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

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

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

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

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

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

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 girl group NewJeans, under the Ador music label of Hybe, is set to make its debut in Japan on Friday with their first Japanese EP, "Supernatural," the agency announced Thursday. The quintet’s mini-album includes four tracks – the titular track, B-side “Right Now” and instrumental versions of both songs. "Supernatural" is a nostalgic new jack swing-style song, featuring contributions from pop star Pharrell Williams, the agency explained. Teasers f

K-pop girl group Blackpink’s Rose is in talks with The Black Label for a possible solo artist contract, the music label said Monday. The Black Label, led by a esteemed music producer Teddy of 1TYM from YG Entertainment, confirmed that the label is in discussion to sign Rose on a solo contract. “We are in talks with Rose. That is all we can say,” an official from The Black Label commented. Rose is the only Blackpink member who has not signed with an agency for her solo artist

An increasing number of female K-pop artists are taking time off due to injuries and health problems caused by the strict diets and schedules they maintain that leave little time for sleep. Woonhee of Belift Lab's rookie girl group Illit halted activities due to a foot injury last week. On Friday, her agency posted to an online fan community that while the singer showed a strong desire to participate in all of the group’s musical activities, Wonhee’s recovery is their top priori

K-pop sensation BTS' oldest member, Jin, returned to his role as a singer just a day after he finished his mandatory military service on Wednesday. On Thursday, Jin showed up at 2024 Festa, an annual fan-meeting event celebrating the anniversary of BTS' debut on June 13, held at Jamsil Arena in Seoul. "I told my company that I will perform at 2024 Festa even if I have less than a day to practice. I had to do it myself since the other members are all away. I forgot how to sing, and

Katseye, the global K-pop girl group launched through a collaboration between Hybe and American record label Geffen Records, is poised to debut in the United States on June 28. The group's debut will be the first attempt for both labels to penetrate the mainstream pop market in the US with a global girl group. Eyes are on whether the six-member multinational K-pop act will show potential for the globalization of Hybe’s training and development system. According to Hybe and Geffen Reco

In today's Korean fashion scene, the trajectory of models diverges significantly from their overseas counterparts. Korean models undergo rigorous training from the outset, coached at specialized fashion model academies to not only excel on the runway but also to showcase talents in acting, dancing, or singing, reminiscent of K-pop trainees. At the forefront of this innovative approach stands Ko Eun-kyung, the CEO of Kplus. She founded the company as a model management agency in 2008 and s

Go Joon-hee once again expressed feelings of unfairness and denied involvement in the Burning Sun scandal that resurfaced after the BBC released a related documentary on May 19. The actor, known for her roles in 2015 film "Intimate Enemies" and 2019 thriller TV series "Possessed," on Tuesday appeared as a guest on the YouTube show “Don’t Forget Your Breakfast,” where she said, “I don’t even know where Burning Sun is at and I have never been the

Jin of K-pop phenomenon BTS was discharged from his one year and six months of military service, Hybe said, Wednesday. Other BTS members took time off to go meet and congratulate Jin at the Recruit Training Battalion of the Army 5th Infantry Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. All BTS members except Suga were there to welcome Jin's return to civilian life in Yeoncheon, with RM, J-Hope, V, Jungkook and Jimin greeting him warmly. RM, serving in the military band, performed the group&rsq

The conflict between Hybe and Ador CEO Min Hee-jin is showing no sign of improvement despite Min's offer of reconciliation, marked by a fresh lawsuit and the release of a rebuttal video by Belift Lab, the agency behind a K-pop rookie girl group Illit. Belift Lab announced Monday in a statement shared on X that they are filing an additional civil lawsuit against Min accusing her of business interference and defamation. Also on Monday, it released a 28-minute YouTube video refuting the alle

The bandmates of K-pop sensation Seventeen were appointed as Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Tuesday. It is the first time for a K-pop act to assume the role. According to Seventeen's agency Pledis Entertainment on Tuesday, the 13-member boy band was named for continuously sharing their growth narratives through music and their international influence on young people dating to their debut in 2015. "Seventeen and

Binary Korea, a subsidiary of K-pop powerhouse Hybe, will officially launch the country’s first creator fandom platform, “Theus,” on June 22, the company said Monday. Theus aims to be the "one and only playground where creators and fandom gather," providing an environment for creators to communicate with fans actively. Dedicated "spaces" are available for each creator, allowing them to upload their content, interact with fans and conduct various events to

Popular K-pop boy band Seventeen of Pledis Entertainment became the highest-ranked K-pop artist on Billboard Japan Hot Albums Mid-Year Chart 2024 announced on Thursday. According to Billboard Japan, the boy band’s hit album, “17 is Right Here,” released on April 29, came in at No. 2 on the Hot Albums chart, which ranks top albums by the artist’s physical record sales and downloads combined. It is the highest ranking achieved by a K-pop artist. Seventeen also ranked No.

DAEJEON -- Singer G-Dragon, best known as a member of Big Bang and an icon of K-pop, explained how he looks to pioneering the new field of "Enter-Tech" -- combining entertainment and technology -- as he prepares for the future of K-pop with artificial intelligence, at a forum on the campus of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Speaking at Innovate Korea, jointly hosted by Herald Media Group, KAIST and the National Research Council of Science & Technology, Wedne