Seventeen ranks 7th on Billboard's midyear top tours chartK-pop boy band Seventeen ranked seventh among the world's top-earning musical acts by touring revenue in a biannual chart released by Billboard, the group's agency said Monday. Seventeen earned $88 million and drew some 574,000 concertgoers through 25 concerts during the six-month tracking period ending March 31, Pledis Entertainment said, citing the Billboard report released last week. The K-pop act launched its worldwide tour "NEW_" in September last year and wrapped up its monthslong run with an encore concert in Incheon, west of Seoul, in April. Among other K-pop groups, TWICE and Tomorrow X Together ranked 12th and 15th, respectively. Lady Gaga topped the midyear list with $236.2 million, followed closely by Bad Bunny with $230.3 million, according to the report.Jun 1, 2026By Yonhap
13 years after debut, BTS stages triumphant return to where it beganBTS will celebrate its 13th debut anniversary as a full group with the return of BTS FESTA — an annual two-week festival where the group rolls out rare music and digital content as a gift to its global fan base — unveiling a packed schedule of events alongside a pair of highly anticipated, sold-out stadium concerts in Busan later this month. The group released the timetable for “2026 BTS FESTA” through its official social media channels Sunday, outlining nearly two weeks of carefully curated archival events leading up to its June 13 debut anniversary. This year’s theme, “13(B)TS,” underscores a symbolic new chapter beyond the group’s first 12 years, framing a narrative of BTS and its global fan base, ARMY, embarking on their next collective era together. The festival begins Wednesday with the release of the group’s annual family photo, a signature anniversary tradition dating back to 2014. A performance video for “Hooligan,” a standout track from the group’s fifth full-length album “ARIRANG,” will follow Thursday. Additional documentary-style content, includJun 1, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
CORTIS makes it to Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia listK-pop boy group CORTIS has made it to Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2026, the youngest Korean act and the only K-pop boy group on this year's roster. The group earned a spot in the Entertainment and Sports category less than nine months after its debut, recognized in part for its collaborative approach to music, choreography and visual content production. Also named in the same category were K-pop girl groups NMIXX and I-dle, as well as dancer and choreographer Leejung Lee. The annual list recognizes individuals and teams under 30 who have demonstrated significant influence across the Asia-Pacific region. This year's selection involved Forbes Asia reporters, editors and expert panelists who vetted roughly 4,000 candidates across 10 categories. The recognition comes as CORTIS is riding the commercial success of its second mini-album, "GREENGREEN," released May 4. The album sold more than 2.3 million copies in its first week, according to Circle Chart, ranking second in first-week sales among K-pop releases this year behind BTS' "ARIRANG." The album's lead single, "REDRED," sMay 31, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS shows in N. America draw 840,000 concertgoers: agencyK-pop group BTS has drawn 840,000 fans across 15 performances in five cities on the North American leg of its world tour, the group's agency said Saturday. The seven-member act performed sold-out shows recently in Tampa, El Paso, Stanford and Las Vegas in the United States, as well as Mexico City in Mexico, as part of its "Arirang" world tour, according to BigHit Music. Due to overwhelming demand, the group put on extra shows in Tampa, Stanford and Las Vegas, which all sold out. BTS began the world tour last month to mark its comeback after a near four-year hiatus as members fulfilled South Korea's mandatory military service for men. U.S.-based Billboard reported that BTS grossed $76.2 million and sold 417,000 tickets in its eight shows in Goyang, South Korea, Tokyo and Tampa in April, making it the highest-grossing tour last month. BTS's next world tour performance will take place June 12-13 in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan.May 30, 2026By Yonhap
G-Dragon's 'like' seen as show of support for Kim Soo-hyunA simple social media "like" from K-pop star G-Dragon has sparked online discussion after he appeared to support a statement released by actor Kim Soo-hyun's agency, only to later remove the reaction. Screenshots circulating on Korean online communities Thursday showed G-Dragon had liked an Instagram post summarizing a statement from Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist. The statement addressed allegations that Kim had dated late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. The claims, which had been raised by the controversial YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, were found to be false following an investigation, according to the agency. "Kim Soo-hyun promised at a press conference a year ago that he would not ask people to simply trust him but would prove the truth," the agency said. "The past year has been devoted solely to keeping that promise. Through legal procedures and a thorough investigation, the truth has finally been established. We sincerely thank everyone who believed in and waited for Kim Soo-hyun." G-Dragon's apparent endorsement of the post quickly divided opinion online. SoMay 30, 2026By Xportsnews
TWICE member Jihyo’s youngest sister to debut in K-pop girl group under HYBEPark Seo-yeon, the youngest sister of TWICE member Jihyo, is drawing attention after appearing in teaser videos for ABD’s upcoming girl group project. ABD, a newly launched HYBE label, opened its official social media accounts on May 26 and released six short-form videos introducing its first girl group, which is expected to debut in the second half of this year. Several prospective members briefly appeared in the videos, but Park drew particular attention because of her family connection to Jihyo. In the clips, Park's distinct facial features reminded viewers of her older sister. Born in 2008, she is known to have spent years training ahead of her debut. Her expected debut would make all three sisters in Jihyo’s family active in the entertainment industry. Jihyo, the eldest, has built global popularity as the main vocalist of TWICE, while the second sister, Lee Ha-eum, has been pursuing an acting career, mainly through web dramas. With Park now preparing to debut as a girl group member, the family is drawing attention as a trio of entertainers. ABD’s teasers also hinted at the labeMay 28, 2026By Xportsnews
Aespa squeezes out sophomore studio album with star-studded 'LEMONADE'K-pop girl group aespa is bottling adversity into a dance track. The group's second studio album, "LEMONADE," drops Friday, anchored by a synth-heavy eponymous title track built around the idiom "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The four-member group — Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning — met with the press Thursday afternoon at a hotel in Seoul's Songpa district, a day ahead of the album's 1 p.m. release. The 11-track album follows aespa's 2024 debut full-length album "Armageddon," which produced two major hits in the title track of the same name and prerelease single "Supernova." SM Entertainment, the group's label, said the new record features songs "that add to the listening experience through music capturing sincere emotions and attitudes toward life, each in its own genre and mood." "The new studio album carries a lot of meaning for us," Karina said. "So many people showed love for our first one, so we've been preparing with both pressure and excitement. We put a great deal of thought into what to show people. I think we'll be able to show how much we've grown." The tMay 28, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS’ Jung Kook has Instagram account suddenly suspended, fans baffled by ‘intellectual property’ claimJung Kook of BTS revealed that his Instagram account was abruptly suspended, leaving both the singer and fans confused after the platform cited alleged violations of intellectual property policies. On May 27, Jung Kook shared a screenshot through his TikTok account showing a notice from Instagram saying his account had been disabled. The message read, “JK, your account has been suspended,” adding that the account would be permanently disabled if a review was not requested within 180 days. Instagram also cited the reason for the suspension as activity that did not comply with its terms regarding intellectual property, including trademark-related policies. Jung Kook did not provide additional explanation and instead uploaded only the screenshot itself, accompanying it with question marks that appeared to signal confusion over the suspension. The unexpected notice quickly spread across online communities, with fans questioning why one of the world’s biggest pop stars would suddenly face account restrictions. Jung Kook had previously deleted his original personal Instagram account beforeMay 28, 2026By Xportsnews
Gov't vows to tackle tourist overcharging ahead of BTS concert in BusanThe government plans to take stern measures against attempts to overcharge tourists at major travel destinations, the finance ministry said Thursday, amid concerns over price gouging by accommodations in Busan ahead of K-pop megagroup BTS' concerts. The Ministry of Finance and Economy made the announcement during a task force meeting with relevant ministries amid concerns that some hotels in the southeastern port city of Busan are excessively overcharging visitors ahead of the much anticipated event set for next month. "During the meeting, participants discussed measures to root out unfair activities, such as canceling reservations, charging excessive prices and failing to comply with posted rates," the ministry said in a release. The government said it will secure alternative rooms in neighboring cities by utilizing universities, religious facilities and publicly operated dormitories to offer budget or free accommodations in line with the concerts, with the information set to be posted on Busan's official tourism website. In early June, a joint government investigation team, including oMay 28, 2026By Yonhap
BTS' 'ARIRANG' stays in top 10 of Billboard 200 for 9th straight weekK-pop megastar BTS remained in the top ranks of the Billboard 200 for the ninth consecutive week with the group's latest album, "ARIRANG." The group's fifth studio album ranked No. 10 in the latest tracking week, down two spots from the previous week, according to the chart posted on Billboard's website Wednesday (U.S. time). The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States. "ARIRANG" previously made history as the first album by a K-pop act to spend three weeks at No. 1 following its release in March. Led by the lead single "Swim," the 14-track album marks the band's first release after a four-year hiatus caused by its members' mandatory military service. "Swim" placed 55th on the Hot 100 chart, Billboard's main singles chart. Meanwhile, HYBE's Japan-based boy band &TEAM entered the Billboard 200 for the first time, ranking No. 52 with "We On Fire." On the Hot 100, "Dracula," a song by Australian psychedelic rock project Tame Impala featuring BLACKPINK's Jennie, ranked No. 25, according to Billboard.May 28, 2026By Yonhap
