Today in K-Pop

Virtual reality concerts are steadily gaining traction among K-pop fans, emerging as a more accessible way to experience live performances beyond traditional venues. At a VR concert, viewers wear headsets that immerse them in a highly personalized concert environment — one that can feel as if the artist is performing just for them. By tracking hand gestures, the system allows viewers to interact with the experience, from selecting story elements to focusing on individual members during performan

K-pop powerhouse BTS will return with its hit web variety series, "Run BTS," after a three-year hiatus. The group announced in a teaser video posted on its official YouTube channel Monday that the new season, titled "Run BTS 2.0," will premiere on April 7 at 9 p.m. The variety show, which originally ran from 2015 to 2023, featured the seven members competing in various games and missions. The show has historically drawn massive global viewership, serving as a staple of the group's online presence. The show's initial 155 regular episodes, which aired between 2015 and 2021, drew 140 million views on YouTube. Ten special episodes released from 2022 to 2023 garnered an additional 130 million views. A single 2023 episode featuring the band attempting flying yoga hit 30 million views on its own. During the group's recent hiatus for mandatory military service, member Jin hosted a spinoff series titled "Run Jin" from 2024 to 2025 after completing mandatory military service. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and e

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The highly anticipated sequel to the Netflix animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” will expand in scale and deliver a story packed with major events, the film’s creators said Wednesday. Following the massive global success of the first installment, the production team shared its vision for the next chapter of the franchise, saying it aims to surprise fans with rule-breaking new ideas. “We are currently holding onto some big ideas for the sequel,” co-director Maggie Kang said during a press conference in Seoul. “While we cannot reveal specific details yet, we plan to make a film that is even bigger in scale and more eventful than the first one. Just like the first one, we are making a movie that we personally want to see.” “KPop Demon Hunters” follows the journey of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, members of the K-pop girl group Huntrix, as they secretly protect the world from evil spirits. The feature became a major cultural phenomenon, winning awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys. The creative team visited Korea this week to celebrate the historic achievement at the 98th Ac

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For years, the K-pop industry operated within the fixed norms of “boy groups” and “girl groups.” Idols experimented with a wide range of concepts, but always within a basic framework that rarely bent: boy groups were expected to be energetic and powerful, while girl groups were expected to be feminine and beautiful. In recent years, however, those gender boundaries have begun to blur. As South Korea has grown more receptive to genderless expression, idol groups have begun moving beyond traditional gender-based presentation and testing the limits of what K-pop performance can look like. One of the most eye-catching examples is the multinational group XLOV, which is building a visible presence in the K-pop scene. By placing a genderless identity at the forefront, the group is not just experimenting with a new concept, but also raising broader questions about where the industry is headed. Not just a concept but an identity XLOV debuted in January last year as a four member group. Declaring itself "genderless," a first for the K-pop industry, the group took the stage in skirts and in

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SEOUL, April 1 (Yonhap) -- All 12 peace-themed walking routes near the Demilitar...

The Black Label shared a teaser image Wednesday signaling Taeyang's return nearly three years after his second EP, “Down to Earth." The image features the word “Quintessence,” referring to the most perfect example, embodiment or purest essence of something. The teaser image describes the word as one “that is most needed for this generation” and also one that inspires Taeyang. In the teaser, Taeyang also adds that he has not found the perfect meaning of the word quintessence, but that the search

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BTS now has 13 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100, led by “Swim” at No. 1 on the chart dated April 4. Only one track from the new album, “Arirang,” failed to debut on the main songs chart: “No. 29,” the instrumental track featuring the sound of a bell registered as a South Korean national treasure. Seven of the 13 entries sat among the top 50, meaning 39 of the group's songs have now made it to the chart, since “DNA” first entered it in 2017. On Wednesday, BTS uploaded a teaser for the music video of

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Weekly downloads of the Netflix application in South Korea rose sharply last month, driven by a livestreamed concert by K-pop superstars BTS in Seoul, industry data showed Wednesday. According to the data from IGA Works, Netflix recorded 136,400 downloads in the March 16-22 period, compared with 70,300 downloads during the previous week. Netflix live broadcast BTS' highly anticipated concert held at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 to mark the release of the band's fifth studio album, "ARIRANG." It marked the first time weekly downloads of the Netflix app exceeded the 130,000 level. During the same period, Coupang Play recorded 77,400 new downloads, while Tving posted 56,400. On a daily basis, Netflix app downloads peaked at 66,800 on March 21, up from 14,700 the previous day.

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BTS unveiled a music video teaser for “2.0,” a track from its fifth LP “Arirang,” on Wednesday. The teaser draws inspiration from director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy,” offering a brief yet striking glimpse that has heightened anticipation for the full release. Set in a worn-down corridor and elevator, the video opens with a narrow hallway filled with rough, intimidating figures. As the elevator doors open on the second floor, BTS members appear dressed in clean-cut suits, some holding ne

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As K-pop's global fandom continues to expand, one reality has become increasingly clear: Getting a concert ticket has become harder than ever. For 18-year-old student Lee Se-min, that challenge feels all too familiar. A longtime fan of K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN, she has also been closely following their label junior group TWS since debut. But even with strong interest, attending a live show is not a simple decision. "Of course I'd want to go in person, if I just had that much money," Lee said. "But I already have a favorite group, and there's no guarantee I'd even manage to get a ticket for TWS." Instead, she opted for a different kind of concert experience, one that is quickly reshaping how fans engage with their favorite idols. Virtual reality (VR) concerts, once seen as experimental, are steadily gaining ground as a viable alternative to traditional live shows. Lee recently attended "TWS VR CONCERT : RUSH ROAD," which premiered at Megabox Coex on March 4 and has since extended its run through April due to strong demand. "I went in expecting lower quality," she said with a laugh. "But th

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What kind of Korean artists will emerge when global R&B star Ne-Yo joins forces with veteran K-pop producer Samuel Ku? Pacific Music Group announced Wednesday that Ku will lead its newly established Korean branch beginning in March and spearhead efforts to discover K-pop artists and support their expansion into the local market. “The launch of PMG Korea marks an important starting point in our global strategy,” Ku said in a statement. “With a clear artistic vision, we aim to organically connect

Donghae of Super Junior finalized plans for his solo comeback, his agency Ode Entertainment said Wednesday. He will roll out his first solo studio album, “Alive,” on April 20 and is planning to prerelease a single on April 7. His first solo endeavor was the digital single “Harmony” in 2020, which came 15 years after he began his music career with Super Junior. On Tuesday, he shared the news of his first solo concert tour, which will kick off in Seoul with two shows on May 16-17. The tour will en

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Hwasa of Mamamoo will drop the digital single “So Cute” on April 9, agency P Nation announced Wednesday. It would be approximately six months since she enjoyed success with the single “Good Goodbye.” The previous song earned her five first-place trophies on television music chart shows and swept all major music charts in Korea. She was the only solo female K-pop singer to do the latter in 2025. In January, she had her first solo concert, “Mi Casa.” In June, Mamamoo will make a full-group return,

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The music video for Stray Kids’ 2024 hit “Chk Chk Boom” surpassed 200 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday, according to label JYP Entertainment. The video, featuring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is the group’s eighth music video to achieve the feat. “Chk Chk Boom” fronted their ninth EP “Ate” from 2024. The track entered Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 49, the highest spot for the group, and the album debuted atop Billboard 200. Last week, Stray Kids celebrated their eighth debut anniversary, d

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