KTO under fire for using NewJeans product created with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami

The Korea Tourism Organization has come under fire for offering a promotional product created by NewJeans, its honorary ambassadors, in collaboration with Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami as part of its tourism event that launched July 11. Although the merchandise itself is not tied to any political issue, critics contend that the organization should promote products related to Korean culture, given its role in representing the country’s tourism interests. The controversy involves the

K-popJuly 17, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez to drop 4th single in Japan

Ateez will release its fourth single in Japan “Birthday” on Oct. 2, agency KQ Entertainment announced Wednesday. It will consist of six tracks including the lead track of the same title. The upcoming single album comes about seven months after the previous Japanese single “Not Okay,” which topped Oricon’s daily single and weekly combined single rankings before earning platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan in February. The band also

K-popJuly 17, 2024

Price of stardom?

Behind K-pop's rapid growth and immense popularity, there is a persistent, chronic problem that follows fame: Stalkers, often called "sasaeng" in Korea. "I am not sasaeng. I am just a genuine fan who really loves NCT," said an 18-year-old girl who wished to remain anonymous. She claims that all her actions are out of sincere support and love -- taking taxis to follow her favorite singer as he goes about his day and waiting for hours at the airport to take photos of the g

K-popJuly 17, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin crowns band with iTunes record

Jimin of BTS swept the iTunes Top Songs chart in all 119 regions with the solo track “Filter.” The track is off the band’s fourth studio album “Map of the Soul: 7” which was rolled out in February 2020, making BTS the first group to top the chart in all regions. The artist already has three more songs of his own that did so – “Like Crazy,” “Closer Than This” and “With You.” “Like Crazy” is the main track from hi

K-popJuly 16, 2024

K-pop boy bands losing allure as career choice

Becoming a K-pop star was once among the top dreams for boys and girls in Korea. While many girls still aspire to this dream, however, boys are increasingly turning away from the aspiration, as they become more aware of the hard reality of becoming a K-pop star. Trainees often undergo three to five years of rigorous training and must compete fiercely for a slim chance to debut. Even if they achieve stardom, they often lose their personal lives in the process. K-pop agencies report difficulties i

K-popJuly 16, 2024

Kara unveils new song ‘Hello’ featuring all six members

Legendary K-pop girl group Kara dropped a new song, “Hello,” on Tuesday. The song is a Side-B track from its upcoming digital single album, “I Do I Do,” set for release on July 24. “Hello” is a ballad number that sings about the happiness people experience when meeting new someone new and the sadness of bidding farewell. “This song was supposed to be included in the group’s fourth LP, ‘Full Bloom,’ released in September 2013. But we are

K-popJuly 16, 2024

[Herald Review] Infinite hints at new album at fan meeting

Veteran boy band Infinite held emotionally charged fan meetings Saturday and Sunday, the first in seven years. "Infinite Rally 4," two standalone fan meetings, took place over the weekend at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. Fan meetings are similar to regular concerts but include more interaction between the artists and the audience. The meetings were the first in which all six members of the group took part in seven years. Across two days, about 20,000 seats were sold out. The perf

PerformanceJuly 16, 2024

Taeyang to hold first concert in 7 years

Singer Taeyang will be holding his first solo concerts in seven years in August. The singer's agency, The Black Label, revealed the poster for Taeyang's solo concert, "Taeyang 2024 Tour The Light Year in Seoul," through its official social media channels. The upcoming concert will be held Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park. The solo concert marks Taeyang's first concert in about seven years since his second world tour, "White Night," in 201

K-popJuly 16, 2024

Viral short-form videos help Hallyu-related brands expand overseas: TikTok white paper

The Hallyu market formed with Korean Wave-influenced products and services is forecast to grow to $143 billion in the US, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam by 2030 with additional unrealized headroom of $55 billion, according to TikTok. The forecast represents an 87 percent growth from the current $76 billion spent on Korean products and services in those four countries. TikTok Korea held a press conference Monday in Seoul to review its white paper entitled “Hallyu in the Digital Age: Short

K-popJuly 15, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Taeyang to host solo concert after 7 years

Taeyang announced Monday that he will hold a solo concert in Seoul on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 via agency The Black Label. It will be his first standalone gig in seven years and the Seoul show will be followed by a tour in Asia. The veteran musician brought out his second solo EP “Down to Earth” last year which included “Vibe,” “Shoong!” and “Seed.” “Vibe” was a collaboration with Jimin of BTS and hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 76 and

K-popJuly 15, 2024

Former Japanese K-pop idol apologizes for working at cabaret

Haru, a Japanese performer formerly of K-pop girl group Nature, apologized Sunday for causing worry among her fans. The apology came after news broke in April that she was working as a "kyabajo," or a host at a cabaret in Japan. In a handwritten letter posted on her social media account, Haru expressed mixed feelings, acknowledging the heartbreak the news might have caused for Nature’s fan club, known as Leaf. "At 18, I came to Korea alone without knowing the language and de

K-popJuly 15, 2024

Ador rejected Grammy Museum's offer of 'prime spot' for NewJeans: report

The uneasy relationship between Hybe and Min Hee-jin, the CEO of its subsidiary Ador, continues with the agency behind popular K-pop group NewJeans reported to have rejected the Grammy Museum’s offer of the "best spot" at the upcoming Hybe exhibition in Los Angeles running from Aug. 2 to Sept. 15. The Grammy Museum, an institution devoted to the history and winners of the Grammy Awards, offered Ador a prime spot for NewJeans in March, according to local media Monday. The organize

K-popJuly 15, 2024

RM's second studio album named ‘Best K-Pop Album of 2024’ by Billboard staff

"Right Place, Wrong Person," the second album of RM, the leader of BTS, was named the “Best K-Pop Album of 2024 (So Far)” by Billboard, according to Hybe on Saturday, highlighting RM's ongoing success and influence as a solo artist. Released in May, "Right Place, Wrong Person" debuted at No.5 on the Billboard 200, making RM the first K-pop solo artist to have two consecutive albums in the Top 5. The album reached No.37 on the UK Official Albums Chart, setting

K-popJuly 14, 2024

Enhypen's second LP sells 1.88 million copies on release day

K-pop boy group Enhypen has broken its own first-week sales record by selling more than 1.88 million copies of its second full-length album, a market tracker said Saturday. Sales of the album, titled "Romance: Untold," reached 1,883,143 units on Friday alone, the day of its release, according to Hanteo Chart, a leading local album sales tracker. It broke the group's previous record of 1.87 million copies set in November last year with its latest EP, "Orange Blood." The

K-popJuly 13, 2024

BTS' Jin to carry Olympic torch near Louvre Museum on Sunday: reports

Jin of K-pop supergroup BTS will be the first torchbearer in the Louvre Museum section of the 2024 Paris Olympics torch relay in Paris this weekend, according to local news outlets specializing in Olympic news. The South Korean singer is expected to begin carrying the flame at the Louvre Pyramid at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The French domestic torch relay, which began May 8 in Marseille, southern France, has been under way for more than two months. The torch is scheduled to arrive in Paris o

K-popJuly 13, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice surpasses 500m views with debut music video

The music video for Twice’s debut song reached 500 million views on YouTube Thursday, label JYP Entertainment said Friday. It is the group’s eighth music video to reach the milestone, following “TT,” “Likey,” “What Is Love?,” “Fancy,” “Cheer Up,” “I Can’t Stop Me” and “Feel Special.” The group debuted in October 2015 with “Ooh-Ahh” which was the main track on its debut EP “The

K-popJuly 12, 2024

Enhypen heralds sweet romance with second studio album 'Romance: Untold'

K-pop sensation Enhypen marked a triumphant return to the music scene with the release of its second studio album, “Romance: Untold,” at a showcase event held at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Seoul on Thursday. Returning with a full-length album after nearly two years and nine months, the K-pop septet expressed gratitude to fans for their unwavering support and patience. “We prepared this album with a determination to present a complete work to the fans who have waited

K-popJuly 12, 2024

BBC to unveil entertainment series encapsulating launch of British K-pop boy group this summer

BBC is airing the entertainment series “Made in Korea: The K-pop Experience” this summer, encapsulating the process of launching a British K-pop boy group under the K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. SM Entertainment partnered with the British entertainment company Moon&Back to launch the upcoming five-member boy group. The six-episode series follows the members being brought together by Moon&Back and the K-pop training they underwent with SM Entertainment. SM Entertainment a

K-popJuly 12, 2024

Unis to return next month with new single ‘Curious’

K-pop girl group Unis is making a comeback in August. According to F&F Entertainment, Unis is introducing its new single “Curious” on Aug. 6. Unis is a K-pop girl group comprising eight finalists from the SBS audition program “Universe Ticket” that debuted with its first mini album “We Unis” in March. The album sold more than 55,000 copies just within five days of its release. Unis recently won the Asia Star Award at the 2024 Korea Best Brand Awards held i

K-popJuly 12, 2024

Enhypen embraces sweet romance with 2nd studio album

K-pop boy group Enhypen embraced a new musical direction, unveiling a bright and romantic song from its upcoming album "Romance: Untold," which captures the heartfelt confessions of a young boy. Set for release on Friday at 1 p.m., the second full-length album from the group follows its fifth EP, "Orange Blood," released last November. "We've released many dark songs in the past, so it feels unfamiliar and nerve-wracking to return with a bright and sweet song as

K-popJuly 11, 2024