Dec 17, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
DL Group heiress and influencer Lee Joo-young shared backstage photos with BIGBANG's G-Dragon on Instagram following his Übermensch World Tour finale in Seoul on December 14, revealing their longtime friendship dating back to the group's early days. The post highlights the intersection of Korea's chaebol elite and K-pop entertainment world, as Lee—a Georgetown Law student and fourth-generation heir—maintains close ties with the K-pop icon who just wrapped the largest tour by a Korean solo artist with 825,000 fans across 39 shows.
Dec 16, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
BIGBANG's G-Dragon has been named to Hypebeast's 2025 list of 100 most influential figures in contemporary culture, marking his record ninth selection since 2013 as the only K-pop artist featured this year. The recognition follows his successful Übermensch world tour that drew 825,000 fans across 39 shows and his performance at the 2025 APEC Summit for world leaders.
Dec 16, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
IVE joins BTS, BLACKPINK, and other major K-pop groups in ending fan gift acceptance, with Starship Entertainment announcing December 15 that only fan letters will be permitted as the industry shifts away from material gift culture. The policy change reflects growing concerns about financial pressure on fans and marks a broader transformation in how K-pop fandoms express support, with fourth-generation groups increasingly launching with gift restrictions already in place.
Dec 16, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
EXO announced their eighth studio album REVERXE will release January 19, 2026, following a sold-out fan meeting where five members performed the pre-release single "I'm Home" and classic hits. The nine-track comeback marks the K-pop group's first full album in two and a half years, with six members participating while EXO-CBX remains in contract negotiations with SM Entertainment.
Dec 13, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
K-pop acts DAY6, Chung Ha, and KIIRAS released Christmas singles in December 2025, with DAY6 dropping their first-ever holiday track "Lovin' the Christmas" on December 15 after 10 years, Chung Ha returning with "Christmas Promises: Again" on December 5, and rookie group KIIRAS debuting their festive song "KIIRASMAS" on December 8. These releases join Korea's tradition of seasonal songs that annually re-enter charts, similar to EXO's "The First Snow," which topped charts a decade after its 2013 release following a viral TikTok challenge.
Dec 13, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
LE SSERAFIM's December 14 Shanghai fan meeting was cancelled just 48 hours before the event after Chinese authorities allegedly demanded the exclusion of Japanese members Sakura and Kazuha, a discriminatory requirement HYBE reportedly refused. The cancellation is part of Beijing's broader cultural purge against Japanese entertainment following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's November 7 Taiwan comments, with over 30 Japanese performer events cancelled in China from November to December 2025 alone.
Dec 13, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Seoul theaters EMK Musical Company and Charlotte Theater have launched permanent AI-powered subtitle glasses that display real-time captions with 98% accuracy, making South Korea one of the first countries to offer the technology as a standard service for hearing-impaired audiences and international visitors at live musical performances. The ExpertINC "Owl" glasses, available for $11 per show, mark a shift from limited barrier-free performances to always-available accessibility in Korean entertainment venues.
Dec 13, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
BIGBANG's Daesung released his trot single "Hando Chogwa" on December 10, 2024, featuring production from G-Dragon and KUSH, with TWICE's Sana appearing in the music video. During a December 12 radio interview, Daesung confirmed BIGBANG will perform at Coachella 2026 on April 12 and 19 as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations.
Dec 12, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Bruno Mars confirmed in a December 2024 Billboard interview that he and BLACKPINK's Rosé recorded an unreleased second collaboration beyond their chart-topping hit "APT.," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned three Grammy nominations including Song of the Year.
Dec 11, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
MONSTA X celebrates their 10th anniversary with a concert film release, four-city US iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour in December, and their first world tour in four years launching January 2026 in Seoul. The K-pop group achieved their first Billboard 200 entry with a Korean album through "THE X" and released new single "baby blue" ahead of their international performances.
Dec 11, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Lee Byung-hun becomes the first Korean actor nominated for a lead acting Golden Globe, competing against DiCaprio, Chalamet, Clooney, Hawke, and Plemons. His film "No Other Choice" earned three total nominations, while "KPop Demon Hunters" also secured three nods, marking Korean content's strongest Golden Globes showing to date.
Dec 11, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
UNIS releases second Japanese digital single "mwah…" on December 17, featuring production by KORESAWA and choreography by Osaka Ojo Gang's Hana. The track continues the group's Japanese expansion following collaborations with HoneyWorks and noa.
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
BLACKPINK's ROSÉ made history as "APT." became the first K-pop song to reach the top 10 on Billboard's 2025 year-end Hot 100 chart at No. 9, while Netflix's "K-Pop Demon Hunters" soundtrack placed seven songs on the year-end ranking, demonstrating K-pop's sustained mainstream dominance in Western markets.
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
BLACKPINK's Jennie shared Instagram photos from the group's sold-out November 22-23, 2025 DEADLINE World Tour concerts at Philippine Arena in Manila, featuring her red corset stage outfit and behind-the-scenes moments. The post, captioned "Always a good time with you Philippines," gave fans a glimpse of the K-pop star's performances and backstage personality during BLACKPINK's return to the Philippines.
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dating rumors between BTS Jungkook and aespa Winter escalated into protest truck demonstrations outside HYBE headquarters in Seoul on December 9-10, 2025, sparked by alleged matching tattoos seen in Disney+'s "Are You Sure?!" Season 2. SM Entertainment announced legal action against malicious posts targeting Winter on December 10, while both BigHit Music and SM Entertainment remain silent on the relationship speculation that has circulated since July 2025.
Dec 19, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 18, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 17, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
Tech - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
