BIGBANG Opens Official b.stage Fan Community Ahead of August World Tour 그룹 빅뱅(BIGBANG)이 데뷔 20주년을 맞아 글로벌 팬덤 플랫폼 비스테이지(b.stage)에 공식 팬 커뮤니티를 열고 팬들과의 소통 강화에 나섰다. 오는 8월 월드투어를 앞두고 그룹 활동의 구심점을 마련한 셈이다. 22일 YG엔터테인먼트에 따르면 빅뱅은 지난 21일 데뷔일인 8월 19일을 상징하는 오후 8시 19분에 맞춰 비스테이지에 공식 팬 커뮤니티와 사회관계망서비스(SNS) 채널을 동시에 오픈했다. YG 측은 “오는 8월부터 월드투어를 예정하고 있는 만큼 팬들과 소통하며 더욱 뜻깊은 20주년을 만들어 나가고 싶다는 멤버들 April 22, 2026

HYBE Latin America to Launch Low Clika Drama Series Ahead of New Album HYBE Latin America is rolling out a new project that pairs artists’ music with a storyline, applying what it calls a K-pop-style approach to expanding fan experiences in the Latin market. The company said on the 21st that band Low Clika will return with a new album in the second half of this year. The group drew attention through the band audition program “Pase a la Fama” and debuted in November 2025, promoting a sound that blends traditional Mexican folk music with trap, urban and pop e April 22, 2026

Travel Firms Counter Rising Fuel Surcharges With Reimbursements and Discounts Rising geopolitical risk in the Middle East has sent international oil prices swinging, pushing up airline fuel surcharges on tickets. With May fuel surcharges expected to climb as high as Level 33, travelers planning overseas trips face higher costs. Travel companies are responding with full reimbursements of surcharge increases and broad discount campaigns to keep demand from cooling. ◆ “We’ll pay back the increase”: Modetour launches April-only fuel reimbursement Modetour said it will April 22, 2026

South Korea Selects 100 Tourism Startups Using AI and K-Culture in 17th Venture Contest The Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization have selected 100 tourism startups they say could reshape South Korea’s tourism industry, highlighting business models built around artificial intelligence and K-culture. The ministry and the organization said April 22 they had announced the final results of the 17th Tourism Venture Business Contest. The contest drew about 1,500 applications, up 35.2% from a year earlier, for a competition rate of 15 to 1. The o April 22, 2026

Paradise Credit Rating Raised to A+ on Strong Results and Hotel Expansion Plans Paradise has been building stronger credibility in capital markets on steady earnings and early investment, industry officials said. According to the industry on the 22nd, Korea Investors Service upgraded Paradise’s corporate bond rating at its eighth review to A+ (stable) from A (positive). NICE Investors Service also reaffirmed the A+ (stable) rating it assigned in October last year, again citing the company’s solid financial health. ◆ Casino demand, hotel deals seen supporting strong April 22, 2026

The Boyz File Embezzlement Complaint Against One Hundred Label CEO; Agency Denies Allegations The dispute between K-pop group The Boyz and their agency, One Hundred Label, has escalated into a criminal complaint as their exclusive-contract fight continues. The Boyz’s legal representative said on 21 that nine members filed a complaint accusing One Hundred Label CEO Cha Ga-won of embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The complaint was filed by nine members, excluding member New, the representative said. The conflict had already surfa April 22, 2026

Korea to Launch Welcome Week at Airports and Ports, Spotlighting K-Food to Draw 30 Million Visitors From April 24 to May 9, major gateways across South Korea — including Incheon and Jeju international airports and the ports of Busan and Seogwipo — will be turned into welcome hubs for inbound travelers. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Visit Year Committee said they will run the 2026 first-half Welcome Week, themed around K-food, during the peak spring travel season. The plan combines public-private discounts with promotions tied to local small businesses to boost April 22, 2026

WSJ: Trump Asked Aides Whether to Resume Strikes on Iran After Talks Collapse U.S. President Donald Trump asked aides whether the United States should consider resuming attacks on Iran after talks aimed at ending the war between the two countries fell apart, The Wall Street Journal reported. The newspaper, citing U.S. officials, said Trump on April 21 asked advisers whether to review the option of restarting airstrikes on Iran. The officials said Trump weighed the possibility but was cautious about restarting a war that lacks broad public support and could drag on. April 22, 2026

South Korea to Normalize Q2 Treasury Bond Issuance as Foreign Inflows Rise The government decided to return to normal issuance of Korean Treasury bonds and other public-sector bonds in the second quarter. The Finance and Economy Ministry said it held the second meeting of a consultative group of bond-issuing agencies on the 22nd, chaired by Hwang Sun-gwan, director general of the Treasury Bureau, to discuss second-quarter issuance plans. For Korean Treasury bonds, issuance for May and June will be set within the first-half target range of 55% to 60%. Issuan April 22, 2026

Democratic Party, government and presidential office to form PM-led task force for balanced regional development The Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office said they will form a task force led by the Prime Minister’s Office to pursue balanced regional development and move into full implementation once personnel appointments are completed. Rep. Kim Young-bae, a member of the Democratic Party’s Special Committee on Balanced Growth, told reporters after a ruling party-government-presidential office policy meeting on the 22nd that the session broadly reviewed the Lee Jae-myung gove April 22, 2026