Yale professor says Korean idols face harsher scrutiny than other stars, citing Suga’s DUI case Local and international K-pop academics are urging South Korean society to reassess its approach to the mental health of celebrities who often endure intense scrutiny and harsh judgment. They argue that the unrealistic moral and professional standards imposed on public figures make it difficult for them to seek help without facing severe backlash. This call for change follows the recent deaths of actr

Team Bunnies support NewJean's decision to end its contract with Ador NewJeans' fandom “Team Bunnies,” announced Wednesday that its 30,000 members had submitted a petition to the court to urge it to dismiss Ador’s injunction request filed in January to maintain its management rights over the girl group. Ador is the disputed former agency of NewJeans, now rebranded as NJZ, after the members unilaterally terminated their exclusive contracts in November 2024. “Fans fully support the members’ decisi

Fans argue that K-pop idols should have artistic freedom without restrictions, critics call the outfit too provocative Jennie of Blackpink has stirred controversy among Korean fans for her revealing outfits worn during “The Ruby Experience” in Los Angeles, last week. With her Seoul show scheduled for Saturday, attention is now on whether the daring stage costumes will return. Jennie performed at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on March 6-7 to celebrate the release of her first solo studio alb

Police request autopsy as part of ongoing investigation into Wheesung’s death The sudden news of the death of R&B singer Wheesung on Monday has left the K-pop community in mourning, with tributes pouring in from fellow musicians and fans. Rapper Changmo shared his condolences online, expressing gratitude for Wheesung’s music in his life. “Thank you for your amazing music that had a great impact on my life. May you rest in peace,” Changmo posted Monday on social media. Paloalto, another rapper, r

Singer admits feelings of excitement, pressure as first from Itzy to go solo Yeji of Itzy made her highly anticipated solo debut Monday with the release of her first EP, “Air,” six years after debuting with the girl group in 2019. At her debut showcase in Seoul, Yeji admitted to both the excitement of the moment and pressure as the first member of her group to go solo. “My heart is still racing and I’m nervous. When I first heard the news that I would be going solo, I was beyond happy, but I als

Japanese girl group NiziU will be releasing their second Korean single album, "Love Line" on March 31, JYP Entertainment announced Monday. This marks the girl group’s first Korean release since the debut single "Press Play" was released in October 2023. The debut song "Heartris" earned NiziU a music show win in just nine days and placed the group seventh in first week figures for K-pop girl group debut album sales. NiziU also announced plans for this year, which include new albums, overseas prom

Super Junior is launching its highly anticipated 20th-anniversary project with a brand-new reality entertainment program, “Super Junior’s Super TV.” The 10-episode show will premiere March 21, airing every Friday on TVing, a local streaming platform, and Mnet, a CJ ENM-owned music cable channel. For international fans, “Super Junior’s Super TV” will be available via multiple global streaming platforms, including Kocowa+ (North America, Europe, Oceania), TrueVisions Now (Thailand), friDay Video (

Court's injunction ruling pending, separate hearing on contract validity set for April 3 The ongoing legal battle between NewJeans, who recently rebranded as NJZ, and their former agency Ador played out in court again Friday, with both sides reiterating their previous claims. NewJeans accused Ador of mistreatment and discrimination, while Ador insisted the members unlawfully terminated their exclusive contracts despite receiving substantial support from the agency. The Seoul Central District Cou

Ji Chang-wook joins star-studded cast of 'Gunche' Actress Jun Ji-hyun is making her long-awaited return to the big screen after a decade, starring in Yeon Sang-ho’s latest film, “Gunche,” which recently began filming. The movie, titled after a Korean word for “colony,” is expected to premiere next year, according to its distributor ShowBox, Friday. This is Jun’s first collaboration with Yeon and her first film appearance since the 2015 blockbuster "Assassination," directed by Choi Dong-hoon. “Gu

Xiumin's management company claims the entertainment powerhouse exerted influence to block the singer's appearance on 'Music Bank' EXO member Xiumin’s new agency INB100, on Tuesday, accused SM Entertainment of tampering with local broadcaster KBS to prevent the singer from appearing on a music show. The following day, MC Mong, co-founder of One Hundred, further criticized SM Entertainment for allegedly exerting influence over the broadcaster. One Hundred, the parent company of Xiumin’s agency IN

Some fans criticize Bong for mentioning all three Korean members by name while omitting the only Southeast Asian member Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho is facing criticism from fans of Blackpink's Lisa after he did not include the name of the Thai star while naming Blackpink members in a recent interview, with some accusing him of racial bias. In a promotional interview for his upcoming sci-fi film "Mickey 17" on BuzzFeed Celeb’s YouTube channel, Bong named Blackpink his favorite K-pop group

Experts say still too early to conclude ban in mainland China will be lifted soon Demand for K-pop concerts in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan has been surging this year, possibly fueled by China’s long-standing restrictions on Hallyu, or the Korean Wave. According to a major K-pop agency official Wednesday, concert inquiries from promoters in Hong Kong and Taiwan have risen noticeably from last year. “There isn’t an official breakdown, but we are receiving significantly more event requests from Tai

Is it a new genre by K-pop pioneer or a strategy to enter Chinese market? Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment and often referred to as the “father of K-pop,” is back with a bold new vision -- introducing “Zalpha pop” through A20 Entertainment, which has offices in California, the US, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. His latest project, A20 May — a group consisting of two Chinese Americans and three Chinese members — debuted in December, signaling not only an effort to pioneer a new mus

Full song to be released on all streaming platforms Friday J-Hope of BTS is giving fans an exclusive first listen to his latest single, “Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel),” on TikTok for a week before it becomes available on major streaming platforms. About 19 seconds of the track was released on TikTok at 11 p.m., Feb. 28 following the first night of his world tour, "Hope on the Stage," at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. The full song officially drops on all streaming services at 2 p.m. on Friday. Blending p

Starship girl group enters Melon Top 100, while new SM act misses chart Starship Entertainment girl group KiiKii is gaining momentum in its predebut competition against SM Entertainment’s Hearts2Hearts, showing a stronger performance in music charts and brand reputation rankings. Meanwhile, Hearts2Hearts has drawn more views for its debut song “The Chase,” largely due to SM’s global influence and its built-in fan base abroad. Both groups are highly anticipated as they mark the first girl groups