Today in K-Pop

Kiss of Life announced a fan meeting tour that will take the girl group across Asia, via S2 Entertainment on Tuesday. The group of four will visit Bangkok, Taiwan capital Taipei and Tokyo in June, after kicking off "Deja Vu" in Seoul on March 28. As the tour poster shows, it will be themed after private eyes looking for clues to solve a case. The upcoming trip will coincide with the release of the group's new album, which is expected to roll out in April. Earlier this week, the first teaser vide

Kiss Of Life

MBC’s upcoming overseas concert event, “Show! Music Core in Macau,” has been officially canceled, the broadcaster announced Wednesday. The event was originally scheduled to take place over two days on Feb. 7 and 8 at Galaxy Arena in Macao. MBC had previously announced that the artist lineup would include K-pop groups such as BoyNextDoor, Enhypen, Le Sserafim, Mark, WayV, Zerobaseone, Alpha Drive One, Hearts2Hearts, Izna, KickFlip and StayC. However, several Japanese members of the participating

BOYNEXTDOORENHYPENLE SSERAFIM

A casual fan message from Moon Chanelle of K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY has unexpectedly sparked debate among U.S. fans, after one English word set off a wave of speculation online. Moon recently posted a short message on the fan communication platform Bubble, writing, “I’m beginning to like hot coffee,” followed by, “No ice. You know what I’m saying?” The post, seemingly lighthearted, quickly gained attention among American K-pop fans, who began debating whether the word “ice” carried a hidden meaning. Some U.S. fans speculated that Moon’s reference could be interpreted as an allusion to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE. The agency has faced heavy criticism in the United States following two fatal shooting incidents that drew widespread public backlash. Because Moon added the phrase “You know what I’m saying?” to her message, speculation intensified in online spaces, with some fans suggesting she may have been indirectly commenting on the controversy surrounding ICE — and by extension, criticizing U.S. politics under President Donald

Fifty Fifty

Singer actor Cha Eun-woo, recently embroiled in tax evasion allegations totaling 20 billion won ($14 million), is facing fallout in the public sector, as the military has begun removing videos featuring him from its platforms. The move by the Ministry of National Defense, which extensively used Cha in public relations campaigns in the past, is seen as an attempt to distance itself from the star amid growing public backlash over the allegations. On Wednesday, the Defense Media Agency deleted all videos featuring Cha from its official YouTube channel, KFN. He had previously appeared in four videos in a series called "The Day’s Military Story." After enlisting last July, Cha Eun-woo joined "The Day’s Military Story" as a "storyteller" last month, introducing episodes focused on military-related history. The latest video highlighted the story of U.S. Army Col. Dean Hess, who helped evacuate more than 1,000 war orphans to Jeju Island during the Korean War. As of wednesday, the videos are inaccessible. The Defense Media Agency did not provide an explanation for the decision. The development

The Japanese debut single of TWS has made the jump to Korean and is set to drop as a digital single on Feb. 9, Pledis Entertainment announced Wednesday. The six-member act officially entered Japan in July 2025 with the single "Nice to See You Again," which debuted atop Oricon's Daily Single Ranking chart. It logged 250,000 shipments in the country and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry of Japan in September. The Japan leg of TWS' tour drew some 50,000 fans across 13 shows. The grou

TWS

The legal team representative of former CEO of Ador Min Hee-jin denied allegations that she attempted to poach or “tamper with” members of NewJeans, claiming the accusations stem from a “national fraud” orchestrated by a member’s family and an outside business figure, during a press conference held Wednesday in Seoul. Min did not attend the event. Instead, her legal representative, lawyer Kim Sun-woong of Law Firm Ji-Am, spoke on her behalf. According to Kim, the press conference was held to add

NewJeans

Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon is taking a major step in his acting career with his big-screen debut, portraying one of Korea’s most tragic monarchs in the historical film "The King’s Warden.” Taking on the role of deposed King Danjong (1441–57) of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, the 26-year-old actor felt a deep respect for the character and the weight of portraying a historical figure who led a lonely and difficult life. "I was honestly scared when I first received the offer. I wondered if I could truly understand the heart of King Danjong, who lost his family and felt such emptiness," Park told The Korea Times, Tuesday. "I questioned whether I could express that depth of emotion in my first movie." “The King’s Warden” tells the story of the dethroned king during his exile as he forms unexpected bonds with villagers and Eom Heung-do, the village's head played by veteran actor Yoo Hae-jin. Through these relationships, the film explores how a fallen monarch finds the will to live once more. While history remembers him as a boy king who was deposed by his uncle and met a sorrow

Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon is taking a major step in his acting career with his big-screen debut, portraying one of Korea’s most tragic monarchs in the upcoming historical film "The King’s Warden.” Taking on the role of deposed King Danjong (1441–57) of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), the 26-year-old actor said he felt a deep respect for the character and the weight of portraying a historical figure who led a lonely and difficult life. "I was honestly scared when I first received the offer. I wondered if I could truly understand the heart of King Danjong, who lost his family and felt such emptiness," Park told The Korea Times, Tuesday. "I questioned whether I could express that depth of emotion in my first movie." “The King’s Warden” tells the story of the deposed king as he interacts with the villagers and Eom Heung-do, a village head played by veteran actor Yoo Hae-jin. Through these relationships, the film explores how a fallen monarch finds the will to live once more. While history remembers him as a boy king who was deposed by his uncle and met a sorrowful end, th

Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin’s legal team on Wednesday denied allegations that she was involved in efforts to lure NewJeans away from their agency, arguing that the so-called “tampering” claims stem from actions taken by a family member of one of the members and an outside businessperson. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul’s Jongno District, attorney Kim Sun-woong of law firm Ji-Am addressed the media on Min’s behalf. He said Min was not able to attend due to psychological stress caused by the ongoing dispute. Kim emphasized that the purpose of the event was to clarify what he called the “truth and essence” of the poaching allegations, which are tied to lawsuits filed by Ador against Min. According to Kim, the allegations do not involve Min, but instead center on “a public scheme” carried out by the uncle of one NewJeans member and a businessperson. He claimed the two sought to use NewJeans and Min in an attempt to manipulate stock prices. The tampering allegations first surfaced in April 2024, when HYBE Labels launched an internal audit of Min. HYBE accused Min of

NewJeans

BTS' conditional approval to perform at Gwanghwamun Square in March is garnering huge hype, as it will be the group’s first stage as a complete unit since 2022. With BTS set to be the first K-pop group to host an exclusive live performance at the historic landmark, curiosity is mounting. While the square sees countless performances and cultural events, it has never been reserved in this manner. This exclusive arrangement underscores the group's massive influence, while also prompting curiosity a

BTS

Cha Eun-woo, one of Korea’s most popular singer-actors, is facing allegations of large-scale tax evasion — yet public attention is now turning to the wave of emotional support filling his social media accounts. The ASTRO member and actor recently became embroiled in allegations involving roughly 20 billion won ($14.6 million) in unpaid taxes, an amount that would mark the largest tax penalty ever imposed on a South Korean celebrity if confirmed. On Monday, Cha posted a lengthy apology on his personal social media account, directly addressing the controversy. In the statement, he said he had taken time to reflect on whether he had fulfilled his duty as a taxpayer with sufficient responsibility and seriousness. He also said that if he were not currently serving as a soldier, he would have personally visited those affected to offer an apology in person. Cha added that he would fully cooperate with all ongoing tax-related procedures and accept the final judgment of authorities with humility, taking responsibility accordingly. The allegations came as a shock to many fans, given Cha’s de

Astro

Pentagon will perform at a music award ceremony next month featuring all members, according to a local media report on Wednesday. The group will reportedly put together a special performance to celebrate 10 years together at the Hanteo Music Awards taking place Feb. 15. The group debuted in 2016 as a 10-member team and continued with nine members after Dawn left in 2018. Six members parted ways with Cube Entertainment in 2023 when their contracts expired, and Jinho did so last year. Leader and s

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