NCT WISH debuts wistful new single at Seoul encore, wraps up 1st world tourK-pop boy band NCT WISH unveiled its new song, "Ode to Love," at the Seoul encore of the group's first solo concert tour, closing out a global run with a message of warmth in a cold world. NCT WISH, the newest subunit under K-pop giant SM Entertianment's vast NCT roster, performed at KSPO Dome in Seoul's Olympic Park over three nights from Friday through Sunday, wrapping up "NCT WISH 1st Concert Tour 'Into the Wish: Our Wish,'" a 30-show run spanning 18 cities across the globe that launched last October. The Seoul finale came just days before another major milestone, as the group's debut full-length album, titled "Ode to Love," drops Monday. The 10-track record includes the title single of the same name. Just minutes before the final show on Sunday, the six NCT WISH members, Sion, Jaehee, Riku, Yushi, Ryo and Sakuya, met with press at the concert venue to reflect on the tour's end. "It was a performance where we rode a trolley for the first time and were able to perform up close with our fans worldwide," Sion reflected, thanking the group's fanbase, collectively known as NCTzens, for helApr 19, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS returns to Tokyo after 7 years, draws 110,000 fans over 2 nightsK-pop juggernaut BTS performed to capacity crowds at Tokyo Dome on Friday and Saturday, drawing 110,000 fans over two sold-out nights in the group's return to the venue since July 2019. The shows, part of a world tour tied to the group's latest album “ARIRANG,” marked the septet's return to one of Japan's most prominent concert venues after roughly seven years. Inside the stadium, fans waved light sticks in coordinated patterns that swept across the arena. Crowd chants grew louder during high-energy hip-hop tracks like “Not Today” and “MIC Drop,” with the audience closely tracking the group's delivery throughout the sets. A key moment came during “Body to Body,” the opening track from the group’s latest album. As the song incorporated the melody of the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang,” the crowd began singing along in unison, filling the stadium with a chorus that extended beyond the group’s vocals. In a press release from BigHit Music, HYBE Labels Chairman Bang Si-hyuk had pointed to the possibility of such a moment emerging during the tour. The members appApr 19, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
How long do K-pop agencies house idols? Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon says, 'why leave?' after 19 yearsIn K-pop, it is common for idols to live together in agency-provided dorms during their trainee years and early careers, often moving out once they achieve financial stability or personal independence. But Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon is still living in her agency dorm nearly two decades after debut — and she has a simple question: “Why leave?” In a video released April 17 on the YouTube channel "Halmyungsoo," Hyoyeon appeared as a guest and opened up about her current lifestyle, including her long-running dorm life. “I’ve lived in the dorm for a long time — and I’m still there,” she said, explaining that the arrangement remains comfortable thanks to provided meals and a place to rest. When host Park Myung-soo pointed out that such a setup would allow her to save money, Hyoyeon said, “I think saving is the only way to survive,” prompting laughter. She added that next year will mark her 20th year living in the dorm, leading Park to say it could “go down in idol history.” Hyoyeon herself appeared unfazed by the unusual milestone. “Why should I leave?” she saidApr 18, 2026By Xportsnews
Relative arrested in molestation case sparks online witch hunt over ‘famous girl group’A man identified as a relative of a “famous girl group” member has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, but it is the unnamed idol — not the suspect — who is now at the center of an online guessing game. According to a report by Channel A on April 16, police in Seoul’s Gangnam district arrested a man in his 30s on April 15 after responding to a complaint filed by a livestreaming content creator. The suspect is known only by his surname Kim, but reports that he is related to a member of a well-known K-pop girl group quickly fueled speculation across social media. Police said the man is accused of taking the woman to his home and attempting to sexually assault her. The two reportedly met after he paid for a “meal date ticket,” a controversial practice in Korea’s livestreaming scene where viewers can pay to meet streamers in person. The woman said he promised not to engage in any sexual contact before bringing her to his home, but later attempted to assault her. Police responded after receiving a report from an acquaintance contacted by the woman, who had fled to aApr 18, 2026By Xportsnews
What is BTS eating for preconcert energy boost?Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. BTS has recently unveiled their secret to a quick preconcert energy boost — honey. Photos shared by members V and J-Hope on social media show the group consuming honey while preparing for a recent concert in Goyang. V and J-Hope were seated at a small table backstage, while Jin is seen eating a spoonful honey. The K-pop superstars kicked off their world tour, which spans 85 shows across 34 cities, with concerts held on April 9 and 11–12 at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Their tour stops include cities in Japan, North America, Europe, South America and Asia. With such a demanding schedule, what can be the benefits of consuming honey? Quick source of energy Honey is a natural food known to help boost vitality and support overall health. Its main components are glucose and fructose, and since more than 90 percent of honey is sugar, it is quickly absorbed by the body, making it an immediate source of energy. Honey is also rich in B vitamins, which support energy metabolism and help reduce fatigue. This makes it particularly usefulApr 17, 2026By Kormedi.com
Xdinary Heroes turns goodbyes into new beginnings on 'DEAD AND'What does it mean to say goodbye? For Xdinary Heroes, a six-member band under JYP Entertainment, a goodbye is not the end of the story. It's where the story gets interesting. That idea sits at the core of "DEAD AND," the band's eighth mini-album set for release Friday. The wordplay of the title doubles as a thesis — for the band, a dead end can still become a door to a new start. "An end of a certain chapter may feel literally like a dead end," leader Gunil said during an interview with The Korea Times on Wednesday at a cafe in Seoul's Seongdong District. "But for us, the idea also signals a new beginning." Rather than starting with that phrase, the band built its way toward it. "We worked around the overarching theme of 'farewell,' and once the tracklist was finalized, we chose a title that fit," Gunil said. That theme finds its clearest expression in the album's lead single, "Voyager," selected through an internal vote. Musically, it balances the band's signature intensity with a more accessible structure. "'Voyager' has a sound that fans who like our signature hard style will enjoy, bApr 17, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Big 4 K-pop agencies pushing for joint venture to launch global festivalKorea's top four K-pop agencies — Hybe, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment — are working to establish a joint venture, seen as a move toward creating a global music festival involving their artists. The four agencies, which participate in the music division of the Presidential Committee for Popular Culture Exchange, said Thursday they are "preparing to set up a corporation to advance a 'Fanomenon' event." JYP founder Park Jin-young, the committee's co-chair, introduced the "Fanomenon" initiative in October at the committee's inauguration ceremony in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, explaining that the name combines the words "fan" and "phenomenon." Park also outlined a vision to launch the massive Korean music festival under that name by December 2027, which could rival the U.S.-based Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The agencies described the joint venture as a "model for collaboration designed to explore new possibilities for Korean culture's expansion, including K-pop, in global markets." They said procedures to establish the corporate body are currentlyApr 16, 2026By Yonhap
BTS’ Jin explains absence from ‘ARIRANG’ credits, says 'it was the best choice'BTS member Jin has addressed why his name was missing from the songwriting credits of the group’s latest full-length album “ARIRANG,” saying scheduling conflicts made it the “best choice” at the time. In an interview video released Wednesday with U.S. music publication Rolling Stone, Jin shared behind-the-scenes details about the album and clarified speculation that had circulated among fans following its release. “I haven’t talked about this anywhere else, but the truth is I didn’t write any of the songs,” he said, drawing attention to the fact that his name was absent from the album’s credits — a point that had sparked questions online. At the time of the comeback, BTS members had explained during a livestream that Jin joined the U.S.-based songwriting sessions later than the others due to his solo tour schedule. Still, various theories continued to emerge among fans. Jin said, “I was still on my solo tour at the time. When I arrived at the studio, there were a hundred-something songs already made. So then I test recorded the best of them. And that took about seApr 16, 2026By Hankookilbo
One Hundred Label faces new legal battle over The Boyz concertK-pop agency One Hundred Label is embroiled in a new legal battle over online broadcasting rights just two weeks before K-pop boy band The Boyz' upcoming Seoul concert, adding to the agency's existing contract dispute with the group's members. The Boyz is scheduled to hold its "INTER-ZECTION" concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul from April 24-26. Online streaming ticket sales opened Tuesday. Streaming platform Knowmerce alleged the same day that it holds the exclusive broadcasting contract and had already paid the agency. Knowmerce said One Hundred Label breached the contract and opened ticket sales with a rival firm. To prevent fan confusion, Knowmerce announced it is halting its sales and issuing full refunds to those who already bought streaming tickets. The K-pop label swiftly denied the accusations. Hyun Dong-yeop, an attorney representing One Hundred Label CEO Cha Ga-won, said the agency switched providers because Knowmerce failed to fulfill its contract and had a history of technical instability and poor communication. The agency said the change was necessary to ensure fans receiveApr 16, 2026By Hankookilbo
BLACKPINK's 'Ice Cream' music video surpasses 1 bil. YouTube viewsThe music video for K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's 2020 single "Ice Cream" topped 1 billion views on YouTube on Thursday, its management agency said. "Ice Cream," featuring Selena Gomez, is a bubblegum pop track off "The Album," the group's first studio album. It debuted at No. 13 on Billboard's main singles chart upon its release. The video became the group's 10th with more than 1 billion views, the most for a K-pop act.Apr 16, 2026By Yonhap
