[Exclusive] Atletico winger Lee Kang-in signs with Rose's agency The Black Label

South Korean football star Lee Kang-in, a winger for Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid, has signed an exclusive management contract with The Black Label for his off-field activities, according to the K-pop agency Friday. "We are pleased to announce that we have signed a management contract with South Korean national football team player Lee Kang-in," The Black Label said in a statement. "As a trusted partner, we will fully support Lee in his future endeavors and new challenges." Under the agree

2026-08-14 11:05:51:00

Bill Gates arrives in Korea for talks on SMR cooperation

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates arrived in South Korea on Thursday for his first visit to the country in a year, with talks on cooperation in small modular reactors reportedly expected to top his agenda. Gates, who also founded next-generation nuclear energy company TerraPower, last visited Korea in August 2025. During his stay, Gates is expected to meet senior government officials, lawmakers and business leaders to discuss expanding cooperation on small modular reactors, or SMRs.

2026-08-13 22:03:55:00

Katseye voices support for Sophia, Manon during 'Tonight Show' appearance

Katseye, a girl group formed between Hybe and Geffen Records, voiced support for members Sophia and Manon during an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" that aired Thursday, a day before the release of its third EP, "Wild." Host Jimmy Fallon noted that the group looked different from its previous appearance in February, acknowledging that Sophia and Manon were taking breaks and praising the members for supporting them. "We have nothing but so much love and support for Sop

2026-08-13 21:34:28:00

BTS' 'Fake Love' becomes 6th video to hit 1.4b YouTube views

BTS' "Fake Love" has become the group's sixth music video to surpass 1.4 billion views on YouTube, its agency Big Hit Music said Thursday. The music video for "Fake Love," the lead track from the septet's third studio album, "Love Yourself: Tear," joins "Dynamite," "Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)," "DNA," "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)" and "Idol" among BTS videos with more than 1.4 billion views. Released in May 2018, "Fake Love" portrays the unraveling of a relationship after realizing that a love

2026-08-13 21:14:53:00

Yeonjun holds first US solo concert at LA's storied Troubadour

Tomorrow X Together's Yeonjun held his first solo concert in the US at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Wednesday, taking the stage at the storied venue that has hosted artists including Elton John, Harry Styles and BTS. The concert, held as part of Billboard's "One Night Only" live special, marked another milestone in Yeonjun's expanding solo activities in the US. Yeonjun opened with the main track from his second EP, "No Labels: Part 02," followed by "Ice Cream" and "Vanilla." He performed the

2026-08-13 21:01:30:00

JYP terminates contract with Xdinary Heroes' Gunil following allegations

JYP Entertainment has terminated its exclusive contract with Xdinary Heroes member Gunil, resulting in his departure from the rock band less than a day after a woman claiming to be his former girlfriend posted allegations that he privately berated fans and bad-mouthed his bandmates. The K-pop agency announced the decision Thursday, saying it had "deeply recognized the gravity" of a recent matter involving the 27-year-old drummer and band leader following "thorough discussions" with him. "As a re

2026-08-13 20:35:32:00

Could KiiiKiii become the 'next' NewJeans?

KiiiKiii, a rookie girl group under Starship Entertainment, home to Ive, has been steadily building momentum with each release, most recently with its third EP "WhyKiiiKiii," which dropped Monday. The EP's main track "Pop Off Pop Off" topped YouTube's worldwide trending music video chart shortly after release and had peaked at No. 27 on Melon's Top 100 as of Tuesday. The album also topped iTunes' K-pop albums chart in France, the Netherlands and Australia, and entered the top 10 in 13 countries.

2026-08-12 21:53:37:00

Why was Blackpink's 10th anniversary so hard to pull off?

A fan event announced just two days in advance, uncertainty over which members would attend and coordination across four separate management companies. The lead-up to Blackpink's 10th anniversary revealed just how much the group's operations have changed since its members launched independent careers. The anniversary itself remained significant: Blackpink reached the milestone while continuing to balance group promotions with solo careers in an industry where relatively few groups remain active

2026-08-11 16:51:36:00

Beyond the avatar: Meet virtual idol Mumune

When The Korea Herald logged on for its first-ever interview with a virtual idol, the usual pre-interview rituals remained the same. There was a scheduled video call, a brief greeting and questions about a new release. The only difference was that the artist waiting on the other side of the screen introduced herself as a 206-year-old witch from a sun-scorched desert. Appearing as a Live2D avatar via Discord, Mumune spoke with the bright, easygoing confidence of any rookie K-pop artist promoting

2026-08-10 09:00:00:00

Stray Kids mum on Grammy submission plans after BTS boycott

Stray Kids declined Thursday to reveal whether the group plans to submit its music for consideration at next year's Grammy Awards, avoiding repeated questions about the Recording Academy's newly created Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. At a press conference in Seoul marking the release of its 10th EP, "This & That," the bandmates repeatedly emphasized music over awards when asked whether they intended to compete at the Grammys. "We've never once set out to make an album chasing a parti

2026-08-07 17:27:56:00