The Ministry of Employment and Labor has ruled that allegations of workplace harassment involving Hanni, a Vietnamese Australian member of K-pop girl group NewJeans, do not fall under labor law protections, as she is not classified as a worker under the Labor Standards Act. On Wednesday, the ministry announced the closure of a complaint filed last month by NewJeans’ fan base, known as "Bunnies," which alleged that Hanni was subjected to workplace harassment at Hybe’s headqu

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Hybe subsidiary Ador, announced on Wednesday her resignation from her post as an internal director at Ador, signaling a complete departure from Hybe. She also declared her intent to take legal action against the K-pop powerhouse, accusing the company of breaching shareholder agreements and engaging in unlawful practices. “I have decided to resign as an internal director of Ador today,” Min said in a statement. “I will terminate my shareholder agreemen

As the year-end draws near, there are major music awards to look forward to here, where the most talented and popular artists are rewarded for their work and fans are rewarded with witnessing first-ever collaboration stages and spectacular performances. This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony organized by CJ ENM, is the frontrunner, taking place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles Thursday local time, and at the Kyocera Dome Osaka,

Rose of Blackpink will put out a B-side track from her upcoming first solo studio album on Friday, agency The Black Label said Tuesday. The track “number one girl” will be one of 12 tracks from her LP “rosie,” due for release Dec. 6. The single comes about a month after Bruno Mars collaboration “APT.” swept music charts in Korea and abroad. Inspired by a Korean drinking game, the infectious tune topped iTunes Top Songs chart in 40 regions and ranked No. 8 on B

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — At Yale University, K-pop is not just a global music phenomenon -- it is the subject of serious academic inquiry. During the recent two-day K-Pop: Musical Production and Consumption conference on Thursday and Friday, 160 participants gathered to explore the genre’s history, industry dynamics and cultural impact. Among them were students from one of Yale’s five K-pop-related courses, including a class taught by Grace Kao, an IBM professor of sociology an

"Homepage masters," also known as “Homma” among K-pop fans, are superfans who, armed with professional cameras with sophisticated lenses, take high-quality pictures of their favorite artists. These superfans follow their artist’s official schedules such as fan meetings, concerts, end-of-the-year awards ceremonies and world tours. They use the pictures taken at these events to create content of their favorite artists, which gets redistributed by other fans to different

Singer Ailee is set to marry actor Choi Si-hoon next April, A2Z Entertainment announced Tuesday. The two met through a mutual acquaintance and have been openly dating for about a year. They became engaged in May after developing a deep bond built on love and trust, the agency said. "I have met someone who is not only supportive and caring, but also someone I can rely on. His understanding and consideration made me want to spend the rest of my life with him,” Ailee shared on her offici

Jin of BTS is releasing the remix album, “Running Wild (Remixes),” at 2 p.m., Tuesday. The album contains eight versions of “Running Wild,” the main song in Jin’s first solo album “Happy.” The eight versions are the original version, instrumental, extended, band, ballad, holiday, Afropop and UK Garage versions. The extended version features an extra chorus, intensifying the song's energy, while the band version amplifies the song’s genre appea

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi is celebrating his 20th debut anniversary with a new album next month. According to Big Planet Made Entertainment, Lee will drop “With” on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. This marks Lee’s first physical album release in four years since his seventh LP “The Project” in December 2020. Reflecting on this 20-year career as a singer, Lee shared his enthusiasm and vision for the upcoming album, the agency said. The album title symbolizes reuniting and colla

Stray Kids to perform at Son Heung-min's home stadium as part of world tour K-pop sensation Stray Kids will perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home to English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and its star player Son Heung-min, on July 18, 2025, as part of their expanded "dominATE" world tour, becoming the first K-pop act to do so, the band's agency said Tuesday. JYP Entertainment announced that the tour will include 20 new concerts across Latin America, North America,

Have you ever attended a birthday party without the guest of honor? That’s exactly what K-pop fans are doing: celebrating their favorite artists' birthdays at cafes that allow them to be used for this purpose. In Hongdae and Myeong-dong in Seoul, where many of these birthday cafes are located, you’ll find cafes decorated with neon signs, posters and balloons in honor of various K-pop idols. Fans from both Korea and abroad flock to these celebrations. “I live in Japan, but

The return of Seventeen subunit trio BSS is pending, according to a local media report Monday. The subunit of Seungkwan, Dogyeom and Hoshi had already finished shooting a music video in Seoul, it added. The group's agency, Pledis Entertainment, only said it would make an announcement when the date is finalized. The trio was launched in 2018 with digital single “Just Do It” and dropped first single album “Second Wind” in February last year. It nabbed eight trophies fr

Jin mesmerized fans with his wide musical spectrum and vibrant energy at the fan showcase “Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage” on Sunday. Held Saturday and Sunday, the showcase marked the first live performance of songs from Jin's first solo album "Happy." Over two days, Jangchung Arena in Seoul was packed with approximately 3,800 fans. As Jin appeared on stage by parting the red curtains, the arena erupted into thunderous cheers. "Two days ago, my album was re

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut -- Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, hosted a two-day K-pop conference under the banner of “K-Pop: Musical Production and Consumption” on Thursday and Friday, featuring discussions by scholars in social sciences and the humanities alongside presentations by industry professionals. Sixteen speakers delivered talks across four sessions, examining topics ranging from fandom dynamics and musical identity to K-pop’s historical trajectory and global ma

The darker side of fame continues to haunt stars as the South Korean entertainment scene has recently been rocked by a series of incidents involving "sasaeng" fans -- meaning obsessive fans who engage in behaviors that invade the privacy of celebrities, including stalking. IST Entertainment, home to the popular K-pop group The Boyz, revealed on its fan cafe site Thursday that member Sunwoo was ambushed by a sasaeng fan hiding in the emergency stairwell where the group members live as h

Seunghan, who left boy band Riize due to a controversy surrounding his private life, is set to debut as a solo artist in the latter half of next year. SM Entertainment announced that Seunghan is preparing for his solo debut, which is targeted for the second half of 2025. The agency stated, “He is undergoing systematic training, receiving support in production, management and other areas necessary for a solo debut.” “Updates regarding Seunghan will be shared through his newly la

The popularity of K-pop has grown significantly in recent years, reaching a point where many around the world at least recognize the names of several groups, if not their music. Younger audiences especially have become familiar with K-pop and can distinguish its sound from other genres. However, global K-pop fans new to the genre may struggle to recognize the unique styles of the powerhouse agencies behind some of the biggest groups. For fans of the genre with an appreciation of its history, how

Ateez rolled out its 11th EP, “Golden Hour: Part 2,” on Friday, along with the music video for main track “Ice on My Teeth.” Not afraid to push the limits, the single adds hip-hop to sophisticated, calm sounds of strings, demonstrating even those seemingly unlikely to match can coexist beautifully when truly appreciated. “We were so committed to move forward, we’ve never expressed pride in what journey we have made,” said Hongjoong, “and wanted to

Stray Kids will adorn the end of the year with the release of their new album, “Skzhop Hiptape,” on Dec. 13. The group announced Friday via social media the upcoming release of the new album by unveiling its first teaser, showcasing graphic artwork. “Skzhop Hiptape” is a creative combination of the group’s initials with “hip-hop.” It suggests that the album will feature the type of hip-hop music that defines Stray Kids. The teaser clip shows two glowing

Jin of BTS released his first solo album, “Happy,” on Friday. The album explores the journey of finding happiness and features themes of love, excitement, courage and positivity. Through the album, Jin describes himself as a "ray of sunshine," hoping listeners will find happiness through his music. “It’s meaningful to release a solo album. I hope that Army (the BTS fandom) enjoys it. I’d like for everyone who listens to this album to feel happy. This album