ReviewNCT 127 makes missing members part of Seoul showThe loudest KSPO Dome got on Sunday, where K-pop boy band NCT 127 wrapped the Seoul leg of its "NEO CITY – THE REDLINE" tour, had less to do with anyone standing onstage. Midway through "Ay-Yo," the screens cut to members Doyoung and Jungwoo, both away on military service. Their verses played out on video while the five who were actually there held the floor, as an audience that had already been loud for more than an hour found another register. That turned out to be the logic of the entire show. The fifth tour by the SM Entertainment act, which debuted a decade ago as a nine-piece group, opened with four of those members off the stage — two have left the group, while Doyoung and Jungwoo are serving in the military. Rather than detouring around the gaps, the production kept putting them in front of the crowd. The three-night run, which opened Friday, drew about 31,500 fans. It was the group's first headlining show in Korea in a year and eight months, and the first tour with the five-member lineup of Taeyong, Johnny, Yuta, Jaehyun and Haechan. The night opened with the five strung up o10h agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
BTS, BLACKPINK lead K-pop charge in Best Group race at MTV VMAsK-pop-linked acts make up half of the Best Group race at this year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), with BTS seeking to reclaim a title it held four years running and BLACKPINK looking to defend the trophy it took home last year. MTV announced nominees for four social media vote categories Friday (local time), naming BTS, BLACKPINK, rookie boy group CORTIS and global girl group KATSEYE for Best Group. They will compete against British girl group FLO and U.S. acts Fuerza Regida, Geese and Twenty One Pilots. The addition brings BTS' nomination tally to three for the event, following earlier nods for Song of the Year and Best K-pop for "SWIM," the lead track of its fifth studio album, "ARIRANG." The septet won Best Group four consecutive times from 2019 to 2022, the most by any act in the category's history. CORTIS also has three nominations. Last month, the group earned its first-ever VMA nods for Best New Artist and for Best K-pop with April's "REDRED." The five-member group, which launched just over a year ago, is the most recently debuted act in the Best Group lineup. KATSEYE received f16h agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
Stray Kids' Bang Chan donates $143,915 for rehabilitation patients, Nepal reliefBang Chan of K-pop boy band Stray Kids has donated 200 million won ($143,915) to help patients requiring rehabilitation and support Nepal flood relief efforts, his agency said Saturday. JYP Entertainment said that Bang has delivered 100 million won each to the Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital and the Korean Committee for UNICEF. The funds will be used to establish rehabilitation centers tailored to the ages and specific medical conditions of patients at the hospital, and to support UNICEF Korea's flood relief operations in Nepal. "I wanted to offer a little comfort to those going through exhausting and difficult times," Bang said in a release. "I sincerely hope many people can regain their peaceful daily lives as soon as possible." This is not the singer's first charitable contribution. On Oct. 3 last year, marking his birthday, he donated 100 million won to pediatric and adolescent patients and another 100 million won to support children worldwide. Also last year, he contributed funds alongside his bandmates to support recovery efforts for massive forest fires in the Gyeongsang provinces, a1d agoBy Yonhap
BTS, Cortis land 3rd nomination at 2026 MTV Video Music AwardsK-pop supergroup BTS and rookie Cortis have secured a third nomination at this year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), entering the race for Best Group alongside fellow K-pop acts BLACKPINK and Katseye. The additional nominations, announced Friday (U.S time), bring BTS' total to three. The group was previously nominated for Song of the Year and Best K-pop for "Swim," the lead track of its fifth studio album, "ARIRANG." The septet won the category for four consecutive times from 2019 to 2022, making it the most decorated act in the awards' history. Eight acts will compete for Best Group, including the four K-pop acts and British girl group Flo, this year. Cortis was previously nominated for Best New Artist and Best K-pop. The 2026 VMAs will be held on Sept. 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and broadcast live on major U.S. channels. The awards are considered one of the four major music award ceremonies in the United States.1d agoBy Yonhap
Why did Perry leave YG? Former 1TYM member's cryptic comments resurfaceFormer 1TYM member Song Baek-kyung's cryptic comments about producer Perry are drawing renewed attention after a SBS investigative program asked the public for information about the longtime YG Entertainment producer, whose whereabouts have remained unknown for years. Song posted a lengthy message on his social media account in January, reflecting on his relationship with the producer and the abrupt changes he noticed more than two decades ago. "Maybe because I've been getting more submissions lately, a lot of people have been asking me various questions," Song said. "The question that stands out the most — and one that I'm also extremely curious about — is how Perry is doing." Song also hinted that he had an idea why Perry eventually left YG Entertainment, but stopped short of revealing details. "I can roughly guess and read between the lines as to why he left YG, but I can't say it directly myself," he said, adding another layer of mystery to Perry's disappearance from public view. Song recalled that around 2000 to 2002, Perry smoked cigarettes and regularly joined him for nights ou2d agoBy Xportsnews
Singer-actor IU donates $144,436 on debut anniversarySinger-actor IU has donated 200 million won ($144,436) to mark her debut anniversary Friday, her agency said. IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, donated 50 million won each to four organizations, using the name IUaena, a combination of her stage name and the name of her fan community, Uaena, according to Edam Entertainment. The donations, made to charities that include Korea Welfare Services and Habitat for Humanity Korea, will be used to help young patients from low-income families, war veterans and people of merit, it added. Lee has regularly made donations in the name of her fan community on special occasions, including her debut anniversary, birthday and the year-end holiday season. In May, she donated 300 million won on her birthday to organizations supporting patients facing financial difficulties, single-mother households and elderly people living alone.2d agoBy Yonhap
Chungha rushed to emergency room, cancels university festival performanceK-pop singer Chungha was taken to an emergency room early Friday and has canceled a scheduled performance at a university festival. The student council of Kyonggi University's College of Tourism and Culture announced Chungha's absence from the festival on its official social media account Friday. The singer had been scheduled to perform at the university that day. "Early this morning, Chungha was taken to the emergency room due to a health issue and is still receiving treatment there," the student council said. "As a result, it appears that her scheduled performance today will unfortunately not be able to proceed." The council said organizers were working with an agency to find a replacement artist. "We sincerely apologize to the students who had been looking forward to the performance for having to deliver this sudden news," it said. Chungha debuted in 2016 as a member of girl group I.O.I after competing on Mnet's hit audition program, "Produce 101." After the group's activities ended, she launched a solo career. She recently left MORE VISION, the entertainment company founded by rapper a2d agoBy Hankookilbo
BLACKPINK's Rosé drops new single 'New Trick'Rosé of K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK released her new single "New Trick" on Friday, her agency said. The energetic garage-punk track carries a message on overcoming hardship and moving forward with one's own "new trick," according to The Black Label. Amy Allen, who worked on Rose's megahit "APT.," and Andrew Wells, who collaborated with the singer on her song "Stay a Little Longer," co-produced the new track. The music video for "New Trick" was filmed in collaboration with Apple on the occasion of the release of the iPhone 18. It was directed by Dave Meyers who has worked with pop stars Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Ariana Grande.2d agoBy Yonhap
Gov't vows to end outdated dance ban at live music venuesThe government pledged to reform outdated regulations that prohibit dancing at live music venues registered as general restaurants, addressing a long-standing issue that recently sparked outrage across the independent music scene, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young said Wednesday. Speaking at the fourth advisory committee meeting for popular music policy in Seoul, the minister emphasized the urgent need to revise the Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act. "We need to bring this issue into the public discourse and resolve it once and for all," Choi said during the meeting. "Instead of avoiding the discussion as in the past, we must not miss this opportunity to update regulations that no longer align with reality." The policy discussion was brought up when Ovantgarde, a live music venue in Busan, was slapped with a temporary shutdown for two months due to allegations it allowed patrons to dance during a band's performance. Under current food sanitation regulations, establishments registered as general restaurants are strictly prohibited from allowing customers tSep 17, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Cortis' 'GreenGreen' tops 4 mil. copies in salesK-pop boy group Cortis has surpassed 4 million copies in sales with its second EP, "GreenGreen," becoming the second act to reach the milestone in Korea this year, its agency said Thursday. BigHit Music said the EP has sold over 4.1 million copies, based on the latest data from the weekly Circle Chart. The only other release to exceed the 4 million mark in Korea this year is BTS' fifth studio album "Arirang." According to Hanteo Chart data, "GreenGreen" began its highly successful run by selling more than 2.3 million copies during its debut week in May. BigHit Music attributed the robust sales to sustained listener interest in the EP's tracks, particularly the lead single, "RedRed," and the B-side, "YoungCreatorCrew." The record's popularity has also extended well beyond Korea. "GreenGreen" debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and has remained on the chart for 18 consecutive weeks as of mid-September. Cortis' debut EP, "Color Outside the Lines," released in September 2025, has also maintained strong sales, adding about 1 million copies this year alone to its sales total of around 2.Sep 17, 2026By Yonhap
