Hannah : koreaportal

Reporter : Hannah

K-WAVE - Apr 21, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

Hybe's Founder Faces Arrest. BTS's US Tour Opens in Four Days.

South Korean police are seeking an arrest warrant for Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk over alleged securities fraud tied to the company's 2020 IPO, with estimated illegal profits of $129 million — four days before BTS opens its US tour in Tampa.

CONCERTS - Apr 16, 2026 AM EDT - Hannah

ENHYPEN Announces 'BLOOD SAGA' World Tour — 14 Cities, ENGENE Presale Application Closes Sunday

ENHYPEN's BLOOD SAGA world tour announces 15 dates across Latin America, the US, and Europe from July 2026 through March 2027. ENGENE Membership presale application closes Sunday, April 19.

INSIGHTS - Apr 16, 2026 AM EDT - Hannah

South Korea Hit 4.76 Million Tourists in Q1. The Government Credited BTS by Name.

South Korea's Ministry of Culture officially credited a 23 percent Q1 2026 tourism surge to BTS. The 4.76 million foreign arrivals and 55.5 billion won in BTS-linked spending make the group functionally part of national tourism infrastructure.

K-WAVE - Apr 16, 2026 AM EDT - Hannah

Jennie Is the Only Korean on TIME's 100 Most Influential 2026 List. Gracie Abrams Wrote the Tribute.

BLACKPINK's Jennie is the only Korean on TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2026, with Gracie Abrams writing her tribute. Her Ruby album made her the first K-pop female soloist to chart three Hot 100 songs simultaneously.

CONCERTS - Apr 15, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

BIGBANG Coachella 2026, Weekend 1 — The Catalogue Held. Mostly.

BIGBANG's Coachella 2026 Weekend 1 set delivered a confident 60-minute catalogue run from G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung — strongest in its mid-show emotional stretch and Taeyang's solo slot, with T.O.P's absence most audible in the closing "Still Life." Weekend 2 is April 19.

CONCERTS - Apr 15, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

BIGBANG Plays Coachella Again on April 19. Weekend 2 Is Your Last Chance.

BIGBANG performs at Coachella Weekend 2 on April 19, 2026 at 10:30 p.m. PT on the Outdoor Theatre stage — the final confirmed BIGBANG concert date before BIGSHOW: REBORN world tour city announcements are expected from YG Entertainment and Live Nation.

K-WAVE - Apr 15, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

TXT Sold 1.35 Million Copies on Day One. The Album Is Called 7th Year.

Tomorrow X Together's eighth mini-album 7th Year: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns sold 1,357,029 copies on its April 13 release day, marking the group's seventh consecutive million-seller and their first comeback since all five members renewed contracts with Big Hit Music in August 2025.

K-WAVE - Apr 15, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

BTS's "Swim" Dropped Three Spots. Arirang Didn't Move.

BTS's Arirang held No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a third consecutive week as of April 18, 2026 — the first group to achieve the feat in over a decade — while lead single "Swim" dropped to No. 5 on the Hot 100 but continued to lead digital song sales for the third straight week.

REVIEWS - Apr 14, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

TXT 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns — Finally Themselves

TXT's 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns is the group's most personally direct record — the B-sides, especially "Take Me to Nirvana" and "Dream of Mine," outperform the title track "Stick With You," which plays it too safe for the emotional stakes the album builds. Rating: 7/10.

K-WAVE - Apr 14, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

Three NewJeans Members Are in Copenhagen With Staff. ADOR Confirmed It.

ADOR confirmed that NewJeans members Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni visited Copenhagen, Denmark with staff on April 14 — the first confirmed overseas schedule since the group's label dispute, fueling speculation about an upcoming comeback.

K-WAVE - Apr 14, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

BTS Just Did Something No K-Pop Act Has Done Before. ARIRANG Stays at No. 1 for a Third Week.

BTS's ARIRANG held No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a third consecutive week — the first time any K-pop act has achieved the feat, and the first time any group has done so since Mumford & Sons in 2012. "Swim" remains at No. 5 on the Hot 100.

CONCERTS - Apr 13, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

Taemin Made History at Coachella. Then the Sound Cut Out.

SHINee's Taemin made history as the first Korean male solo artist to perform at Coachella 2026, debuting six new songs and overcoming a livestream sound glitch during a 50-minute set on the Mojave Stage. He returns for Weekend 2 on April 18.

K-WAVE - Apr 13, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

TXT's 7TH YEAR Is Out. It's Their First Album Since the Group Decided to Stay.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER released 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns today, their first album since all five members re-signed with BigHit Music in 2025. Lead single "Stick With You" is out now with a music video starring actress Jeon Jong-so.

INSIGHTS - Apr 13, 2026 PM EDT - Hannah

K-Pop Finally Has a Past. Coachella Just Admitted It.

BIGBANG's Coachella 2026 performance — the first time the festival has booked a second-generation K-pop legacy act on its own terms — marks a structural shift in how Western music institutions treat the genre: not as a trend arriving, but as a history that already happened.