Jan 01, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Former LOONA member CHUU revealed a dramatic blonde hair and glasses transformation in new teasers for her first full album "XO, My Cyberlove," set to release January 7, 2026. The album explores digital-age love through nine tracks, with concept teasers featuring AI-human dialogue about emotional connection in virtual spaces.
Jan 01, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
EXO's Baekhyun launches three sold-out encore concerts at Seoul's KSPO Dome (January 2-4, 2026), concluding his 37-show "Reverie" world tour that began in June 2025. The final January 4 show streams live on Muniverse, following the tour's success across 28 cities worldwide.
Jan 01, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
RIIZE opens 2026 with ambitious goals following standout year-end performances at the Melon Music Awards, as the SM Entertainment group prepares for their historic Tokyo Dome debut in February and world tour finale in Seoul this March. The six members shared their reflections on 2025's breakthrough year and revealed excitement for upcoming milestones including their Japanese single "All of You" and record-breaking concert schedule.
Jan 01, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Rookie K-pop girl group KIIRAS made history as the first K-pop act to headline Malaysia's Sunway Velocity New Year's Eve Countdown on December 31, performing for 3,000 fans in Kuala Lumpur. The milestone performance featured leader Lingling, Malaysia's first female K-pop idol, marking a significant achievement just seven months after the group's May 2025 debut.
Jan 01, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BTS V becomes the first international artist honored at France's Palace of Versailles after fans adopted a permanent stone bench in the Trianon gardens for his 30th birthday through the palace's official heritage program.
Jan 01, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
BTS deleted all posts from their official Instagram account on January 1, 2026, hours after confirming their March 20 comeback—their first full-group album in nearly four years. The surprise social media wipe, combined with handwritten letters sent to fans revealing the date, has intensified anticipation for the group's return following military service.
Dec 30, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Korean hip-hop producer ZICO won Best Producer at the 2025 Melon Music Awards for his work on JENNIE's chart-topping "Like JENNIE" and guiding BOYNEXTDOOR to triple million-seller status with three consecutive albums exceeding one million sales. The KOZ Entertainment founder expanded his influence through Japanese collaborations including "DUET" with YOASOBI's Lilas and will appear as a producer on Show Me the Money 12 premiering January 2026.
Dec 30, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
SM Entertainment's rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts won the IS Rising Star award at the 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards on November 15, while Indonesian member Carmen made history as the first SM Indonesian idol to receive an individual award with her Trend of the Year (Rookie) trophy. The group, which debuted in February 2025 with record-breaking album sales of 408,880 copies in the first week, will launch their first North American showcase tour in March 2026 following sold-out fan meetings in Seoul.
Dec 30, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
BLACKPINK's Jennie opens her first photo exhibition "J2NNI5" in Seoul from January 16-29, 2025, featuring unreleased photos from when she was 25 captured by renowned Korean photographers, with all ticket proceeds donated to charity.
Dec 30, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
aespa's Winter sparked renewed dating rumors with BTS's Jungkook after saying "Hey, are you watching?" during a January 2025 cooking video with "Culinary Class Wars" winner Napoli Matfia, prompting SM Entertainment to pursue legal action against malicious online content targeting the K-pop idol following months of speculation about matching tattoos and couple items.
Dec 29, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Yoo Jae-suk won his record 21st career Daesang at the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards on December 29, marking his ninth MBC Grand Prize amid a scandal-plagued year that saw Park Na-rae, SHINee's Key, and Lee Yi-kyung exit major variety shows. The veteran host's acceptance speech drew praise for thanking former cast member Lee Yi-kyung despite recent tensions, while "The Wonder Coach" starring Kim Yeon-koung dominated with six awards including Program of the Year.
Dec 29, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Show Me The Money 12 returns January 15, 2026 on Mnet and TVING after a three-year hiatus, featuring star producers ZICO, Jay Park, GRAY, and Crush in Korea's first hip-hop survival show co-produced with a streaming platform. The season has already generated over 22 million pre-premiere views across social media, signaling massive anticipation for the legendary competition's comeback.
Dec 29, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
BLACKPINK's Rosé claimed first place on TC Candler's "100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2025" list released December 28, becoming the second BLACKPINK member to achieve the honor after Lisa's 2021 win. The rankings showcased strong K-pop representation with Korean artists dominating the top tier, including aespa's Karina (8th), BLACKPINK's Jisoo (11th), and BTS's V leading Korean male artists at 7th place.
Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang earns spot at number 117 on Variety's list of 120 most powerful entertainment executives for driving company's expansion beyond K-pop into global markets.
Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Korean rock band FT Island held their third annual FTSODE year-end concert on December 27-28, 2025, at Kwangwoon University in Seoul, featuring an awards ceremony theme where members and fan club Primadonna celebrated the year together. The band will continue the FTSODE series in Taipei on January 24-25, 2026, as they approach their 18th anniversary since debuting in 2007.
Jan 28, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Jan 21, 2026 PM EST - Hannah
Korea - 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
