Former K-pop idol walks 155 km after group disbands, wins support from 500,000 viewersFormer ARrC member Hyunmin is drawing widespread support online after documenting a 155-kilometer walk from Seoul to Jecheon following the disbandment of his K-pop group, with the emotional video surpassing 500,000 views in less than a week. A video, titled "22 years old, I quit being an idol and walked 155 km from Seoul to Jecheon," was uploaded to the YouTube channel @Gwangjincityboyy on July 7. The video opens with the narration, "The group disbanded two weeks ago." Hyunmin, who began training to become an idol at the age of 14, reflected on his eight-year journey toward his dream. He appeared on Mnet's survival audition show “Boys Planet” in 2023 before debuting with rookie boy group ARrC in August 2024. The group disbanded after less than two years. "I decided to walk while looking back on the eight years during which I dreamed a happy dream, from the age of 14 to 22," Hyunmin said. His destination was a railway bridge in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, featured in acclaimed Korean director Lee Chang-dong's film “Peppermint Candy.” Referring to the film's iconic line, "IJul 14, 2026By Xportsnews
'Dracula' featuring Jennie reaches new peak on Billboard 100"Dracula," a collaborative single between Jennie of the K-pop girl group BLACKPINK and Australian act Tame Impala, rose to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, its highest position to date, Billboard said Tuesday (U.S. time). The track advanced three spots from No. 8 the previous week, also becoming Jennie's highest-charting entry on the Hot 100 since her debut. Originally released as a solo track by Tame Impala in October, "Dracula" gained renewed traction after a remix featuring Jennie was released in February, going viral on short-form video platforms and climbing up the rankings. Jennie's three recent consecutive headlining runs at major European festivals, including the 2026 Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, have also helped boost her global chart performance. Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" maintained the top spot on the chart for the 13th consecutive week.Jul 14, 2026By Yonhap
Boy band idntt expands to 20 members with new unit, album 'itsnotover'Multi-member K-pop boy group idntt has expanded its lineup to 20, adding five new members to its two previously debuted units with the release of its new album "itsnotover" on Monday. The album marks the birth of a new unit of the same name, building on the narrative idntt established through its earlier units, unevermet and yesweare. Where the two captured the butterflies and confidence of youth, "itsnotover" unleashes a youthful spirit that refuses to end. The newly assembled 20 members gathered at BlueSquare Theater in Seoul's Yongsan District, Monday afternoon, to announce the launch of the new unit and the album's release, sharing their thoughts on debuting and their plans for the promotion cycle. The five members of itsnotover who took their first debut stage that day — Kwak Gi-woong, Kim Eun-sung, Cho Eun-chan, Yang Gyung-ho and Lee Joo-heon — revealed that, true to its name, the unit does not end at five. "Just like our team name, we wanted to give fans a sense of anticipation that never ends," Kim Eun-sung said. "The identities of four more itsnotover members have yet to beJul 13, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Bill to pre-screen music harmful to minors sparks censorship fearsA proposed bill requiring music distributors to screen song lyrics before release is sparking censorship concerns, with critics questioning how far the state should be allowed to go in policing creative content. The amendment to the Music Industry Promotion Act was submitted last week by Rep. Kim Hyun and nine other lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The bill would require music distributors to pre-screen all tracks to determine whether they contain content harmful to minors before release. If any song is judged harmful and its creator is under 19, the distributor must block the track from release altogether. If the artist is an adult, the distributor must notify them that the track may be designated harmful to youth in advance, which would restrict it to adult listeners only. Under the current system, songs containing sexually explicit, violent or hateful content can be designated harmful to youth after release, which bans minors from accessing them and limits distribution. The Youth Protection Committee under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reviews content dJul 13, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Seventeen renews contracts as full group with Pledis for 2nd timeAll 13 members of K-pop boy band Seventeen have agreed to renew their contracts with Pledis Entertainment for the second time, the agency said Monday, marking a rare full-group renewal in the industry. Pledis Entertainment said the group had "reached a mutual agreement" to extend their management contracts with the company. Members who are not currently serving in the military have completed the signing process, while those enlisted will finalize their contracts in line with their service schedules, the company added. "We are delighted to share this good news with Carats," the group said in a release, referring to its fan base. "With the belief that there is nothing we cannot achieve together and a shared desire to go further as a team, all 13 of us have come to an agreement to continue to work together." In the K-pop industry, an idol group is typically structured around an initial contract of up to seven years in line with the Fair Trade Commission's standard contract for entertainers. Many groups fail to retain their original lineups or disband after the first contract period as membJul 13, 2026By Yonhap
K-pop singer Sung Han-bin marks debut with $66,000 charity donationSinger Sung Han-bin is marking the third anniversary of his debut with a donation of 100 million won ($66,300) to support children and teenagers from vulnerable families, turning a personal milestone into an effort to help others pursue their dreams. His agency said Monday that Sung donated the funds to Good Neighbors on Thursday to commemorate his third debut anniversary. The donation will support the nonprofit organization's Hope Sharing Dream Support Program, which provides career education and scholarships to children and adolescents facing economic hardship. The program is designed to help young people continue pursuing their educational and career goals without giving up because of financial difficulties. According to the agency, Sung decided to make the donation as a way of expressing gratitude to fans who have supported him throughout his career. The agency said Sung wanted to share the encouragement he received while pursuing his own dream with children and teenagers who need support to build their futures. Sung debuted in 2023 after appearing on Mnet's survival audition program "Jul 13, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
BTS leaves fans hunting for London Korean restaurant after post-show feastAfter wrapping up two sold-out concerts in London, BTS reunited for a relaxed team dinner that quickly caught fans' attention — not because of the stage, but because of what was on the table. On Saturday, V shared a series of photos on social media with the short caption "GB." The images showed all seven BTS members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — gathered around a table at a Korean restaurant after completing the London leg of their world tour. Having changed into casual clothes after the concerts, the group posed while enjoying a traditional Korean meal featuring grilled pork belly, along with soybean paste stew and other Korean dishes. The photos quickly drew attention online, with fans expressing envy over the restaurant visit as well as curiosity about its location. "That restaurant just hit the jackpot," one fan said, while another said, "I want to know where it is." BTS performed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on July 6 and 7 as part of its ongoing “ARIRANG” world tour. This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited byJul 13, 2026By Xportsnews
InterviewARMY's greatest strength is resilience: scholar on BTSWhen online communities grow large enough, conflict is almost inevitable. Anonymous interactions, differing expectations and cultural divides can fracture even the most devoted fandoms. Yet one global community continues to defy that pattern, according to Lee Ji-heng, assistant professor in the Department of K-Entertainment at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) and a scholar of fandom studies. "ARMY's greatest strength is not its organization or ability to mobilize," Lee, referring to the BTS fandom, told The Korea Times in a written interview. "It is its resilience." It is a striking claim, given that organization is precisely what ARMY is best known for. Formed in 2013, shortly after BTS' debut under what was then a little-known agency, the fandom has grown from a modest local fan club into arguably the most influential fan community in popular music. Over the years, it has powered record-breaking streaming, voting campaigns and even coordinated charity drives. Yet like any other online-based community, ARMY experiences its share of conflict. For all its reputation of maturity, Lee acknJul 12, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
From 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' to chill, CORTIS captures K-pop's new moodSomething about CORTIS just hits differently from other K-pop groups. There is no sophisticated fictional universe or elaborate lore surrounding the members. No mystique designed to keep fans on edge. No metallic beats dominating their music. Much of the formula that has come to define K-pop is conspicuously absent from CORTIS. The decision to take a different path came from a bold acceptance of the fact that conventional methods, such as building elaborate lore around a group, could take CORTIS only so far in expanding its fan base. And it paid off. People in their 40s and 50s, a generation that has largely remained outside the core K-pop fandom, suddenly began to notice the group and, more importantly, like it. To some, CORTIS represents change itself. The most high-profile figure to make that connection was newly appointed Prime Minister Han Sung-sook, who quoted the group’s lyrics while pledging the change she intended to bring to the country. The obvious question, then, is what exactly about CORTIS has won over so many middle-aged listeners and led them to embrace the group as a syJul 11, 2026By Hankookilbo
Why is coed K-pop group KARD ending its journey?KARD, one of the few coed groups in the current K-pop landscape, will end its 10-year run the way it spent most of it — as an exception. The quartet filled venues across Europe and the Americas for years, yet never converted that momentum into comparable recognition at home. The first full-length album of its career, out July 28, will also be its last. DSP Media announced Monday that the group will disband after releasing "Where To Now? (Part.2): NOWHERE" and wrapping a final world tour, closing a journey that began with the pre-debut single "Oh NaNa" in December 2016. "After careful discussions with all four members, we have agreed to conclude KARD's journey following these activities," the agency said, asking fans to support BM, J.Seph, Somin and Jiwoo as they move on to individual careers. That a group could tour the world for a decade before releasing a full-length album says much about how KARD operated, and about the market that barely made room for it. Modern K-pop runs on fandom. Physical album sales, music show votes and concert revenue are driven by "superfans," the deeply engJul 10, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
