Beauty creator startup Oddins to showcase cosmetics popup in New York next monthOddins, the Seoul-based new-media startup bridging beauty creators and cosmetics brands, said Friday it will showcase popup store for cosmetics brands Beauty Bakery in New York next month. According to the company, it successfully showcased its first Beauty Bakery popup in Singapore earlier this year, and the New York popup is the second of its kind. The popup will arrive at 21 Greene in New York City for a week starting Dec. 9 and will feature four of the most influential American creators — Evelyn Ha, Erica Ha, Amy Flamy and Haleyybaylee — in collaboration with 20 emerging K-beauty brands. Together, the four creators have more than 40 million subscribers across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. With 15.7 million followers on TikTok, 9.3 million on Instagram and 8.7 million on YouTube, Haleyybaylee, whose real name is Haley Kalil, is a U.S. influencer known for her humor and creativity in beauty. Amy Flamy, one of Korea’s leading creators and TikTok’s 2025 Creator of the Year, has 5.7 million subscribers on TikTok, 2.3 million on Instagram and 595,000 on YouTube. “Their diverse peNov 8, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan
K-pop idols to form Korea’s first labor union, could launch by end of yearFormer Teen Top member Bang Min-su, better known by his stage name C.A.P, has been appointed head of the preparatory committee for Korea’s first-ever idol labor union — a move that could reshape how the K-pop industry addresses artists’ rights. His agency, Moden Berry Korea, said on Friday that Bang is currently serving as chair of the Idol Labor Union Preparatory Committee, which aims to launch within the year. The committee, which submitted its establishment report to the Seongnam branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor in September, seeks to represent and protect the rights of idol singers and other pop culture workers. More than 10 idols have reportedly expressed interest in joining the union, including singer Ailee, who has been confirmed as a public participant. Seo Min-seon, a research fellow at the Democratic Party’s Youth Policy Research Institute, is overseeing the group’s overall preparations and public outreach. In a statement, the preparatory committee stressed that entertainment agencies should be required to adopt standardized protocols to better safeguarNov 8, 2025By Xportsnews
What’s special about the $37,000 postnatal suite popular among Korean celebrities including Lee Si-young?Actress Lee Si-young has welcomed her second child — and the lavish postnatal care center where she is staying is drawing wide attention in Korea. On Wednesday, Lee shared the news on her personal Instagram, writing, “I believe this is a gift from God to a mother. I’ll make sure Jung-yoon (her first son) and Siksiki (the second baby’s nickname) live happily forever.” The accompanying photo showed Lee beaming as she held her newborn daughter in her arms. Soon after her post, Korean media outlets and online communities began buzzing over the facility where she is recovering. The postnatal care center, located in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam District, is also known as the “Ko So-young center,” named after actress Ko So-young who once stayed there with her husband, actor Jang Dong-gun. Over the years, the center has hosted numerous celebrity couples including Lee Min-jung and Lee Byung-hun, Han Ga-in and Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung, Park Shin-hye and Choi Tae-joon, and Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin. With a private garden, luxury furnishings and high-end amenities, the faciNov 6, 2025By Xportsnews
From Sung Si-kyung to BLACKPINK’s Lisa: Stars fall victim to manager scamsThe entertainment industry is reeling once again as another star, veteran singer Sung Si-kyung, revealed he suffered financial losses after being deceived by a longtime manager — reigniting discussion about betrayals of trust between Korean celebrities and their close aides. Sung’s agency SK Jaewon confirmed Monday that his former manager, who had worked with him for over a decade, “committed acts that betrayed the company’s trust while performing official duties.” The individual had overseen concerts, TV appearances, and endorsements since the singer’s previous agency days. According to reports, his misconduct caused financial damages to Sung, partner companies and event organizers. “The past few months have been unbearably painful," Sung later said on his social media account. He said he had tried to maintain normalcy and “pretend to be fine” while continuing his YouTube channel and concerts, but admitted that both his body and voice had suffered. He promised to soon announce whether his year-end concert will go ahead and added that his YouTube content would be pausNov 5, 2025By Xportsnews
From stage to diplomacy: G-Dragon and Cha Eun-woo steal the show at APEC summit galaK-pop icons G-Dragon and Cha Eun-woo stole the spotlight at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting gala in Gyeongju, Oct. 31, blending diplomacy, culture, and star power in a way that left both Korean fans and foreign dignitaries buzzing. The event, held in the Lahan Hotel’s grand ballroom, featured G-Dragon as the only K-pop artist invited to perform at the high-profile dinner attended by heads of state and global executives. Wearing a traditional Korean gat (bamboo hat), the singer-producer took the stage with dynamic live renditions of his hits “Power” and “Home Sweet Home,” commanding the room with his signature charisma. As G-Dragon introduced himself as “the APEC 2025 Korea Ambassador,” the audience — including several world leaders — could be seen filming the performance on their phones and swaying to the beat. Shortly after the show, he shared a behind-the-scenes post on his secondary social media account, captioned “Oh my gat, the real one has arrived,” alongside photos of him in the hat — a playful pun that quickly went viral amongNov 1, 2025By Xportsnews
Song Kang is back — and even his awkward airport poses warm heartsActor Song Kang, sometimes dubbed “Netflix’s son” for his breakout role in “Sweet Home,” made his first official appearance since completing his mandatory military service — and fans couldn’t help but celebrate the return of the “face genius.” On Oct. 31, Song departed for Shanghai through Incheon International Airport to attend an overseas event. Dressed in a brown suede jacket over a black T-shirt and wide denim pants, he completed his relaxed yet polished look with a black backpack and sneakers — a simple but striking display of his signature effortless charm. Despite wearing a mask, Song’s trademark smiling eyes gave away his excitement as he greeted fans. When reporters asked for poses, he quickly flashed a V-sign and a heart, then bashfully laughed at his own awkwardness — a moment that reminded everyone just how long it had been since his last public event. Still, his star quality easily filled the terminal. Song’s return marks the end of his nearly two-year hiatus due to his military service. Fans have been eagerly anticipating his comeback, especiallyNov 1, 2025By Xportsnews
BTS’ Jungkook brings 'Cha Eun-woo' to movie premiereBTS member Jungkook turned heads at the Seoul premiere of the new comedy film “First Ride” — not for his outfit, but for who he brought along. On Oct. 27, Jungkook attended the VIP screening at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul’s Songpa District, carrying a life-sized doll dressed exactly like his close friend, Cha Eun-woo of ASTRO, who is currently serving in the military. The BTS star playfully lifted the doll’s hand to make it appear as if Cha was greeting the cameras, even hugging it in front of the photo wall. Fans and reporters alike laughed at the unexpected yet heartwarming gesture — a display of friendship that instantly went viral on social media. During the event, Jungkook told reporters, “When Eun-woo and I were in our early twenties, we used to hang out a lot. He said he filmed this movie thinking about those days. I’ll try to enjoy it with that same feeling.” He added a heartfelt message for his friend, saying, “I hope he stays healthy and completes his service safely.” Cha Eun-woo enlisted for active duty on July 28 and is currently serving in the ArmOct 28, 2025By Xportsnews
Taiwanese K-pop star who refused Photoshop draws praise from fansShuhua of K-pop girl group i-dle has once again drawn attention for her honesty — this time by publicly revealing that her selfie was Photoshopped without her consent. The controversy began when a photo of Shuhua was posted online with retouching. According to reports, the editing was done not by the singer herself, but by her agency, Cube Entertainment. On the fan communication platform Bubble, Shuhua shared the original photo and wrote, “This is the original. The company weirdly Photoshopped it, and I got mad, so I told them not to do it again.” She added, “I personally checked and sent the final photos, but suddenly it turned out like this. These are pictures for Neververs (the fandom), and I told them not to send strange ones. Why would you give fans a photo I don’t even like myself?” While most celebrities prefer light digital retouching to enhance their appearance, Shuhua’s refusal to alter her looks won her even more praise from fans. Comments flooded online platforms calling her “so true to herself” and “the most authentic idol in K-pop.” Known for her naturaOct 27, 2025By Xportsnews
Kim Soo-hyun fights back against ‘false evidence’ in scandal tied to late Kim Sae-ronActor Kim Soo-hyun has launched a full-scale counteroffensive against YouTuber Kim Sae-ui and the late actress Kim Sae-ron’s family, accusing them of spreading false claims about his alleged underage relationship with Kim. Kho Sang-rock, Kim’s legal representative, released a video on his YouTube channel on Monday titled “Official stance on the GaroSero case — fabricated evidence, distorted truth,” where he systematically disputed the claims that fueled the controversy. “This incident began when Kim Sae-ui based his accusations on a false statement left by the late Kim Sae-ron,” Kho said. “He used photos taken when the two were adults and falsely presented them as proof of a relationship during her teenage years.” He added, “Kim Sae-ui claimed he had thousands of photos but has yet to show even one.” Kho publicly questioned both Kim Sae-ui and Kim Sae-ron’s family to “explain on what grounds they concluded that the KakaoTalk conversations from June 2016 and April 13, 2018, involved Kim Soo-hyun.” He alleged that the GaroSero Institute fabricated evidence by plaOct 27, 2025By Xportsnews
From G-Dragon’s medals to Seungri’s scandals: 2 faces of BIGBANG’s legacyOnce sharing the spotlight as part of one of K-pop’s most iconic groups, G-Dragon and Seungri are now making headlines for very different reasons. On Oct. 23, G-Dragon received the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit, Korea’s second-highest honor in the arts, at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. The medal recognizes artists who have made exceptional contributions to the nation’s culture, spanning fields from music and performance to film and broadcasting. G-Dragon, celebrated for writing many of BIGBANG’s biggest hits as well as a decorated solo career, became the award’s youngest recipient. In his acceptance speech, he said, “When I was young, I admired singers so much — and I still do. I’m proud to be a singer, and I love what I do.” Reflecting on his journey, he added, “The seniors who inspired me were like shining stars every night. I grew up listening to their songs, and now I’ve become one of those stars. Next year marks BIGBANG’s 20th anniversary, and I want to share this honor with my members.” BIGBANG, formed under YG Entertainment in 2006, reshaped tOct 25, 2025By Xportsnews
