ENHYPEN

Sunghoon of Enhypen, a former figure skater, carried the Olympic torch for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, set to open Friday, according to his agency Belift Lab. The area near Milan’s Bolivar Station, where Sunghoon ran his segment of the torch relay, drew fans from around the world. As Sunghoon began his run after receiving the flame, crowds moved with him along the route. He marched for about 20 minutes with residents and fans, smiling and waving, before passing the torch to

How much is too much to pay to see a K-pop artist in person? Across K-pop, the cost of attending a concert has risen steadily, reshaping what it means to participate in the fandom. What was once an expensive but attainable experience is increasingly slipping out of reach for many, as ticket prices climb faster than rising production costs alone can justify. That tension became visible again last year, when ticket sales opened for boy band ENHYPEN’s world tour finale, “WALK THE LINE : FINAL.” At the October concert, seats in the Sound Check tier — premium packages that included access to the artist’s sound check ahead of the actual show — were priced at 220,000 won ($157 at the time). The M&G tier, which offered brief in-person greetings with members before or after the show, was set at 253,000 won, while general admission cost 165,000 won. Compared with the group’s 2024 concerts, M&G prices rose by 27 percent, while Sound Check and general seats increased by around 11 percent, well above average inflation rates, even taking into account the broader surge in consumer prices.

"Golden" from the original soundtrack of Netflix's animated film sensation "KPop Demon Hunters" placed fourth on the latest U.S. Billboard singles chart. According to Billboard's chart released Tuesday (U.S. time), "Golden" remained at No. 4 on the Hot 100 for a second consecutive week, extending its streak to 32 weeks on the chart. The track won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday, marking the first-ever Grammy victory for a K-pop genre song. Another track from the same soundtrack, "How It's Done," ranked 59th this week. Hybe's U.S.-based girl group Katseye placed two songs on the chart — "Gabriela" at No. 29 and "Internet Girl" at No. 80 — while its second EP "Beautiful Chaos" came in at No. 56 on the Billboard 200. The group's first EP "SIS (Soft Is Strong)" ranked No. 138. On the albums chart, the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack stood at No. 8, while K-pop boy group Enhypen's latest album "The Sin: Vanish," which debuted at No. 2 last week, dropped to No. 21. Another boy group Stray Kids' "Do It" stayed at No. 88.