Busan indie-pop trio hathaw9y self-produced their sophomore album 'Lovers,' an ’80s-inspired record about introverted ways of loving. The band enlisted Lim Sung-wan (Say Sue Me) and saxophonist Kang Min-jin as collaborators and will hold showcases in Seoul (July 18) and Busan (July 25)
AOMG’s new five-member girl crew Keyveatz officially debuted with the EP OXY_GEN and title track “OXY,” promoting a girlish hip-hop identity rooted in subculture. Members Son Ju-one, Newy, Um Ji-one, Kim Yu-na and Kang Ye-seul highlighted their role in songwriting and live experience
BigHit Music apologized after rookie boy group CORTIS were late boarding a Paris flight due to traffic delays and denied claims they disrupted departure or changed clothes, saying the circulated photos were from last October during a Japan return
Suga of BTS reportedly invested in SpaceX via Link Asset Partners and has seen at least a 20x return (potentially up to ~40x depending on timing); BigHit Music did not comment. BTS has started its European 'ARIRANG' tour
The fifth "BTS: A Global Interdisciplinary Conference" will be held at Jeonbuk National University to examine BTS's cultural influence after ARIRANG and military service, with panels on fandom, AI, globalization, sustainability and a pansori reinterpretation of ARIRANG
Babymonster kicked off their second world tour 'Choom' at Jamsil Indoor Stadium (June 26–28), performing as a six-member unit during Rami's health hiatus. A live band lent many songs a rock-festival intensity as the 18-city, 29-show run prepares stops across five continents
Tomorrow X Together will release their fifth Japanese single, "Setsuna Hanabi," on Aug. 19; the four-track single includes three new Japanese songs and a rearranged title, and the group will hold a live showcase in Tokyo on release day
Five-member girl group RESCENE, which debuted in March 2024 under The Muse Entertainment, has broken out after viral gyaru-style content boosted tracks like "LOVE ATTACK," drawing renewed chart attention and inclusion in a new government support program for small K-pop agencies
BigHit Music says it will pursue criminal action after a GPS tracker was found on CORTIS's vehicle, citing stalking, illegal sale of flight information and other privacy violations during international schedules; the agency is urging strict investigations and vowed zero tolerance
Wanna One alum Park Ji-hoon has sold out fan concerts in Seoul, Hong Kong and Taipei as part of his Re:flect Asia tour — his first Asian tour in seven years — with shows across eleven cities including stops in Japan, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and more
BTS’s fifth studio album Arirang earned 3.8 billion global streams in eight weeks, while the Arirang tour has grossed over $200 million and sold more than 1.1 million tickets, with the group reportedly surpassing The Rolling Stones’ boxscore record
Big Hit Music warned Cortis fans after alleged doxxing, manipulated photos and stalking incidents — including circulated flight details and claims of GPS tracking — saying it has filed lawsuits and complaints and will pursue legal action to protect the group's safety
![[K-pop Report Card] From meme hooks to industrial pop, here's what defined K-pop's wildest 2 months](https://newsimg.koreatimes.co.kr/2026/06/28/aecdd902-7314-4b4f-967f-89c56207b8f7.jpeg)
The Korea Times’ K-pop Report Card reviews May–June releases, praising standout efforts from NMIXX, Taeyang, ITZY and aespa while critiquing nostalgia-leaning choices from BABYMONSTER and mixed experiments from Billlie, ZEROBASEONE, BOYNEXTDOOR and others
TXT member Yeonjun will perform at Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series in New York on August 7, about a month after his solo comeback NO LABELS: PART 02 is due on July 10
LE SSERAFIM has been added to the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup and will perform on Day 2 (Sept. 19) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, while BTS will headline Day 1 (Sept. 18)
ATEEZ's mini album "GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5," led by title track "BAD," sold over 1.1 million copies within four days of its June 26 release, becoming the group's sixth album to surpass one million first-week sales
Mnet’s Street World Fighter: Directors’ War revealed its main poster featuring 10 choreographers (NAIN, RENAN, BADA, Back Kooyoung, BABYZOO, Simeez, INGYOO, Jeong Minjun, KASPER, Hash) and will premiere August 18 at 10:00 PM KST on Mnet and tvN
ACON 2026, the Asia Artist Awards pre-show on July 25 in Taipei, will be hosted by ZEROBASEONE's Sung Han Bin and features special cover stages from MEOVV, Xdinary Heroes, Yena, CLOSE YOUR EYES, KISS OF LIFE, NEXZ, QWER and more — including a Michael Jackson tribute and MEOVV's cover of BTS' "Dynamite."
tripleS member YuBin will temporarily suspend all activities to focus on recovery after medical staff advised sufficient rest, MODHAUS announced June 30. She will miss upcoming domestic and international events and fan signings following her collapse at the June 26 MyK FESTA concert
Producer-artist CODE KUNST reportedly ended his eight-year relationship, according to a June 30 report; his agency duover said it is difficult to comment on the artist's private life
BELIFT LAB announced it is continuing legal action against those posting malicious comments and violating ENHYPEN members' privacy, confirmed the suspect in last year's illegal intrusion has been identified and referred to prosecutors, and warned offenders may face bans from fan events
BIGHIT MUSIC apologized after posts claimed K-pop group CORTIS delayed a Paris–Incheon flight; the agency said boarding on June 26 was held up by road congestion from a traffic accident, denied other allegations (saying the incident dated to last October), and apologized to affected passengers
