K-WAVE - 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.
K-WAVE - 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.
K-PEOPLE - 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.
K-WAVE - 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.
K-WAVE - 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.
K-WAVE - 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.
K-PEOPLE - 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.
US - Dec 29, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Forbes officially confirmed Beyoncé as a billionaire on December 29, 2025, making her the fifth musician to reach this milestone after her record-breaking Cowboy Carter Tour grossed over $400 million and Renaissance World Tour earned nearly $600 million. The 44-year-old Grammy-winning artist joins husband Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen in the exclusive billionaire musicians club, earning an estimated $148 million in 2025 through strategic control of her music catalog and touring empire via Parkwood Entertainment.
Business - 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.
K-WAVE - 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.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
LE SSERAFIM will perform as the only K-pop act at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2026 on ABC December 31, following their successful world tour that ranked eighth on Billboard's highest-grossing K-pop tours of 2025.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
ADOR terminated NewJeans member Danielle's contract on December 29 while confirming Hanni's return to the agency, threatening the K-pop group's future as a five-member act following their year-long legal dispute over former CEO Min Hee-jin's removal.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
JYP Entertainment takes firm legal action against Stray Kids malicious commenters with zero tolerance policy.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Actor Kang You-seok successfully wrapped his first solo fan meeting "u:niverse" on December 27, 2025, showcasing dance performances from his breakout role as Um Jae-il in tvN's "Resident Playbook." The event capped a breakthrough year that saw Kang star in three hit dramas including Netflix's Baeksang-winning "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and legal series "Law and the City."
K-PEOPLE - Dec 27, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
IU topped Gallup Korea's 2025 year-end survey as the #1 singer among voters aged 13-39 with 20.1% and ranked second in the actress category with 11.3%, solidifying her status as South Korea's top dual-threat entertainer following her Netflix hit "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and May 2025 remake album release.
Dec 21, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 20, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 20, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dec 20, 2025 AM 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
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
