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What to know about rare ear disorder that side-tracked IU's return

K-pop singer and actor IU is drawing public attention for a rare ear disorder after worsening symptoms of patulous Eustachian tube (PET) dysfunction forced her to postpone her upcoming album release and cancel a scheduled September concert. With news of her ear condition already having disrupted her highly anticipated comeback plans, many are asking what exactly PET dysfunction is and why it poses such a devastating setback for a vocalist. On Monday, the 33-year-old artist opened up about her ongoing struggle on the fan communication platform Berriz. "While it does not affect my daily life, the symptoms persist day and night, making it difficult to maintain my condition when singing," IU wrote, apologizing to fans for the schedule changes. PET dysfunction occurs when the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and usually remains closed except during swallowing or yawning, stays abnormally open. This allows air and sound to flow continuously into the middle ear, causing autophony, a condition where a person hears their own voice or breathing abnormally loudl

BTS Chile concerts approved after revised stage plans

Chile has approved BTS’ scheduled concerts at Santiago’s Estadio Nacional after the concert promoter revised production plans to address concerns of potential damage to the venue’s playing field. According to Chile’s Ministry of Sports, the National Sports Institute approved a revision submitted by local promoter DG Medios on Tuesday. The revised proposal incorporates technical modifications designed to protect the stadium’s sports infrastructure. Authorities therefore concluded that the concert

Hyolyn

BTS

NewJeans anniversary videos spark comeback speculation, but Ador says nothing decided

NewJeans' first group content in more than a year has fueled speculation about the group's return, but Ador said Wednesday that no decisions have been made regarding future activities. The agency released five videos on the group's official YouTube channel at midnight Wednesday to mark the fourth anniversary of NewJeans' debut — one featuring the group together and four individual videos. The group video drew particular attention as it featured Minji, whose future with the agency had remained un

BTS

Korea bets $108 mil. on AI to fuel next wave of K-culture

Korea has spent more than two decades perfecting the art of the cross-border pop phenomenon. Now, government officials are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property rights to ensure the nation’s cultural juggernaut doesn't run out of steam. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) jointly announced, Wednesday, the launch of a 150 billion won ($108 million) K-Culture Value-Up Fund. The public-private vehicle represents Seoul’s largest target-driven effort to date aimed at pairing state-backed venture capital with emerging technology in the creative arts. Under the plan, the government will chip in 50 billion won from state coffers, flanked by 30 billion won from the state-run Korea Development Bank and the Advanced Strategic Industry Fund. Managing institutions hope to leverage that anchor seed into attracting more than 70 billion won in private capital. The strategy marks a structural pivot for Korea’s cultural policy. Previous state-guided venture funds in media and entertainment hovered around 50 billion won,

SF9’s Jaeyoon to celebrate birthday with fans at 1st solo meetup

Jaeyoon of SF9 will host his first solo fan meeting in Seoul on Aug. 8, according to agency FNC Entertainment on Wednesday. He will meet and greet fans twice that day under the title "Our Summer," just oen day before his birthday. Jaeyoon is the main vocalist of SF9, which released the special album “About Love” in March to mark its 10th anniversary. The group dropped a Japanese-language version of the album in June and held fan meetups in Tokyo and Osaka, during which the bandmates hinted at a

CORTIS

Jaeyoon

Madein

Madein’s Mashiro to drop 1st solo EP

Mashiro of Madein is set to release her first solo EP “24/11” on Aug. 19, agency 143 Entertainment announced Wednesday. She plans to unveil her first solo performance on July 31 at the group’s Madein Link Up 2026 concert in Kobe, Japan, which will be free to all fans. The show will feature the same four members featured on the group's second single album "Girl Meets Boy." Originally comprising six members, two Korean members left the group in December. Mashiro, a Japanese national, is the leader

Madein

BTS

Kep1er

KATSEYE teases dark, cinematic return with new single 'Animal'

Global girl group KATSEYE is turning up the intrigue ahead of its upcoming comeback. Formed under a historic joint venture between HYBE Labels and Geffen Records, the group announced Tuesday that it will drop its new single, "Animal," this Friday at 1 p.m., accompanied by a tantalizing music video teaser. Unveiled on the HYBE Labels YouTube channel, the teaser opens with member Megan striding into an office setting, dressed in a striking red mini dress and sleek black leather jacket. As members Sophia, Lara and Yoonchae exchange knowing glances in sharp, tailored office attire, Daniela steals the scene with a playful wink. The visually rich clip effortlessly blends contrasting styles — pairing polished suits and short haircuts with high-fashion stiletto heels and elaborate evening dresses. Adding to the mystery, the word "freaky" briefly flashes across the screen, spelled out across a set of impossibly long, sharp red nails resting beneath a smiling mouth, followed by a fleeting melodic line about keeping secrets safe. Accompanying single art leans heavily into cinematic suspense, sho

Katseye

NCT Wish, RESCENE to headline pool party at Everland's Caribbean Bay this week

Everland’s iconic water park, Caribbean Bay, is dialing up the summer heat this week with an explosive lineup of top K-pop talent, Samsung C&T’s resort division said Wednesday. Returning for its second consecutive year in partnership with Samsung Card, the Water Music Pool Party offers a thrill unlike any other: Visitors can groove to live music while immersed in an artificial wave pool with swells reaching up to 2.4 meters high. The star-studded roster kicks off Friday with rising boy group NCT Wish, followed by boy band The Wind on Saturday. On Sunday, five-member girl group RESCENE takes center stage. Driven by a viral YouTube catchphrase and a social media following topping 10 million across YouTube and Instagram, RESCENE has dominated Korean music charts this year with hit tracks "Love Attack" and "Pretty Girl." Fans online have already dubbed a trip to the water park paired with a RESCENE performance the ultimate summer combo. The momentum continues into next week, featuring girl group Fifty Fifty on July 28 and BTOB's Minhyuk on July 31. Throughout August, weekend festival-go

BTS unveils 'NORMAL' live clip amid unstoppable 'ARIRANG' tour

There is a standard physics to modern pop stardom: drop an album, ignite social media, paint the charts red and quietly retreat before saturation sets in. Then there is BTS, a seven-member phenomenon operating entirely on its own cosmic clock. Four months after releasing its blockbuster fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," the group shows zero intention of slowing down. Instead, it is doubling down with an intoxicating blend of quiet traditional grandeur and megawatt global showmanship. At midnight Wednesday, BigHit Music released a live performance video for the track “NORMAL,” filmed at Seonhyewon, a traditional Korean architectural estate. Following the evocative video for their title track “SWIM,” the clip wraps the members in the serene, minimalist aesthetic of classical Korean heritage. Against the quiet winds of the historic courtyard, the group's raw, unvarnished vocals resonate with intimate precision — so crisp you can hear the softest breath before every high note. It is already the fifth music video from "ARIRANG," accompanying a steady stream of extra content that inclu

BTS

Cortis tops 300m Spotify streams with 2nd EP

Cortis crossed the 300 million streams mark on Spotify with its second EP “Greengreen” as of Monday, its label Big Hit Music said Wednesday. The mini album achieved the feat in 77 days, and added 100 million streams in about a month despite already concluding promotions. The main single “Redred” accounted for half of the plays, and has spent 12 weeks straight on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs Global, ranking No. 109 on the most recent tally. "Greengreen" logged 10 consecutive weeks on the Billboard

Mamamoo

BTS

CORTIS

BTS still going strong on Billboard charts

BTS is spending its 17th week on Billboard’s Hot 100 with “Swim,” according to the latest chart published Tuesday in the US. The main track from its fifth studio album “Arirang” sat at No. 100 on the main songs chart, tying the group's charting streak with “My Universe,” a Coldplay collaboration from 2021. “Swim” has stayed among the top five on Billboard Global excl. US, sitting at No. 2 for seven weeks straight. It spent the most weeks atop the chart, at eight, for a song released this year as

BTS

Mamamoo

'Dracula' featuring Jennie maintains No. 5 on Billboard 100

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- "Dracula," a collaboration between Jennie of K-pop gi

P.O Suffers Minor Injuries In Car Accident

Block B’s P.O sustained minor injuries after being involved in a car accident in Jeju. On July 22, a media outlet reported that P.O was hit by a vehicle at around 9:56 p.m. KST on July 19 on a street in Jeju. According to the report, emergency responders transported P.O to the emergency room of

P.O

Block B