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Direct from Korean news and other sources

Twice's Jihyo joins Shenseea for summer single 'Distant Lover'

Jihyo is set to collaborate with Jamaican singer Shenseea on the new single "Distant Lover," marking her latest international music project. According to local media reports, Tuesday, "Distant Lover" will be released July 10. The summer-themed track is described as blending a smooth, sultry mood with Jihyo's powerful vocals and Shenseea's distinctive Caribbean sound. The collaboration was arranged through Musicow's global "Fandom" project, which was launched in partnership with US entertainment

Evan revisits 'LeeMujin Service' with new musical identity

Evan, formerly Heeseung of Enhypen, returned to KBS Kpop's YouTube series "LeeMujin Service" last week, performing songs from his debut solo single and reflecting on his growth as a songwriter and artist. The singer appeared in the episode released Monday, marking his first appearance on the program in four years. He opened with "Ride or Die," the title track from his debut solo single of the same name, reinterpreting the alternative rock song with a piano arrangement. He then shifted to a softe

EVAN

ENHYPEN

Twice

Cortis extends Billboard 200 run to seven weeks

Cortis has extended its record-breaking run on the Billboard 200, continuing the strongest chart performance by a K-pop boy group that debuted within the past five years. According to the latest Billboard charts dated July 4, released Tuesday, the group's second EP, "Greengreen," ranked No. 94 on the Billboard 200, marking its seventh consecutive week on the main albums chart. The group also continued to perform strongly across Billboard's other charts. "Greengreen" topped the World Albums chart

Jihyo

CORTIS

Twice

Super Junior-83z to release debut EP 'Promise'

Super Junior's new sub-unit, Super Junior-83z, will officially debut later this month with its first EP, "Promise." The duo, consisting of 1983-born members Leeteuk and Heechul, will release the six-track album on July 13. Preorders opened Tuesday, coinciding with Leeteuk's birthday. The EP includes the title track "Promise" as well as "Onsaemiro," which first drew attention when it was performed during Super Junior's 20th anniversary world tour encore concert in Seoul in April. Following the al

K-pop rookie race, part 2: Next groups to watch

The next wave of rookies is taking diverse paths to capture attention. Some are building sizable fandoms before debuting through online content alone, while others are backed by some of K-pop's biggest names and agencies. From viral newcomers to highly anticipated major-agency launches, the race to become the industry's next breakout act is already underway. Among the most closely watched newcomers is Wayf Boys, a five-member boy group that has yet to make its debut but has already built an unus

LNGSHOT

RIIZE

Cha Eun-woo baptized in military, takes name 'John the Apostle'

Astro member and actor Cha Eun-woo was recently baptized into the Catholic church, his agency Fantagio said Wednesday. The agency said that Cha received the baptismal name John the Apostle during a baptism ceremony held at a Catholic church while serving in the military in June. In Korea, during military service, enlisted soldiers may attend religious services held in each unit division. Participation is voluntary, and any serving soldier, regardless of their previous religious affiliation, may

Astro

AOMG launches first girl crew Keyveatz with debut EP ‘Oxy_Gen’

Hip-hop label AOMG is entering a new territory with the debut of its first-ever girl crew, Keyveatz, as the five-member act officially launched Tuesday with its debut EP, “Oxy_Gen.” The group — Juwon, Yeseul, Newy, Yuna and Jione — unveiled the album during a showcase held at Yes24 Wanderloch Hall in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul, introducing itself not as a conventional girl group but as a “girl crew” built on hip-hop culture, artistic individuality and collective attitude. The debut also marks o

Aespa's Giselle and Ningning reveal matching belly button piercings

Aespa members Giselle and Ningning have surprised fans by revealing that they got matching belly button piercings together, sharing the spontaneous story behind the friendship milestone. The pair opened up about their new piercings in a video titled "[R(ae)cord] Chobaz's friendship piercing story," uploaded to Aespa's official YouTube channel on Tuesday. "We got belly button piercings," Giselle said. Ningning said the decision was completely unplanned. "We just did it on the spur of the moment," she said. Giselle explained that the idea came during a recent day off. "We had a day off a few days ago. We were out shopping, and that's when we got them," she said. The singer said she had wanted a belly button piercing for a long time but had been too nervous to go through with it. "I'd always wanted one, but I was too scared. Then I asked Ningning, 'Do you want to get a piercing?' She said yes, and I thought, 'Oh no,'" Giselle said with a laugh. To decide who would go first, the two played rock-paper-scissors. "I lost, so I had to go first. It definitely hurt, but it wasn't as painful as I expecte

Giselle

Ningning

Aespa

2026's rookie K-pop race, part 1: 3 groups that defined the first half

The K-pop rookie race is entering a new phase as the second half of the year gets underway. Several breakout acts have emerged, but the competition for the spotlight is only starting to heat up as a new wave of debut acts prepares to pull focus. In the first of a two-part series, The Korea Herald highlights three rookie groups that emerged as the biggest success stories of the first half of 2026. Part two will turn to four more promising newcomers expected to shine in the second half. Few rookie

Liv

Why Korean music shows are no longer just about K-pop

Korean music shows are no longer mere promotional platforms for new music releases. Mnet's "M Countdown" recently diversified its programming by bringing musical theater actors, fictional bands from television series and viral content creators to its stage. "M Countdown" is rethinking its role, departing from its traditional format centered on digital music charts and K-pop comeback stages. The shift serves as a strategic response to declining television ratings and shifting media consumption habits, drawing a positive reception from K-pop fans and regular viewers. Music shows previously served as the primary promotional vehicle for new releases. Today, audiences consume music through streaming services and short-form video platforms. Fans also seek out official YouTube channels or fan cams — fan-shot performance videos — on their own schedules, significantly diminishing the exclusive content traditional programs can offer. Viewership for broadcast and cable network music shows has plummeted in recent years. With audiences prioritizing online clips over live television, networks mus

Aoora wins 'Iconic Spiritual Song of the Year' at Indian music awards

Aoora has won the Iconic Spiritual Song of the Year award at the Mid-Day Showbiz Icons Awards, held in Mumbai, India, Saturday, marking a milestone in India's mainstream music industry. The honor was awarded for the K-pop singer's February single "Shiva Shivam." Reinterpreting Hindu mythology through a contemporary lens, the music video has surpassed 14.35 million views on YouTube as of Wednesday. The song combines modern K-pop production with spiritual themes rooted in Indian culture, earning w

Hybe’s 3-group collab extends stay on Billboard Hot 100

Le Sserafim, Illit and Katseye’s collaboration single “Iconic by Mistake” logged two weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100, ranking No. 43 on the chart dated July 4. It slid down five rungs from the previous week, when it hit the main songs chart at the highest spot for a K-pop girl group’s endeavor from this year. On Billboard’s Global 200 it sits at No. 23, as well as No. 24 on the Global Excl. US chart. The single climbed to No. 21 on Spotify’s global weekly songs chart from No. 25. On UK’s Official S

BTS

BTS’ V logs 700m streams on Spotify with ‘Winter Ahead’

V of BTS exceeded 700 million plays on Spotify with his solo single “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyoshin).” This is his second solo song to accomplish the feat on the platform, after “Love Me Again.” “Winter Ahead” was released in November 2024 while he was enlisted. Despite the lack of promotional activities, the winter song entered Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 99, becoming his fifth solo entry on the main singles chart. In the UK, it ranked No. 86 on the Official Singles Chart. The jazzy tune also t

YuBin

BTS

TripleS

Seventeen

BTS extends Billboard chart run as HYBE artists make strong showing

K-pop supergroup BTS continued its long-running presence on the U.S. Billboard's main charts, with its latest album and lead single charting for the 14th consecutive week, while other artists under HYBE also secured multiple entries. According to the latest Billboard charts, BTS' fifth studio album "ARIRANG" held steady at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, unchanged from the previous week. Released in March, the album made K-pop history by becoming the first to spend three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the chart, and has since remained in the top tier. The album's lead track "Swim" ranked No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Other K-pop acts under HYBE's labels also made notable appearances. The collaborative single "Iconic By Mistake" by girl groups Le Sserafim, Illit and Katseye debuted at No. 43 on the Hot 100, while Katseye's "Pinky Up" ranked No. 97. Cortis, a rookie artist under BigHit Music, came in at No. 94 on the Billboard 200 with "GreenGreen." Katseye also placed two additional releases on the chart, with "Beautiful Chaos" at No. 118 and "SIS" at No. 179. Els

BTS

TripleS’ Yubin takes time off after fainting

Yubin of TripleS will suspend activities and rest for the time being, agency Modhaus announced Tuesday. She wanted to “keep her promise with fans and contribute to the team,” but doctors told her that pushing herself further would only delay her recovery. The performer was caught fainting after performing at a K-pop festival in Gyeonggi Province last week. The performance was part of the group’s promotional activities for its second EP “Love & Pop pt.1,” released last month and featuring all 24

TripleS

Seventeen

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

BTS extends Billboard chart run as Hybe artists make strong showing

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- K-pop supergroup BTS continued its long-running presen

BTS

Seventeen’s V8 to run pop-up in Seoul

Seventeen subunit V8 will open a pop-up in Seoul on July 4, offering fans a real-life experience of its namesake first EP, agency Pledis Entertainment said on Tuesday. Visitors will be greeted by the music video for the main track “Singasong” projected onto a huge media wall, along with props from the video on display. Fans can listen to the music and have their pictures taken. The duo of Vernon and The8 released the mini album on Monday. A string of international musicians participated in produ

Seventeen

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

BTS

Hybe plants mangrove trees to boost carbon capture

Hybe, a South Korean entertainment company and the agency behind BTS, has planted more than 460,000 mangrove trees in Bangladesh over the past three years, the company said Tuesday in its 2025 Sustainability Management Report. The company's ECO Village project is aimed at planting 100,000 mangrove trees every year in Dacope, Khulna, southwestern Bangladesh, it said. The project was launched in 2023 in partnership with the K-Green Foundation. Mangrove trees are among the world's most effective ca

BTS

CORTIS

Kim Myung Soo And Kang Min Ah Both Face Career Crises In New Drama “Love In Sync”

Kim Myung Soo and Kang Min Ah will face the biggest crises of their respective careers in upcoming drama “Love in Sync”! “Love in Sync” is a romantic comedy about a woman who rejects empathy and a man burdened with too much of it. When they begin to share one another’s emotions through a supernatural

RIIZE, I.O.I, CORTIS, BTS, And ILLIT Top Circle Weekly Charts

Circle Chart has revealed its chart rankings for the week of June 14 to 20! Album Chart RIIZE achieved a double crown on this week’s charts, topping both the physical album chart and the digital download chart with their new mini album “II” and its title track “Do your dance.” RIIZE swept the top two

BTS

IVE, TWS, And CORTIS Earn Platinum And Gold Certifications In Japan

The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) has announced its latest batch of official certifications! This month, TWS’s latest Korean mini album “NO TRAGEDY” earned an official platinum certification for over 250,000 units shipped in Japan. According to the RIAJ’s certification thresholds, albums are certified gold at 100,000 units shipped and platinum at 250,000. Meanwhile,

IVE

TWS

CORTIS

NouerA’s Taipei Concert Postponed At Last Minute

NouerA’s “CATCH THE WAVE” concert in Taipei has been postponed. On July 1, NOUER Entertainment announced that the Taipei stop of NouerA’s ongoing world tour “CATCH THE WAVE” had been “unavoidably postponed due to administrative procedures necessary for the event’s operation.” The show was originally scheduled to be held on July 5. NOUER Entertainment’s full

NouerA

KARD Announces Comeback Date With Teaser For 1st Full Album

KARD is gearing up to release their first-ever full-length album! On July 2 at midnight KST, KARD officially announced their plans to make a comeback later this month. The group will be returning with their first full album “Where To Now? (Part.2) : NOWHERE” on July 28 at 6 p.m. KST. Check out KARD’s first

KARD

Sunmi Announces July Return With Teasers For New Single

It’s official: Sunmi is coming back! On July 2 at midnight KST, Sunmi officially announced her plans to make a comeback later this month. Although she has not yet revealed the exact release date, the singer will be returning with a new digital single sometime in July. Check out Sunmi’s first teasers for “Summer Comes

Sunmi

Watch: BOYNEXTDOOR Gets Chaotic In High-Energy Dance Practice Video For “ADIOS!”

BOYNEXTDOOR is back with a fun dance video for “ADIOS!” On July 1, BOYNEXTDOOR released the official dance practice video for “ADIOS!”, the fan-favorite B-side off their new full-length album “HOME.” In contrast to their sharper and more precise choreography for their title track “VIRAL,” “ADIOS!” gives the members a chance to let loose amidst

BOYNEXTDOOR

Heize Parts Ways With P NATION After 6 Years

Heize has parted ways with P NATION. On July 1, P NATION announced through its official channels that Heize’s exclusive contract with the agency officially ended on June 30. The agency’s full statement is as follows: Wishing Heize all the best in her future endeavors! Source (1)

Heize

QUIZ: Pick Your Fave K-Pop Visual From These 10 Groups And We’ll Guess Which Romance Trope You Secretly Love

They might be cheesy, but some romance tropes are so cute that it doesn’t matter! Whether your preferred storyline has the main couple falling in love at first sight or fighting it out until the end, the romance is always there. The real question is whether or not your K-pop tastes are similar! Just tell

WINNER’s Kang Seung Yoon Reportedly Cast In New Drama + YG Briefly Responds

WINNER’s Kang Seung Yoon may be returning to the small screen for the first time in four years! On July 1, Xportsnews reported that Kang Seung Yoon has been cast in the upcoming KBS2 weekend drama “I Went to School” (literal title). “I Went to School” tells the story of Yoon Ok Hee, an overly

Yoon

Sooyoung