One of the issues raised by CEO Min Hee-jin of Ador, the K-pop agency behind the popular girl band NewJeans under Hybe, during her teary press conference on April 25, was that Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk was treating her K-pop quintet poorly. Parents of NewJeans members also revealed in an interview with a local media outlet in May that Bang had regularly ignored the band when they greeted him at the company’s headquarters in Seoul, even before the controversy arose. Hybe denied claims that

K-pop July 5, 2024

Billboard Korea’s much-anticipated June inaugural issue has yet to hit the stands, with some speculating the launch has been delayed to August. "Billboard K Vol.1 is scheduled to be published in June. With the release of Billboard K Vol.1, you can consider our official launch to have begun,” Billboard Korea CEO and publisher Kim Yuna said at a press conference marking the launch of the magazine on April 15. However, June has come and gone with no sign of the inaugural issue. And

K-pop July 4, 2024

Since all Blackpink members terminated their solo contracts with YG Entertainment last year to embark on their individual paths, Lisa became the first among the four to release a new single. Titled “Rockstar,” it dropped on June 28 in partnership with RCA Records, setting a milestone for the other former members as they pursue their solo careers. The Thai K-pop star kicked off her solo venture with a bang. Her new single instantly ranked 8th on Spotify’s Global Chart in the US

K-pop July 3, 2024

Right after Lisa of Blackpink released her new solo single “Rockstar” on June 28, a heated debate ignited online between Korean and Thai fans about whether the song should be classified as K-pop or Thai pop. Lisa moved to Korea in 2011 at the age of 14 and underwent more than five years of training at YG Entertainment before debuting as a member of what is now K-pop's most successful girl group. Korean fans argue that her identity as a K-pop star justifies calling her new single

K-pop July 3, 2024

K-pop powerhouse Hybe’s much anticipated first multinational K-pop girl group Katseye, formed in collaboration with Geffen Records, is failing to make a name for itself not only in the US, its target market, but also in Korea, the homeland of the genre. The K-pop sextet with only one Korean member, Yoonchae, has been at the center of questions as to whether a K-pop band that is mostly non-Korean could succeed. In the global market, two indicators of popularity and success -- Spotify and iT

K-pop July 2, 2024

Jin of K-pop phenomenon BTS will carry the torch for the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to a local media outlet on Tuesday. The K-pop star will soon depart for France to carry the Olympic flame, but details about the torch relay location and schedule have not been disclosed. The singer's involvement in the torch relay is believed to be due to BTS' popularity worldwide and the group's consistent message of "Love yourself" over the past decade. Jin's agency Big Hit Mu

K-pop July 2, 2024

The time for lenience is over. An increasing number of K-pop artists are taking a stand against hateful comments and rumors by pursuing legal action and declaring they will not settle under any circumstances. Previously, K-pop musicians were eager to hush up rumors about them when they arose -- whether they were true or not -- hoping to avoid trouble as much as possible. Their agencies also believed that taking strong action would only create a "Streisand effect" -- making the rumors b

K-pop July 1, 2024

Seventeen became the first K-pop group to perform on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on Friday, setting a significant milestone for K-pop while showcasing the genre’s growing influence. The 13-member band captivated the audience for an hour on the Pyramid Stage with a powerful set that began with Woozi's keyboard solo before launching into hits like "Maestro," "Ready to Love," "SOS," "Clap," "God of Music&qu

K-pop June 30, 2024

A recent online post threatening knife attacks against popular K-pop girl group NewJeans is being investigated by police, Ador, the group's agency, confirmed Wednesday. "We are preparing to enhance security measures (for NewJeans) in cooperation with the Japanese concert planning company. Police are investigating the matter domestically, and we are actively cooperating with them," Ador said. The threat was made on a local online community site Monday. "I bought this to use at

Culture June 26, 2024

Weverse, Hybe's global superfan platform, stands at a crossroads as a key player in the K-pop powerhouse’s platform business plan, as it seeks to implement an extensive paid membership system in the third quarter of this year amid falling user numbers. Weverse, launched in 2019, allows users to engage in various fan activities and purchase artists’ physical albums as well as related merchandise. It also provides K-pop artists' content on the platform including concert lives

K-pop June 25, 2024

After K-pop's global success in recent years, music moguls have been grappling with the question of how to sustain the momentum. They agree that localization -- by which they mean taking the K-pop style of discovering and training talent and applying it in different overseas market -- is a key strategy. SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man introduced the concept in 2016 with a new boy band initiative that sought to expand and open up K-pop. His plans included groups based in cities around t

K-pop June 24, 2024

Hybe confirmed Friday that Illit, the K-pop girl band under its music label Belift Lab, will be among the K-pop artists to participate in the Tencent Music Entertainment Awards in Macau, China, on July 19. The quintet shared the award poster on their official account on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Wednesday, announcing their first live performance at the music festival in China. “Illit will perform at the Tencent Music Entertainment Award as planned. The post on (Illit’s) We

K-pop June 21, 2024

Music label Ador and video game publisher Krafton vowed to take action against the recent misuse of Battlegrounds and NewJeans' collaboration content in a jointly released announcement on the official community page of PUBG: Battlegrounds on Thursday. "Recently, some users have been creating and sharing inappropriate posts using the NewJeans characters. This behavior does not align with our brand image and values and is offensive to all fans," the two companies said as they highli

K-pop June 21, 2024

Kith Seoul emerges as Seoul’s premier flagship store Seongsu-dong has become a hot spot for young locals and international tourists alike. Among the bustling streets, the newest attraction drawing crowds is Kith’s flagship store, which opened its doors on May 31. Originating from New York, Kith is both a select shop and a fashion brand. What sets Kith Seoul apart is its distinction as the only Kith flagship store worldwide occupying an entire four-story building. The ground floor

Culture June 21, 2024

The first hearing in a suit seeking 13 billion won ($9.4 million) in damages filed by Attrakt against three former members of K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty – Saena, Sio and Aran – as well as The Givers CEO Ahn Sung-il has been set for Aug. 29, the agency said Thursday. According to Fifty Fifty's agency Attrakt, the lawsuit also includes the parents of the three former bandmates and an executive of The Givers surnamed Baek. The legal action stems from conflicts that arose after Fi

K-pop June 20, 2024