K-pop acts, including Stray Kids and Seventeen, dominated global album sales last year, taking seven of the top 10 spots on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's (IFPI) Global Album Sales Chart, data showed Friday (U.S. time). Stray Kids' "Karma" came in second on the 2025 ranking, followed by Seventeen's "Happy Burstday" in third place and Enhypen's "Desire: Unleash" in fourth. Global pop star Taylor Swift topped the list with "The Life of a Showgirl." Other K-pop albums in the top 10 included Tomorrow X Together's "The Name Chapter: Together" at No. 6, Zerobaseone's "Never Say Never" at No. 7, Ive's "Ive Empathy" at No. 9, and G-Dragon's "Ubermensch" at No. 10. The IFPI chart, which reflects combined physical album and paid digital download sales, also featured several other Korean releases within the top 20, such as NCT Wish's "Color" (11th), &Team's "Back to Life" (13th), Riize's "Odyssey" (15th), aespa's "Rich Man" (16th), and Boynextdoor's "No Genre" (18th). In IFPI's separate Global Album Chart, which includes streaming data, the original soundtrack of Netfli

With just a month to go until BTS takes the stage at Gwanghwamun Square, anticipation is building across Seoul. The performance — marking the group’s return to full-group activities after over three years — is drawing fans from around the world to the capital. Beyond the square itself, the city is dotted with places tied to BTS’ journey. From historic landmarks to meaningful fan spaces, here are seven stops that add an extra layer of meaning to any concert trip. Gyeongbokgung Jongno-gu, central

K-pop acts, including Stray Kids and Seventeen, dominated global album sales last year, taking seven of the top 10 spots on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's Global Album Sales Chart, data showed Friday. Stray Kids' "Karma" came in second on the 2025 ranking, followed by Seventeen's "Happy Burstday" in third place and Enhypen's "Desire: Unleash" in fourth. Global pop star Taylor Swift topped the list with "The Life of a Showgirl." Other K-pop albums in the top 10 includ

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- K-pop acts, including Stray Kids and Seventeen, domin...

BTS member V has expressed discomfort after his private messages with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin were cited as evidence in a court ruling tied to her ongoing legal dispute with HYBE, with the company saying the singer never intended to support any of her claims. On Feb. 20, V posted a screenshot of a news report on his personal social media account, addressing the disclosure of his KakaoTalk conversation with Min. He stressed that the exchange was part of a personal conversation between acquaintances and should not be interpreted as him taking sides. "It was part of a private, everyday conversation shared in empathy because she was an acquaintance," V said. "I had absolutely no intention of siding with either party. I am also very taken aback that this conversation was submitted as evidence without my consent." HYBE echoed the sentiment, cautioning against overinterpretation. "Because it was a private exchange with an acquaintance, he was simply responding in an empathetic way. It has been confirmed that he did not agree with any specific claims made by the other party," a HYBE officia

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has hit 100 million subscr...