 28-year narrative of K-pop as a place where people of humble background could rise through talent and hard work has beNov 29, 2025By Hankookilbo
Stray Kids' 'Do It' sells over 2.2 mil. copies in debut weekBoy group Stray Kids has achieved double-million-seller status with its new album "Do It" selling more than 2.2 million copies in its first week, the group's agency said Friday. According to JYP Entertainment, the album sold 2,207,660 copies between Nov. 21-27, based on data from Hanteo Chart. It sold more than 1.49 million copies on its first day of release alone, signaling strong demand. "Do It" topped both the weekly physical album chart on Hanteo Chart and the weekly album and retail charts on Circle Chart. Industry observers expect the record to debut high on the U.S. Billboard 200 main albums chart to be announced next week. Stray Kids has already topped the Billboard 200 seven times in a row, setting a record for the most chart-topping entries by a K-pop act. It remains the only artist in the chart's 70-year history to have its seven entries all debut at No. 1. On Thursday, the group released the music video for "Sinseonnoreum," one of the album's two main tracks, on its official social media. The video, inspired by the classic Korean literary character Jeon Woo-chi, depicts the mNov 28, 2025By Yonhap
K-pop companies join relief efforts for Hong Kong fire victimsK-pop powerhouses Hybe, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment along with more artists from the industry have joined a growing wave of aid efforts across Asia to support victims of a deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong, industry sources and company officials said Friday. Hybe Music Group APAC, which oversees six affiliated labels, including BigHit Music, Belift Lab and Source Music, contributed 500 million won ($341,390) to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, according to the sources. The funds will be used in cooperation with a nonprofit organization in Hong Kong to aid families affected by the fire, the company said. "We offer our deepest condolences to all those impacted by the tragedy," the company's CEO Yu Dong-ju said in a statement. "We hope our donation brings some comfort and helps speed up recovery efforts." Girl group i-dle also donated 1 million yuan ($141,235) through China's Fosun Foundation. Chinese member Yuqi extended her wishes on social media Wednesday, writing that she hoped "everyone remains safe and sound." YG Entertainment said it had donated 1 millioNov 28, 2025By Yonhap
Min Hee-jin breaks down in court, says she never expected HYBE to betray herMin Hee-jin, former chief executive of NewJeans’ agency, Ador, gave more than five hours of emotional testimony in court on Thursday as she and HYBE press on with their bitter legal dispute over a put option valued at roughly 26 billion won ($20 million). Min accused HYBE, the parent company of Ador, of undermining her work with NewJeans and said she never imagined the company would betray her. The Seoul Central District Court’s civil division held the third hearing in the case concerning Min’s attempt to invalidate the termination of the shareholders’ agreement with HYBE, as well as her demand that the company honor the put option. Min, who took the stand, broke down in tears at several points during the session. Min described herself as “someone who values reputation and creative quality more than money,” adding that HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk had initially insisted she start Ador with zero equity in exchange for receiving trainees. She said she ultimately agreed to stock options instead and stressed that she did not enter the shareholders’ agreement for financial gain. MinNov 28, 2025By Xportsnews
SM Entertainment, K-pop stars donate for victims of Hong Kong fireKorea's pop music community on Thursday made donations to support rescue efforts and victims of a large-scale fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong. SM Entertainment said it will donate 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) to the Hong Kong Red Cross to aid firefighting, rescue and daily commodity support. Girl group aespa said they will contribute 500,000 Hong Kong dollars. "We express our deepest sorrow regarding this heartbreaking news," aespa said through their official Weibo account. "We hope this small contribution can help, and we pray for everyone's safety." Boy band Riize also pledged a donation of 250,000 Hong Kong dollars, expressing hope that their contribution will support rescue operations and follow-up assistance. Hong Kong authorities said the fire at Wang Fuk Court, which started on Wednesday, killed at least 55 people, with approximately 280 still unaccounted for.Nov 27, 2025By Yonhap
Debate emerges over MAMA Awards proceeding after Hong Kong fireA debate over the 2025 MAMA Awards, set to take place in Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday, has emerged online after a deadly apartment complex fire left the city in mourning. Just two days before the K-pop awards show’s opening, a catastrophic blaze ravaged a residential estate in Tai Po District, leaving 65 people dead and 279 missing as of Thursday afternoon. The disaster, which prompted the city’s highest fire alarm level and suspended major public activities, including those for the upcoming Legislative Council election, has cast a shadow over what was meant to be one of Asia’s biggest music events. As the city grieves, the awards show — organized by Korea’s CJ ENM and scheduled for the newly built Kai Tak Stadium, some 20 kilometers from the disaster site — has divided opinion online. Many argue that staging a large-scale global music festival amid such profound loss is insensitive and risks backlash. “The city has just experienced such a tragedy, and now there’s going to be a group of foreigners partying and celebrating. The whole situation feels deeply somber,”Nov 27, 2025By Alyssa Chen
Allday Project to drop 1st EP next monthRookie sensation Allday Project will release its first EP, "Allday Project," next month, the group's agency, The Black Label, said Thursday. Set for release Dec. 8, the EP features six tracks, including the prerelease single "One More Time" and the lead track "Look at Me." In a recently released self-produced video, the co-ed group hinted that the upcoming album will showcase a different side of the members, with Tarzzan describing it as a "diary-like album." The five-member group composed of Annie, Tarzzan, Bailey, Woochan and Youngseo rose to prominence when its debut single, "Famous," topped major domestic music charts upon its release. The group has continued to build momentum with the prerelease track "One More Time," released Nov. 17, climbing as high as No. 2 on Melon's Top 100 chart.Nov 27, 2025By Yonhap
