Aespa to drop first Japanese EP on July 24K-pop girl group aespa will release its first Japanese EP, "Kiss N Tell," on July 24, the group's agency SM Entertainment said Thursday. The six-track album will include the title track of the same name, along with five other original Japanese songs. Ahead of the release, the quartet is set to hold a three-day meet-and-greet session for its Japanese fans from July 18 to 20 at Tokyo's Keio Arena. Aespa's second full-length album, "Lemonade," released on May 29, has sold more than 1 million copies.Jul 2, 2026By Yonhap
TWICE brings fans one last summer celebration before world tour finaleK-pop girl group TWICE is giving fans one more reason to celebrate before the curtain falls on its biggest world tour yet, opening a special pop-up store Wednesday to mark the Seoul finale of its sixth world tour, "THIS IS FOR." The pop-up store runs from through July 12 at Plat1399 Studio in Seoul's Gangdong District and celebrates the final stop of the group's world tour, which spans 81 concerts across 44 cities. Designed around TWICE's official characters, TWICE LOVELYS, the venue embraces a bright summer theme with yacht-inspired displays, marine-themed decorations and seasonal props that create a playful atmosphere. Visual elements tied to the Seoul finale are featured throughout the space, allowing visitors to relive moments from the tour while exploring merchandise and interactive exhibits. The first floor is dedicated to official merchandise, while the second floor offers exhibition and hands-on experience zones inspired by the tour. Fans can participate in several interactive events, including the "TALK THAT TALK: LYRIC QUIZ," where those who correctly answer at least seven of niJul 2, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Why Korean music shows are no longer just about K-popKorean music shows are no longer mere promotional platforms for new music releases. Mnet's "M Countdown" recently diversified its programming by bringing musical theater actors, fictional bands from television series and viral content creators to its stage. "M Countdown" is rethinking its role, departing from its traditional format centered on digital music charts and K-pop comeback stages. The shift serves as a strategic response to declining television ratings and shifting media consumption habits, drawing a positive reception from K-pop fans and regular viewers. Music shows previously served as the primary promotional vehicle for new releases. Today, audiences consume music through streaming services and short-form video platforms. Fans also seek out official YouTube channels or fan cams — fan-shot performance videos — on their own schedules, significantly diminishing the exclusive content traditional programs can offer. Viewership for broadcast and cable network music shows has plummeted in recent years. With audiences prioritizing online clips over live television, networks musJul 1, 2026By Hankookilbo
BTS extends Billboard chart run as HYBE artists make strong showingK-pop supergroup BTS continued its long-running presence on the U.S. Billboard's main charts, with its latest album and lead single charting for the 14th consecutive week, while other artists under HYBE also secured multiple entries. According to the latest Billboard charts, BTS' fifth studio album "ARIRANG" held steady at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, unchanged from the previous week. Released in March, the album made K-pop history by becoming the first to spend three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the chart, and has since remained in the top tier. The album's lead track "Swim" ranked No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Other K-pop acts under HYBE's labels also made notable appearances. The collaborative single "Iconic By Mistake" by girl groups Le Sserafim, Illit and Katseye debuted at No. 43 on the Hot 100, while Katseye's "Pinky Up" ranked No. 97. Cortis, a rookie artist under BigHit Music, came in at No. 94 on the Billboard 200 with "GreenGreen." Katseye also placed two additional releases on the chart, with "Beautiful Chaos" at No. 118 and "SIS" at No. 179. ElsJul 1, 2026By Yonhap
Keyveatz debuts with fresh take on girlish hip-hopHip-hop and R&B label AOMG's first-ever girl crew Keyveatz made its official debut Tuesday, dropping its title track "OXY" and staking a claim in one of K-pop's last open spaces — girlish hip-hop. The five-member group — Son Ju-one, Newy, Um Ji-one, Kim Yu-na and Kang Ye-seul — have been deliberate about the "girl crew" label, positioning themselves apart from the typical girl group mold for an identity rooted in "subculture and underground aesthetics." Hours before the release of its debut EP "OXY_GEN," the group met press at YES24 Wanderloch Hall in Seoul, arriving in sharp streetwear but radiating first-day nerves. "I'm incredibly nervous," said Son, the group's leader. "Standing on an official debut stage, I feel excited and anxious all at once. A lot of time and effort went into getting here ... Our slogan is 'Don't miss what's next,' so we're asking you to keep an eye out for us." On what "girl crew" means in practice, the members pushed back against the idea of image as something manufactured. "It's built on attitude, not concept," Kim said. "Creating unpredictable individualJun 30, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
CORTIS faces backlash over late boarding for Paris flightBigHit Music apologized after rookie K-pop group CORTIS were late boarding a flight departing from Paris, saying traffic congestion caused by an accident delayed their arrival at the airport. The agency issued a statement Tuesday following online posts claiming the group’s late arrival Friday delayed the departure and inconvenienced passengers aboard the aircraft. The agency attributed the group's late arrival to traffic delays. An online user claimed the flight had been scheduled to depart at 2:40 p.m. The user alleged the members boarded at 2:45 p.m., which delayed the departure until 3:18 p.m. BigHit Music firmly denied the additional allegations circulating online. The agency explained that images showing the members on a jet bridge were taken last October while returning to Korea from promotional activities in Japan. The agency said the members were not changing clothes, but merely gathering their belongings after all other passengers had disembarked. CORTIS is a five-member group comprising James, Juhoon, Martin, Seonghyeon and Keonho. The act made its debut last August. The caseJun 30, 2026By Hankookilbo
Global BTS conference to explore next chapter of Korean waveAs K-pop juggernaut BTS enters a new era following the release of its latest album, "ARIRANG," scholars from around the world will gather in Korea to examine the group's cultural influence through fandom, technology, politics and globalization. The fifth BTS: A Global Interdisciplinary Conference will take place Thursday and Friday at the International Convention Center of Jeonbuk National University, under the theme "The Next Generation Hallyu & BTS." Hallyu refers to the Korean wave. Hosted by the International Society for BTS Studies (ISBS), the conference will bring together 50 presenters from 10 countries, including Korea, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Mongolia, the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia and Japan. The event is co-organized by Jeonbuk National University's Namwon Glocal Campus Administration, Center for Glocal University Project, department of K-entertainment and Big Movement. Opening the conference, Lee Ji-haeng, professor of K-entertainment at Jeonbuk National University, will deliver the keynote address exploring the cultural significance ofJun 30, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
RESCENE's rise proves small K-pop agencies still have a chanceIn a K-pop landscape where entertainment giants hold most of the cards, one five-member girl group is proving the rules can still be bent. RESCENE is winning over the public through a playbook that looks nothing like conventional K-pop marketing, fueling hope that small agencies still have room to break through, even as industry watchers debate exactly what RESCENE's formula is. RESCENE debuted in March 2024 with the album "Re:Scene" under The Muse Entertainment, a newly formed agency. The multinational lineup, made up of Woni, Liv, Minami, May and Zena, built its identity around an unusual concept: reviving a "scene" through "scent." But without the backing of a major label or a big-budget marketing push, the group struggled for years to make a name for itself. Momentum finally arrived this year through social media. In March, content showing Woni and Minami sporting Japanese "gyaru"-style (a flashy, dramatic Japanese street-fashion look) makeup while touring Woni's rural hometown of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, went immensely viral online. The YouTube moment also sent a spotlightJun 30, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
CORTIS agency vows legal action after GPS tracker found on group’s vehicleBigHit Music is taking legal action over invasive and malicious behavior targeting K-pop boy group CORTIS, including alleged privacy violations by obsessive fans. The agency said Monday in a notice posted on the fan platform Weverse that it regularly files criminal complaints based on round-the-clock monitoring and reports submitted by fans. BigHit Music said it has continued to take firm action against malicious online posts, violations of the artists’ rights, the illegal distribution of flight information and other invasions of privacy or breaches of fan etiquette. “We identified posts and comments across online platforms that infringed upon the artists’ rights,” the agency said. “The latest complaints cover content involving disparagement and insults, the dissemination of clearly false information about the artists and the performance of their albums and songs, as well as maliciously altered images that violate their dignity or cause sexual humiliation.” The agency also said it had gathered evidence against several high-volume accounts accused of illegally selling informatJun 30, 2026By Hankookilbo
K-pop Report Card From meme hooks to industrial pop, here's what defined K-pop's wildest 2 monthsFor K-pop, May and June were gloriously messy. Over the past two months, artists bounced between internet memes and club sounds, nostalgia and reinvention, minimalist production and maximalist spectacle. Veteran acts proved they could still evolve without losing themselves, while younger groups continued searching for sounds they could truly call their own. Some experiments paid off. Others raised more questions than answers. Here's what stood out, or fell flat, in K-pop's latest wave of releases. BABYMONSTER, 'CHOOM' EP — title track released May 4 Verdict: Nearly there BABYMONSTER deserves some credit for refusing to chase trends. The track is unmistakably YG: a throwback packed with production choices that recall the label's glory days, when BLACKPINK, or even 2NE1 before them, defined its identity. The instrumental, in particular, feels lifted from that era, and there's certainly an audience still hungry for that sound. The question is whether nostalgia is the right strategy for one of K-pop's youngest groups. A familiar formula can keep longtime YG fans happy, but whether it's the sJun 30, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
