Jin's 'Don't Say You Love Me' hits No. 2 on Spotify's weekly global chartJin of K-pop superstars BTS has ranked second on Spotify's weekly top song global chart with his latest song, "Don't Say You Love Me," according to the music streaming platform Saturday. The song rose by five notches from a week earlier, and to the top spot of the Spotify Daily Top Songs Global chart for May 25, after its release May 16. "Don't Say You Love Me," the lead-off track from the artist's second solo EP, "Echo," delves into the ironic complexities of a crumbling relationship, where — despite the evident breakdown — the lovers find themselves unable to easily let go due to their lingering affection.May 31, 2025By Yonhap
Court orders NewJeans to pay $730,000 per independent activity without Ador’s approvalA Seoul court has partially accepted an injunction request filed by Ador against K-pop girl group NewJeans, ordering the members not to carry out independent entertainment activities outside the agency until a ruling is made on the validity of their exclusive contracts. The Seoul Central District Court on Friday ruled that NewJeans members must refrain from performing individually or through a third party without Ador’s prior consent or approval, until the first trial decision is made in a pending lawsuit confirming the validity of their exclusive contracts. If the group violates the court’s order, each member will be required to pay 1 billion won ($730,000) per breach to Ador. The court also ordered NewJeans to bear the legal costs of the application. This means NewJeans is now barred from engaging in independent activities until the final outcome of their contract termination case. The group notified Ador of contract termination last November after revealing internal conflicts. They had since attempted to pursue independent activities under the name NJZ but now face restrictions. BaMay 30, 2025By Hankookilbo
BLACKPINK Jisoo’s brother accused of illegal filming, denies allegationsThe older brother of BLACKPINK member Jisoo has been accused of filming a sexual encounter without consent, according to a now-deleted post that surfaced on an anonymous online forum. Jisoo’s agency BLISSOO told Xportsnews that it is “in the process of verifying” the allegations involving her brother, identified only as Kim. Earlier that day, a post titled “I was secretly filmed by BLACKPINK Jisoo’s brother” appeared on the anonymous workplace forum Blind. The poster claimed she discovered after the fact that her sexual encounter with Kim had been filmed and further alleged that he shared the footage with acquaintances. The original post has since been removed. Kim's side has denied the allegations and is reportedly planning legal action. This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.May 30, 2025By Hankookilbo
ATEEZ to drop new EP, 'Golden Hour: Part. 3'K-pop boy group ATEEZ will drop its 12th EP, "Golden Hour: Part. 3," on June 13, the group's agency, KQ Entertainment, said Friday. The upcoming release is the third installment in the band's "Golden Hour" album series, which captures their most radiant moments of youth. It marks the first release from the group in about seven months since "Golden Hour: Part. 2" in November. The new EP features five tracks, including "Lemon Drop," "Masterpiece" and "Castle," according to the agency. Members Hongjoong and Mingi participated in penning lyrics for four tracks.May 30, 2025By Yonhap
TWICE's 'TT' music video tops 700 mil. YouTube viewsThe video for K-pop girl group TWICE's 2016 single "TT" has surpassed 700 million views on YouTube. The video passed the threshold at about 2:45 p.m. Thursday, more than eight years after it was released on Oct. 24, 2016, according to JYP Entertainment on Friday. It became the band's second music video to surpass 700 million views after "What is Love?" "TT," the lead track from TWICE's third EP, "TWICEcoaster: LANE1," expresses the emotions of a girl who has fallen in love for the first time in her life. The nine-member group is scheduled to release its fourth full-length album, "This is For," on July 11. Following the album's release, the girl group will headline Lollapalooza Chicago, a major music festival in the United States, on Aug. 2.May 30, 2025By Yonhap
SM to boost cooperation with China's Tencent MusicSM Entertainment will expand its strategic partnership with Tencent Music Entertainment Group, following the Chinese streaming giant's move to become SM's second-largest shareholder. SM announced Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Tencent Music to broaden cooperation beyond music distribution. The partnership will include the co-production of new idol groups, expansion of intellectual property (IP) businesses and local performance planning in China. Tencent Music, a subsidiary of Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings, is set to acquire a 9.38 percent stake in SM from rival K-pop agency Hybe on Friday. The purchase would make it SM's No. 2 shareholder behind Kakao Corp. and Kakao Entertainment, which together hold a 41.5 percent stake. "This collaboration significantly expands the scope of cooperation," SM said, adding that the partnership marks the official start of closer ties following the stake acquisition. As part of the agreement, SM and Tencent Music plan to debut a Chinese idol group within two to three years. SM will oversee production, including casting and trainMay 29, 2025By Yonhap
Seventeen ranks No. 3 in Billboard's midyear Top Tours worldwideK-pop boy group Seventeen placed third on Billboard's 2025 midyear Top Tours chart, earning $120.9 million from ticket sales. According to Billboard's midyear boxscore report released on Wednesday (U.S. time), Seventeen sold 842,000 tickets across 30 shows on its latest "Right Here" world tour legs. The report covers the period from Oct. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Coldplay topped the chart with a gross of $142.1 million, followed by Shakira in second place with $130 million. Seventeen's gross nearly doubled from $67.5 million during the same period the previous year, when it ranked No. 16. The surge brought the group to No. 3 on the global list, marking a significant milestone for the group. Its "Right Here" world tour, which ran from October 2024 to February 2025, covered 14 cities in North America and Asia, including major stops in South Korea, Japan and the United States. In the K-pop category of Billboard's Top Tours by Genre, Seventeen led the pack, followed by Ateez and BTS' J-Hope, who ranked second and third respectively, each grossing over $28 million. Enhypen and Tomorrow X TogeMay 29, 2025By Yonhap
HYBE brings concert film festival to Asian theaters this JulyK-pop giant HYBE Labels is bringing its immersive film festival to Asia this summer, following its successful Latin American debut last year. The company announced Wednesday that the theater event, titled "HYBE CINE FEST in ASIA sponsored by Weverse," will take place from July 10 to 13 across 10 Asian countries, including Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Hong Kong, with an extended run in Japan through Aug. 7. Organized in partnership with global distributor Trafalgar Releasing, the event will transform more than 350 theaters into communal K-pop celebration spaces, offering fans a chance to relive their favorite concert experiences on the big screen. The lineup includes four concert films from HYBE's biggest acts — BTS' "MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E," Seventeen's "BE THE SUN," Tomorrow X Together's (TXT's) "ACT: SWEET MIRAGE" and Enhypen's "FATE." A highlight of the event is "HYBE CINEMA NORAEBANG," an additional karaoke-style video experience featuring 22 music videos from 10 HYBE artists including BTS, Seventeen, TXT, LE SSERAFIM, &TEAM, BOYMay 29, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
'Espo?!?' Karina’s speech slip sparks laughter at ASEA 2025 showKarina of girl group aespa drew attention at an awards ceremony after making a lighthearted slip of the tongue during her acceptance speech, which led to an unexpected moment of laughter and left her unable to continue. On Wednesday, the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2025 (ASEA 2025) took place at K-Arena Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. Aespa took home three awards, winning the main The Platinum award, as well as Song of the Year and Artist of the Year. The event also marked Karina’s first official appearance since she apologized for a political controversy, which arose after she posted a photo of herself in a red jacket with the number "2" on her personal channel, sparking debate ahead of the national election. During the ceremony, aespa sparked laughter when delivering their acceptance speech for The Platinum award. Karina said, "I’m so thankful to our fans for this meaningful award. We’ll be back with a great album this year, so please look forward to it." She then stumbled, saying, "We’ll continue to be... Espo? Espo?" — accidentally mispronouncing the group’s name. The slipMay 29, 2025By Xportsnews
MAMA Awards to return to Hong Kong for the first time in 7 yearsCJ ENM will host its flagship global K-pop awards show, the MAMA Awards, in Hong Kong in November, the first time the ceremony will return to the city since 2018, the South Korean media and entertainment company said Thursday. The 2025 MAMA Awards is scheduled for Nov. 28–29 at Kai Tak Sports Park, a new multipurpose stadium that can accommodate up to 50,000 attendees -- four times the capacity of the event's usual venue. The return to Hong Kong coincides with the 30th anniversary of CJ ENM's music cable channel Mnet. The city has previously served as the most frequent host of the awards, which have been held across major Asian cities since its inception. "Hong Kong serves as a global hub with strong accessibility for K-pop fans worldwide," the company said in a release. "The MAMA Awards will mark another page in its history by returning to the Chinese-speaking world after a long time."May 29, 2025By Yonhap
