Today in K-Pop

‘Felt like a funeral’ — NCT’s Mark Lee exit puts tearful concert back in spotlight
Korea Times

Scenes from a recent NCT concert are being reexamined after the group’s longtime member Mark officially announced his departure, with fans saying the emotional atmosphere now feels like a sign of what was coming. On April 3, SM Entertainment confirmed that Mark will end his contract and leave NCT, bringing an end to his group activities. In a handwritten letter, Mark said, "I will live my life with gratitude toward SM, the NCT members and NCTzen," referring to the group’s fandom. "When I return with a new version of myself, I will do my best to show a better side of Mark." Mark, widely regarded as one of NCT’s core members for his versatility in rap and dance, has played a central role across multiple units. His departure has left many fans expressing disappointment that they may not see him perform with the group again for the time being. Amid the news, footage from NCT Dream’s recent solo concerts has resurfaced online. During the shows, several members — including Mark — were seen in tears, creating what many described as a heavy and emotional atmosphere. At the time, viewer

Breaking K-pop News

NCT’s Mark Lee exits after 10 years, fans in shock
Korea Times

Fans of NCT are reeling after the sudden announcement that longtime member Mark will leave the group, just days after wrapping up a major concert run — timing that has sparked confusion, disbelief and intense online reaction. On Friday, SM Entertainment said Mark’s exclusive contract will end Wednesday marking his official departure from all NCT activities, including its subunits NCT 127 and NCT Dream. Following his exit, NCT 127 will continue as a seven-member group — Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Haechan — while NCT Dream will promote with six members: Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung. Mark also addressed fans directly through a handwritten letter shared on his personal account. "I had many conversations with the members about this decision, and every single one of them supported me," he said. "I feel so thankful it brings me to tears, and at the same time, I feel a sense of lifelong apology." He added, "To the members who shared the same journey and sailed together for so long, I am truly grateful and I love you." Mark also expressed gratit

Soompi

CORTIS is getting ready to soar to new heights with their first-ever comeback! On April 4, CORTIS’s album distributors YG PLUS and Universal Records announced that as of April 2, the rookie boy group’s upcoming mini album “GREENGREEN” had recorded a total of 1,227,986 stock pre-orders. The number of stock pre-orders is the amount of…

Split and set to clash — ZEROBASEONE faces uncertain future as two groups prepare simultaneous May comeback
Korea Times

ZEROBASEONE is entering a new chapter after two-and-a-half years, but instead of a unified next step, the group is splitting into two competing teams — setting up an unusual “in-house rivalry” in the K-pop market. Following their encore concert, the nine-member project group has effectively come to an end. Five members — Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae and Park Gun-wook — will continue activities under the ZEROBASEONE name. Meanwhile, four members — Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin and Han Yu-jin — have returned to their original agencies and are preparing to re-debut as a new boy group, tentatively known as "NDouble." The development has left fans reeling, with confusion mounting after news that both teams are expected to launch activities around the same time in May. Members who once stood on the same stage are now poised to compete directly in the same market within months — a rare scenario even in the fast-moving K-pop industry. Simultaneous promotions by two groups originating from the same project team are highly unusual. While members of disbanded

BTS tops Spotify weekly charts for 2nd week with new album 'Arirang'
Korea Herald

K-pop megastar BTS topped Spotify's weekly charts for the second straight week with its latest album "Arirang," the septet's agency said Saturday. The group remained atop the global music streaming platform's three charts -- Weekly Top Albums Global, Weekly Top Songs Global and Weekly Top Artists Global -- for the week from March 27 to Thursday, according to BigHit Music. On Spotify's daily charts, BTS also held the top spot on the Daily Top Artists Global and Daily Top Songs Global charts for 1

Soompi

Shiloh Jolie will be making her debut in WJSN’s Dayoung’s new music video! On April 3, Dayoung released a music video teaser for her upcoming single “What’s a girl to do,” which will mark her first-ever solo comeback. Shiloh Jolie, who is the daughter of Hollywood actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, made a surprise…

BTS tops Spotify weekly charts for 2nd week with new album 'Arirang'
Yonhap News

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- K-pop megastar BTS topped Spotify's weekly charts for...

BTS ranks No. 4 on British Official Albums Chart with 'Arirang'
Yonhap News

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- K-pop powerhouse BTS ranked No. 4 on the British Offi...

BTS tops Spotify weekly charts for 2nd week with new album 'ARIRANG'
Korea Times

K-pop megastar BTS topped Spotify's weekly charts for the second straight week with its latest album "ARIRANG," the septet's agency said Saturday. The group remained atop the global music streaming platform's three charts — Weekly Top Albums Global, Weekly Top Songs Global and Weekly Top Artists Global — for the week from March 27 to Thursday, according to BigHit Music. On Spotify's daily charts, BTS also held the top spot on the Daily Top Artists Global and Daily Top Songs Global charts for 14 days in a row from March 20, when the group released "ARIRANG." The album's main track "SWIM" is also gaining traction on YouTube, recording 83 million and 6.2 million plays on the platform's global and U.S. weekly charts, respectively, for the week of March 20. "ARIRANG" and "SWIM" debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 singles charts, respectively, this week. With the new album, BTS returned as a full seven-member group after nearly four years of a break from group projects. It held a promotional concert for tens of thousands of fans at Gwanghwamun Plaza in ce

BTS ranks No. 4 on British Official Albums Chart with 'ARIRANG'
Korea Times

K-pop powerhouse BTS ranked No. 4 on the British Official Albums Chart with its latest album, "ARIRANG," a week after debuting at the top spot. According to the latest chart released Friday (local time), the group's fifth studio album moved down three places, trailing "This Music May Contain Hope." by Raye, Olivia Dean's "The Art of Loving" and Ye's "Bully." "ARIRANG" debuted at No. 1 last week, becoming the third album from BTS to top the list after "Map of the Soul: Persona" in 2019 and "Map of the Soul: 7" in 2020. On the Official Singles Chart, "Swim," the lead track from "ARIRANG," slipped to No. 5, a week after its No. 2 debut — the group's highest ranking ever on the chart. Produced under the direction of HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, "ARIRANG" explores the identity of BTS as a group that began in Korea and the universal emotions its members have encountered throughout their lives. "Swim" is an upbeat alternative pop song about navigating life's challenges, with lyrics co-written by the group's frontman, RM. The group returned with the album on March 20 after a nearly four-year b