BLACKPINK member Jisoo is drawing attention after giving high-end luxury gifts to employees at her agency, in a move that contrasts with ongoing workplace controversy in the entertainment industry. Jisoo, who runs her own agency, Blissoo, recently presented staff with designer bags worth several million won each. The gifts were revealed through employees’ social media posts. Photos shared online showed Dior bags alongside messages such as “I love you, CEO,” “Jisoo is the best,” and “Thank you, boss,” offering a glimpse into the company’s internal atmosphere. The scale of the gifts also stood out. Jisoo, a global ambassador for Dior, personally selected and handed out the luxury items, with multiple bags appearing in the images. Her gesture comes at a time when the Korean entertainment industry is facing a series of allegations involving abuse of power and unfair treatment within management structures. Against that backdrop, Jisoo’s actions are being seen by some as a notable contrast, highlighting a different approach to leadership and workplace culture. Alongside her mus

For Dayoung, her new solo EP “What’s a girl to do” is more than just a comeback. It’s shaped by the music style she practiced with during her trainee years and the kind of artist she wants to become. Set for release on Tuesday, Dayoung’s second EP, “What’s a girl to do,” marks a stylistic shift from her previous EP “Gonna love me, right?” drawing more heavily on early-2000s R&B and dance-pop influences. “I have a lot of nostalgia for that era,” said Dayoung during a round table interview in sout

An accident at a K-pop group Super Junior concert sparked concern after several fans fell from the stands, while member Ryeowook drew praise for staying with injured concert attendees. The incident occurred on April 5, the final day of the group’s three-day encore concert for its 20th anniversary tour “Super Show 10,” held at the KSPO Dome in Seoul’s Olympic Park. According to reports, the accident happened toward the end of the show, when band members moved closer to the audience. As Ryeowook approached the stands and reached out, a temporary safety fence collapsed, causing three fans to fall. Footage and eyewitness accounts captured the moment, with Ryeowook seen clutching his head in shock. Fans at the venue said Ryeowook quickly called for safety staff and later accompanied the injured fans to the hospital. One of the fans involved shared an update on social media, saying, “Thank you to everyone who was concerned. Thankfully, X-rays and CT scans showed no serious injuries.” The fan added, “Only two guardians were allowed into the examination room, so I thought the members

A taxi driver who attempted to overcharge a member of K-pop group TXT has been suspended from operating, after the incident sparked backlash both in South Korea and the Philippines. According to a report aired Monday on JTBC’s “Chief Investigator,” member Soobin was targeted in a taxi fare scam while traveling in Cebu, a popular tourist destination in the Philippines. The incident was originally revealed through the group’s official YouTube channel, where Soobin shared footage of a trip to Cebu with a friend. After arriving at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the two took a taxi to their accommodation. Before boarding, Soobin had checked that the expected fare was around 300 pesos ($5.30). However, the driver initially demanded 500 pesos, then raised the price mid-ride, claiming fuel costs were high and asking for 1,000 pesos. The driver continued to push for a higher fare, but after a tense exchange, Soobin ultimately agreed to pay 500 pesos — still significantly above the expected price. The video quickly spread online, drawing criticism not only from fans but also from loca

Boy group And2ble uploaded its first batch of photographs as a team, agency YH Entertainment announced Tuesday. The five members — Zhang Hao, Yoo Seungeon, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin and Han Yujin — are slated to begin activities as the new group on May 26. Yoo had debuted as part of Evnne, a seven-member group formed through the audition show Boys Planet, in 2023. He left the project group in January, teaming up with former Zerobaseone members to form And2ble. Zerobaseone, comprising nine members, was a

A growing crisis at K-pop agency One Hundred Label and its subsidiary Big Planet Made Entertainment is triggering a wave of artist departures, with singer-actor Lee Seung-gi becoming the latest to terminate his contract. On Monday, Lee’s legal representative said that he notified the agency of contract termination in late March, citing violations of the exclusive agreement. The contract has been “lawfully terminated,” his side said. Big Planet Made said it is “doing its best to normalize management as quickly as possible” and added that it is continuing discussions to resolve the matter amicably. At the center of Lee’s departure are allegations of unpaid staff costs. According to his side, “Despite various issues surrounding the agency and some unpaid settlement amounts, we tried to maintain trust. However, problems arose in supporting entertainment activities and paying staff and external vendors.” Lee is not alone. Several artists have either left or are seeking to leave the agency, fueling what fans are calling a “mass exodus.” K-pop boy band The Boyz is currently d

The lives of veteran K-pop group Shinhwa members and their families have suddenly become a hot topic online, as a series of updates — from a wedding to personal struggles — spark widespread attention. The buzz began with member Lee Min-woo, who married his partner Lee A-mi on March 29. The wedding drew congratulations from fans, especially as Lee had already become a father of two after welcoming a daughter last year. Most Shinhwa members attended the ceremony, with Jun Jin and Andy Lee taking on hosting duties. However, the absence of Shin Hye-sung quickly became a talking point. Shin has largely stayed out of the public eye since his 2022 drunk driving case. He has since halted outside activities. Adding to the attention, a group photo from the wedding featuring members and their spouses spread across social media. Eric Mun, Kim Dong-wan, Andy Lee and Jun Jin appeared alongside their wives, including actress Na Hye-mi and Ryu Yi-seo. Eric, who has not appeared in a drama for six years, drew particular attention for his noticeably fuller appearance while holding his child, with fans

Wanna One marked the launch of its reality show, “Wanna One Go: Back to Base,” in a meet-and-greet event with fans in Seoul on Monday. Nine members of the 11-piece act assembled for the “opening ceremony” at the exact venue they used to exchange greetings with fans when they participated in the second season of K-pop competition “Produce 101,” donning gray uniforms that hark back to the 2017 show. Kang Daniel and Lai Kuanlin were absent — the former as he has enlisted for his mandatory military

Monsta X shared plans for the North American leg of its “The X: Nexus” tour via agency Starship Entertainment on Tuesday. The group will visit 10 cities in the US and Canada, starting in Fairfax, Virginia, on Oct. 3. Tour stops include New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as Toronto. The group of six kicked off the tour with three shows in Seoul in January. On the last day of the Seoul show, I.M cut his hair on stage. He enlisted the following month. The remaining bandmates a

In its second week on Billboard’s Hot 100, BTS lead single “Swim” backstroked down a rung to No. 2, according to the chart preview published Monday in the US. The single made a chart-topping debut on the main songs chart the previous week and has since maintained the top spot in terms of digital sales. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” returned to the top spot of the Hot 100 for a fifth week since it was released in February. “Swim” is the main track from the band’s fifth studio album “Arirang,” w

"Swim," the lead track from BTS' fifth studio album "Arirang," has slipped one spot to No. 2 on the US Billboard's main singles chart. The upbeat alternative pop track came in behind chart-topper Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of April 11, according to a Billboard preview released Monday (US time). Meanwhile, the 14-track album ruled the Billboard 200 albums chart for two consecutive weeks, making history for a K-pop act to achieve the feat. "Arirang" explo

"Swim," the lead track from BTS' fifth studio album "Arirang," has slipped one spot to No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard's main singles chart. The upbeat alternative pop track came in behind chart-topper Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of April 11, according to a Billboard preview released Monday (U.S. time). Meanwhile, the 14-track album ruled the Billboard 200 albums chart for two consecutive weeks, making history for a K-pop act to achieve the feat. "Arirang" explores the identity of BTS as a group that began in Korea and the universal emotions its members have encountered throughout their lives. "Swim" is an upbeat alternative pop song about navigating life's challenges, with lyrics co-written by the group's front man, RM.

SEOUL. April 7 (Yonhap) -- "Swim," the lead track from BTS' fifth studio album "...

"I really thought only my mom and I would buy my album." It's a blunt admission from Dayoung, the youngest member of K-pop girl group WJSN, but one that frames the unlikely path she’s taken over the past year. When the singer quietly made her solo debut last September with "gonna love me right?" and its viral lead single, "body," she wasn’t thinking about chart success or viral traction. If anything, she was bracing for the worst. "I didn’t have enough confidence," she said during an interview with The Korea Times at Starship Entertainment headquarters, the singer's management label, Thursday. "I was worried if I release physical albums, they would just sit in storage. I didn’t want to get heartbroken by that." Instead, "body" did the exact opposite. The track began to pick up momentum as listeners responded to both its energy and her raw delivery. What started as a cautious solo experiment quickly turned into a defining moment. "I didn’t expect that kind of love at all," the singer said. "But because of that, I got the chance to release another album. That’s something I’m r

After making a striking solo debut with “Body” in September, girl group WJSN’s Dayoung is returning with a follow-up that aims not to repeat that success, but to move in a different direction. Dayoung’s second solo EP, “What’s a Girl To Do,” released Tuesday, follows the strong performance of her first solo, which marked a breakout moment and helped establish her as an act distinct from her image in WJSN. With the new EP, Dayoung further expands her role as a solo artist, taking part in writing

With 200,000 followers on TikTok under the account @dancingbora, Lee Chae-hyun is widely recognized by BTS fans. As a remarkable dancer, ARMYs from around the world seek her classes to learn the moves to the globally famous idol group's songs. Without talent, she would not have made it this far, but there was one other key element. "If it is anything that can promote BTS, I will do it," Lee said without hesitation, when contacted for a visit to her studio for an interview. Her sincerity for the seven-member group is behind the studio’s name Dancing Bora. “Bora” means purple in Korean, a reference to the official color of BTS’ fandom. For Lee, becoming a fan of BTS changed the course of her life. Having majored in musical theater, she performed for a while but found it wasn't right for her and moved on to run a small restaurant with her mom. But then she encountered BTS in 2017. With a passion for dancing, she began uploading her cover dance videos in 2018 to BTS fan communities, back when it was known BTS members kept an eye on these sites. Fans started requesting she teach them,

Boy band KickFlip returned Monday with its fourth EP, “My First Kick,” leaning further into the bright, unruly energy the group has been building since its debut into a bolder collective statement. At a showcase in eastern Seoul, KickFlip introduced the seven-track album as a release built around “firsts,” from entering their 20s to taking on new musical and performance challenges. The album is led by the lead track “Eye-Poppin'," a hyper-punk dance song that channels an aggressive, cheeky kind

Under flashes of lightning and pouring rain, Seventeen brought its seven-month world tour to an emotional close in Incheon, turning what could have been a disruption into one of the most memorable moments of the show. Held April 4-5 at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, boy band Seventeen’s world tour encore concert, “New_,” marked the final stop of the group’s global tour, which began at the same venue in September and spanned 14 cities, drawing more than 900,000 fans online and offline. The encore co

A recent wave of departures by popular idols — from Heeseung of Enhypen to Mark and Ten of NCT — has surprised fans, with multiple members leaving their groups within a single month. Industry insiders, however, say such moves are not unusual, particularly among idols in the later stages of their careers. They point to a combination of artistic ambition, contract cycles and the growing financial independence enabled by social media. Heeseung announced on March 10 that he would leave Enhypen and t

JYP Entertainment's seven-member boy group KickFlip returns Monday with its fourth mini-album "My First Kick" and lead single "Eye-Poppin'," once again fully leaning into the group's bright, boyish energy. The comeback follows last September's "My First Flip," which playfully captured the rush of first love, and marked the group's career high with more than 400,000 copies sold in its first week. This time, KickFlip turns the page to its twenties, framing the new release as both a prologue and a first leap into youth. Just hours ahead of the Monday release, the group met reporters at YES24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, greeting the press with the same loud enthusiasm that has defined the group since its debut. Amaru, who halted activities last September due to health reasons, did not attend. "Through variety shows, a lot of people have come to know us," Juwang said. "But we really want to show that we're also a strong performance group." Minje pointed to the team's chemistry as the foundation of that strength. "Our performances come from how close we are as members," he said. "I

Ten of NCT and WayV has ended his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment as of Monday, the agency confirmed. “After in-depth discussions with Ten regarding his future activities, we have agreed to conclude his exclusive contract as of April 8,” SM Entertainment said in a statement. “We will continue to coordinate so that Ten can participate in WayV and NCT group activities in the future.” The Thai idol’s future participation in NCT and WayV activities are expected to be arranged on a case-by-c

Ten, a member of K-pop boy group NCT, has parted ways with SM Entertainment after his contract expired Wednesday. SM said both parties decided not to renew the contract following in-depth discussions with the artist about his career path. The agency said it plans to coordinate with Ten so he can continue participating in activities with NCT and one of its subunits, WayV. Ten addressed fans in a message released Monday following the announcement. “Since debuting with NCT U in 2016, the time I was able to meet you through NCT and WayV has been filled with truly precious and happy memories in my life,” Ten said. He said the decision followed personal reflection as he approached a new stage in his life. “As time passed and I reached the point of turning 30, I found myself asking new questions about who I am,” he said. “After much thought, I felt a desire to take on new challenges in a new environment.” Ten said he reached his decision after extensive discussions with those around him. “After many conversations and deep consideration with the members and SM staff, I decided to conc