K-pop tickets are hard to get. One Korean woman allegedly got 2,600 and made $319,000

A woman in her 30s allegedly used a macro program to automatically purchase about 2,600 tickets to K-pop concerts, including nine tickets to BTS’ highly sought-after Gwanghwamun performance earlier this year, police said Wednesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had referred the woman to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act, obstruction of business, and the Public Performance Act. Police said the woman used the automat

2026-08-26 17:11:57:00

Alpha Drive One turns struggles into strength with ‘Unbreakable: Beast’

Alpha Drive One says the challenges it has faced since its debut have only strengthened the team, with the bandmates hoping their latest release will deliver the same kind of encouragement to listeners navigating their own uncertainties. “As Alpha Drive One, we’ve been running forward at full speed, but we’ve also faced so many worries along the way,” leader Leo said at a showcase in central Seoul on Monday, ahead of the release of the group’s second EP, “Unbreakable: Beast.” “I think we’ve beco

2026-08-25 18:21:58:00

Wordplay or mockery? Cortis’ new song draws mixed reactions over Hanroro reference

Cortis’ new track “MoneyMoneyMoney,” released Monday, has sparked online debate over a lyric referencing singer-songwriter Hanroro and her song “0+0.” The controversy centers on the lyric, “I want to become someone who earns money while playing, like Pororo / Add another zero to my bank account, just like Hanroro.” Some listeners criticized the reference, arguing that it reduced Hanroro’s song “0+0” — a track about two people choosing not to abandon one another and dreaming of eternity together

2026-08-25 15:06:46:00

NCT 127 turns 10, enters next chapter with ‘Blingy’

NCT 127 has reached the 10-year mark, but not in the way its members once imagined. For fans who have watched the group grow since its 2016 debut, the milestone arrives with a different lineup, as two members are serving in the military, and a new album that reflects how much has changed — and what remains. “Blingy,” NCT 127’s seventh full-length album, released Monday, marks the group’s first major release in nearly two years since “Walk” in July 2024. The album is more than a 10th anniversary

2026-08-25 14:28:54:00

‘We’ll still perform when we’re 88’: Big Bang vows to keep going

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Big Bang kicked off its 20th anniversary world tour over the weekend with its first full-group concert in nearly nine years, signaling that the group's next chapter has only just begun. “XX: Cosmos,” held from Friday to Sunday at Goyang Stadium, drew more than 100,000 fans over three days. Toward the end of Sunday’s show, the members hinted that more music would be on the way after “Biiig,” the digital single released on the group's anniversary, Aug. 19. Daesung raise

2026-08-24 15:09:30:00

Cortis to release expanded EP with two new tracks for debut anniversary

Cortis is set to celebrate the first anniversary since the group debuted with an expanded edition of its second EP, featuring two new songs that “reflect the group’s current musical identity.” The expanded album, “GreenGreen_playextended,” will be released at midnight on Monday, with "Pack It Up" and "MoneyMoneyMoney" added to the six songs originally featured on the group’s second EP, “GreenGreen.” The two songs were first unveiled as surprise performances during the opening night of Cortis’ “P

2026-08-23 14:45:42:00

Enhypen rides hype to chart-topping EP

Enhypen's eighth EP, “The Sin: Bliss” sold more than 1.77 million copies on the day of its release Friday, according to Hanteo Chart on Saturday, putting the group on course to earn its fifth double-million seller. The album also debuted at No. 1 on major music charts in Korea and overseas, topping the iTunes albums charts in 23 regions, including Brazil, Japan, Malaysia and Turkey, while charting across 41 markets. In Japan, it climbed to No. 2 on Line Music’s real-time albums chart. The EP’s l

2026-08-23 14:29:54:00

Xdinary Heroes ex-member Gunil denies JYP contract termination, seeks talks

Former Xdinary Heroes member Gunil on Thursday disputed JYP Entertainment’s claim that they mutually agreed to end his contract. Through his lawyer, Gunil said he did not choose to leave the band or agree to terminate his contract. In a statement, attorney Sung Jae-hwan of Joowon Law Firm said Gunil hopes to resolve the issue through talks with JYP, while maintaining that there were no valid grounds for ending the contract. “The artist did not depart of his own volition, nor did he agree to term

2026-08-20 17:36:33:00

Seventeen’s Vernon releases farewell single ahead of military enlistment

Vernon of Seventeen will release his new digital single "I'll Be Back" at 6 p.m. Thursday, the same day he begins his mandatory military service. Vernon entered a military training center earlier in the day to begin basic military training before serving as a public service worker. Born to a Korean father and an American mother, Vernon holds dual South Korean and US citizenship but chose to fulfill his military obligation in Korea. "I'll Be Back" is an electronic pop song featuring sentimental m

2026-08-20 17:33:53:00

RM, J-Hope of BTS face criticism after attending Chris Brown concert

RM and J-Hope of BTS are facing criticism from some fans after attending a concert by American singer Chris Brown in Toronto, with the controversy prompting a women’s anti-violence nonprofit to suspend RM from its list of male role models. On Aug. 12, the two attended Brown’s co-headlining concert with Usher at Rogers Stadium just outside Toronto. J-Hope later shared photos and videos from the show on social media, while Brown posted a backstage photo featuring himself with RM and J-Hope. The im

2026-08-20 15:37:45:00