Aug 26, 2025 AM EDT - Hannah
HUNTR/X's "Golden" from Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" has returned to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second non-consecutive week, making history as the first K-pop female group to top the chart while the soundtrack becomes the first ever to place four songs simultaneously in the Hot 100's top 10.
Aug 26, 2025 AM EDT - Hannah
K-pop soloist Sunmi has returned after a 14-month hiatus with "BLUE!", featuring a provocative teaser that opens with a cockroach metaphor and showcases her dramatic transformation with a golden bob haircut and rock-influenced bass guitar concept. The self-written track, released August 26, serves as a pre-release single before her upcoming physical album and explores themes of youth, relationships, and transformation.
Aug 25, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
CORTIS, BIGHIT Music's first new boy group in six years, debuted on August 18, 2025, as a self-producing "creator crew" following BTS and TXT's legacy. The five-member teen group topped YouTube's global trending chart with their experimental debut "What You Want" despite mixed reception about their departure from traditional K-pop sounds.
Aug 25, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
IVE released their fourth mini album 'IVE SECRET' with title track "XOXZ" on August 25, 2025, showcasing a more emotionally complex sound after their historic summer performances at Lollapalooza Berlin and Paris as the first K-pop girl group to achieve this milestone.
Aug 22, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang has been appointed as a Professional Member of the Recording Academy, giving him authority to submit Grammy entries and propose rule changes, as part of HYBE's broader strategy that has already secured voting memberships for 16 of its artists and producers.
Aug 22, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Stray Kids released their fourth studio album "KARMA" on August 22, 2025, featuring a sports-themed concept and surprise cameo from League of Legends legend Faker in the "CEREMONY" music video. The release continues their historic Billboard success as the first act to debut six consecutive albums at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Aug 22, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
International fan groups coordinated massive birthday celebrations across Seoul for BTS member Jungkook's 27th birthday on September 1, 2024, creating elaborate photo zones, citywide subway advertisements, and donating $7,550 to a children's hospital despite the artist being unable to participate due to his mandatory military service.
Aug 22, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang addressed Oscar speculation during her first Seoul visit since "K-Pop Demon Hunters" became Netflix's biggest animated hit, humbly stating that industry recognition "would be a tremendous honor" while emphasizing she didn't create the work with awards in mind. The film, which took seven years to develop, has achieved record-breaking success with 158.8 million views and is now being considered for Academy Awards in both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song categories.
Aug 21, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
BTS member Jin achieved his fifth victory in Mubeat's July 2025 fan voting with "Don't Say You Love Me," earning 263,334 votes while also becoming the first Asian artist to reach #1 on Spotify's Global chart in 2025.
Aug 21, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Stray Kids dominated the 2025 K-World Dream Awards in Seoul on August 21, winning four major trophies including the fan-voted Group Popularity Award with over 1.6 billion votes, while IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and NCT WISH each secured three awards at the prestigious K-pop ceremony.
Aug 21, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Korean rapper Verbal Jint and R&B vocalist Heize released their new collaboration "Replay" on August 21, 2025, marking their first musical partnership since appearing together on Mnet's "Unpretty Rapstar 2" in 2015. The melancholic single explores themes of heartbreak and recurring memories through Verbal Jint's smooth rap flow and Heize's ethereal vocals.
Aug 21, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Min Jiwoon has made history as the first artist to debut under SM Entertainment's new contemporary R&B label KRUCIALIZE with her EP "Pink, then grey," marking SM's first female solo artist launch in years. The six-track album features double title songs "Scared of Love" and "byebye," both written and composed entirely by Min Jiwoon herself, exploring the complete emotional journey of love from excitement to farewell.
Aug 20, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop girl group to headline Wembley Stadium, selling out two consecutive nights (August 15-16, 2025) with 90,000 fans each show as part of their DEADLINE World Tour. This milestone achievement places them alongside BTS as the only K-pop acts to command the iconic London venue.
Aug 20, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates made a rare entertainment appearance on South Korea's hit talk show "You Quiz on the Block" during his business trip to Seoul, marking an unusual crossover between global tech leadership and Korean entertainment. The episode aired in August as part of Gates' broader Korea visit focused on expanding philanthropic partnerships with major Korean conglomerates.
Aug 20, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Kakao Games CEO Han Sang-woo is using the medieval zombie survival game "God Save Birmingham" to test the company's strategic shift from RPG-focused titles toward Western-friendly genres, with early access planned for late 2026. The move represents the Korean publisher's broader effort to break into global markets, with the historically accurate 14th-century Birmingham-set game serving as a critical testcase for whether Korean developers can succeed in Western-dominated survival gaming.
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dec 10, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dec 09, 2025 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
K-PEOPLE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
