Jan 20, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
The Empire State Building featured BTS member Jin in promotional video content on social media ahead of BTS's March 20, 2026 comeback, following Jin's May 2025 lighting ceremony at the iconic New York landmark celebrating his solo album "Echo." The promotional push comes as BTS prepares to release their first group album in nearly four years and embark on a 79-show world tour across 34 regions.
Jan 20, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
SM Entertainment confirmed on January 20 that a new boy group will debut in 2026 from its SMTR25 trainee pool through the reality show "Reply High School," sparking mixed fan reactions about the agency's ability to manage both new and existing artists including RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts.
Jan 20, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BTS received conditional approval from Korea Heritage Service to film at historic Seoul sites including Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun for their March 2026 comeback, while a final decision on their planned free concert for 15,000-20,000 fans at Gwanghwamun Square is still pending from Seoul authorities.
Jan 19, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BTS is planning a free comeback concert at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square in March 2026 for up to 20,000 fans, pending permit approval from Korean authorities. The historic performance would mark the group's first Korean show since completing military service and coincide with their new album "ARIRANG" release on March 20, 2026.
Jan 19, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
EXO released their eighth studio album "REVERXE" on January 19, 2026, featuring the hard dance title track "Crown" that blends Atlanta trap, heavy metal, and EDM with choreography by Bada Lee and Jrick Baek. The nine-track album marks the group's first release in 30 months with a six-member lineup including Lay's return, while three members remain absent due to contract disputes.
Jan 19, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Korean rock band DAY6 completed sold-out concerts in Hong Kong on January 17-18 as part of their 10th anniversary tour "The DECADE," following their historic achievement as the first Korean band to headline and sell out Goyang Stadium in August 2025. The tour continues across Asia through June 2026 with stops in Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo, and more.
Jan 19, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
ZEROBASEONE leader Sung Hanbin released "Like Spring," the fifth OST for tvN's "Spring Fever" drama on January 20, 2026, continuing his close collaboration with CJ ENM as the group's contract extension approaches its March 2026 conclusion. The release follows Sung Hanbin's prominent CJ ENM roles including M Countdown MC and World of Street Woman Fighter host, as ZEROBASEONE prepares to conclude activities after achieving 9 million album sales since their July 2023 debut.
Jan 18, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BLACKPINK's Jennie opened her first photo exhibition J2NNI5 on January 16, showcasing intimate, never-before-seen photographs from when she was 25 years old, with all ticket proceeds donated to charity. The limited exhibition runs through January 29 at Youthquake in Seoul and features work by renowned Korean photographers Hong Jang Hyun, Shin Sun Hye, and Mok Jung Wook.
Jan 18, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
SEVENTEEN's DK and Seungkwan achieved their first YouTube Korea Trending Music chart No. 1 with "Blue" on January 18, 2026, following a week of music show performances and viral vocal challenges featuring top K-pop vocalists. The duo's debut mini album "Serenade" sold 520,000 copies on its first day, making it one of the rare K-pop unit albums to reach half-million seller status.
Jan 18, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BTS member Jungkook designed the logo for the group's upcoming album "ARIRANG," but the three-circle design sparked controversy when some fans linked it to unconfirmed dating rumors with aespa's Winter, despite the logo representing Korean script. Most fans defended Jungkook's creative work while SM Entertainment announced legal action against those harassing Winter online over the baseless speculation.
Jan 18, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
MAMAMOO's HWASA achieved a triple crown on SBS Inkigayo with "Good Goodbye" on January 18, 2026, securing her fifth music show win and surpassing 700 Perfect All-Kills to claim the second-highest PAK record of all time among Korean artists. The historic achievement comes ahead of her first solo concert on January 17-18 at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, 12 years after her debut.
Jan 15, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
NCT's Doyoung completed basic military training on January 14, 2025, roughly five weeks after enlisting with Jungwoo, sharing uniform photos as he transitions to active-duty service through mid-2027.
Jan 15, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BLACKPINK announces their third mini album "Deadline" drops February 27, 2026, marking their first group release in over three years following the chart-topping success of their single "Jump" and stadium world tour.
Jan 15, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Show Me The Money 12 returned January 15, 2026, after a three-year hiatus with star producers Zico, Crush, Gray, Loco, Jay Park, J-Tong, Hukky Shibaseki, and Lil Moshpit leading the competition. The record-breaking season drew 36,000 applicants from 32 global regions performing in 24 languages, expands to 12 episodes, and debuts TVING's exclusive companion series "The World of Yacha."
Jan 14, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BTS Jin's Marie Claire Korea February 2026 issue dominated Korean bookstore charts with all seven cover editions sweeping top rankings on Aladin, Yes24, and Kyobo, continuing his magazine sales success following similar chart-topping performance with Japan's SPUR magazine.
Jan 18, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Jan 18, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Jan 15, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
K-PEOPLE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
