Journalist
Joonha Yoo유준하
joonhayoo94@ajupress.com
ReporterCOEX Sejong Center for the Performing Arts & Music, Culture, Entertainment, Automotive
Joonha Yoo is a bilingual journalist at AJU Press (AJP), covering music, culture, entertainment and Korea’s automotive industry.
Raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, he often writes from the scene, bringing firsthand detail to stories ranging
from BTS comeback concerts to unique cultural events that catch the world's eye. "I write from the scene, not from the sidelines."
Raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, he often writes from the scene, bringing firsthand detail to stories ranging
from BTS comeback concerts to unique cultural events that catch the world's eye. "I write from the scene, not from the sidelines."
Latest by Joonha Yoo
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BTS' quiet Grammy boycott speaks volumes SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - It is hardly Grammy season, but BTS brought the awards debate into the middle of summer with a quiet boycott that produced loud repercussions. On July 29, all seven members of BTS posted the same message on their Instagram Stories within minutes of one another. There was no press conference, no statement from HYBE and no explanation beyond a few lines translated from Korean: they would not submit their comeback album, ARIRANG, for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards. They thanked ARMY, their global fanbase, for standing by them. Then they said nothing more. The silence spoke volumes. Just a month earlier, the Recording Academy had unveiled five new Grammy categories, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance, intended for songs originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets that make meaningful use of an Asian language. Fresh off another chart-topping comeback and widely viewed as the overwhelming favorite to become the category's inaugural winner, BTS instead chose not to enter at all. What might otherwise have been a routine awards-season decision quickly evolved into a wider debate over whether the Grammys were expanding representation—or simply creating a separate lane for Asian artists. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responded within a day, saying he was "saddened" by the decision but respected the band's choice. He insisted the new category was intended to broaden recognition rather than divide artists, stressing that performers competing in the Asian Pop field would remain eligible for the ceremony's top honors, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. The Academy has also removed BTS' previous Grammy performance videos, including Butter and Dynamite, from its official website, a move that further fueled speculation among fans despite no public explanation. For many ARMY members, however, the issue is not whether BTS is capable of winning a Grammy. It is where they are expected to win one. Park Jung-bin, a 31-year-old BTS fan, said her concern is less about being overlooked outright than about what happens if the group wins the new category instead. "If BTS wins Best Asian Pop, it technically counts as a Grammy," she said. "But it comes with an asterisk. This is a group whose music, commercial success and global influence stand alongside any Western act. Once they've won a niche category, the Academy can simply say, 'We've already given BTS a Grammy.' After that, they can leave the group out of the major categories forever and consider the issue settled." Beneath the strategic concern lies a simpler question, she added: if music transcends language, race and nationality, why should awards continue to divide artists along those lines? The Grammys have faced similar criticism before, albeit from different communities. In 2020, rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator accepted Best Rap Album while criticizing the Academy for routinely funneling genre-crossing Black artists into rap or "urban" categories regardless of their broader musical identity. The backlash contributed to the Recording Academy renaming Best Urban Contemporary Album to Best Progressive R&B Album later that year, while quietly replacing the long-criticized "World Music" category with "Global Music." The Weeknd's complete shutout at the 2021 Grammys, despite Blinding Lights becoming one of the most successful songs in Billboard history, prompted him to boycott the awards altogether, denouncing what he described as opaque nomination procedures. Beyoncé became the most-awarded artist in Grammy history while repeatedly falling short in Album of the Year, reinforcing long-running criticism that artists of color still face an invisible ceiling in the Academy's most prestigious categories. Adele famously dedicated her own Album of the Year victory to Beyoncé in 2017, saying Lemonade deserved the honor instead. To critics, those episodes are less about individual snubs than about an institution that has repeatedly struggled with defining who qualifies as a "universal" artist. Viewed through that lens, BTS' decision carries significance beyond one award cycle. The group has received five Grammy nominations since 2021, including three consecutive nods for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, yet remains without a win. Rosé's "APT." also fell short this year, while the soundtrack hit "Golden" from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters received only a narrowly defined visual media award. No K-pop act has ever won a Grammy outside such specialized categories despite the genre's three-decade global expansion. Not everyone within the Recording Academy agrees with that criticism, including some of those who helped establish the new category. Zeena Koda, a Grammy member and co-founder of the Asian American Collective, defended the award in a series of Instagram Stories after BTS announced its boycott. She said she had personally advocated for the category through Academy committees and stressed that it was never designed with an established global superstar like BTS in mind. Instead, its purpose was to provide long-overdue visibility to Asian artists who remain underrepresented despite growing international influence. According to Koda, the category resulted from years of work by music professionals who "genuinely, deeply" care about representation rather than an attempt to isolate Asian artists. Watching that effort criticized by one of Asia's biggest acts, she said, was painful for many who had fought for its creation. Her comments underscored the Academy's dilemma: even supporters of greater Asian representation disagree over whether separate recognition promotes inclusion or institutionalizes distinction. South Korean music critic Lim Hee-yoon offered a more measured interpretation. Decisions involving a company the size of HYBE, he noted, are rarely driven by a single principle alone, and BTS' choice likely reflected multiple strategic considerations. Still, Lim argued, the controversy raises a legitimate question about whether one group should be expected to represent an entire musical genre. That concern echoes what scholars describe as tokenism: recognition granted through a separate category that, intentionally or otherwise, diminishes the likelihood of equal recognition in the main competition. Many ARMY members expressed the same sentiment online, arguing that creating a separate Asian category was less an act of inclusion than a form of institutional tokenization. Coverage overseas reflected that divide. Trade publications including Billboard and Rolling Stone largely focused on the procedural implications, noting the irony that BTS' English-language Billboard Hot 100 topper "SWIM" likely would not have qualified for the new category because it requires meaningful use of an Asian language. The Guardian described the boycott as a "soft but forceful rebuke" of the Recording Academy, while NME reiterated its long-held view that popular music should not be sorted according to geography, language or ethnicity. Opinion writers went further, with one widely shared column arguing that the new category amounted to segregation presented as progress—an attempt at inclusion that ultimately preserves the idea that non-English and non-Western music belongs outside the industry's true mainstream. Support for BTS also emerged from influential figures within Korea's cultural and business communities. Hyundai Card Vice Chairman Chung Tai-young questioned why artists such as Bad Bunny or Ricky Martin are not separated into equivalent regional categories despite recording primarily in Spanish. BTS itself, he noted, performs much of its catalog in English, raising a fundamental question about what the category actually measures: language, nationality, ethnicity or something else entirely. KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang publicly applauded the band's decision, while producer Mike WiLL Made-It, who has worked with BTS, also voiced support. For BTS, this is hardly unfamiliar territory. The group has spent years positioning itself as one of Asia's most visible cultural ambassadors, including its 2022 visit to the White House at President Joe Biden's invitation to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes and representation. Against that backdrop, this week's understated Instagram statement resonated as something larger than dissatisfaction with an awards show. Whether the Recording Academy changes course or not, BTS hardly needs the Grammys to validate its legacy. The group holds 19 Guinness World Records, seven Billboard 200 No. 1 albums and the record for the most cumulative weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 among all groups. It has topped Billboard's Boxscore touring chart four times—joining only Beyoncé, Coldplay, Elton John, Bad Bunny and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra—and ARIRANG delivered the biggest opening week for any group album in a decade while setting the largest vinyl debut since modern tracking began in 1991. Jungkook's "Seven" remains the longest-charting song by any Asian solo artist on the Billboard Global 200. Yet after five Grammy nominations, the band's trophy cabinet remains empty. With each new record BTS sets elsewhere, that gap has become increasingly difficult to explain away. By declining to compete in a category created specifically for Asian artists, the group has transformed what could have been another awards-season campaign into a broader debate over how the world's most influential music institution defines inclusion—and whether true recognition comes from creating new lanes or removing the need for them altogether. 2026-07-31 13:25:24 -
K-pop trains idols for debut, but not for what comes after SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - If surviving South Korea's fiercely competitive education system seems difficult, try becoming a K-pop trainee. "Once school ends, you go straight to the practice room," one trainee recalled. "There's no time to see friends or even grab something to eat together." For thousands of teenagers, that routine is the price of pursuing one of the country's biggest dreams. K-pop has built one of the world's most sophisticated talent factories. It knows how to train young performers to sing, dance and captivate audiences before millions of fans around the world. What it has been far less successful at is preparing them for the outcome most trainees ultimately face: never making their debut. That imbalance is becoming increasingly visible as entertainment agencies pour more money into developing globally competitive acts while the number of trainees narrows. According to the latest nationwide figures cited in a doctoral dissertation by Clon member Kang Won-rae, the number of registered trainees in South Korea's popular-culture industry fell from 1,895 in 2020 to 1,170 in 2022. Of those, 752 — or 64.3 percent — were training to become singers. The figures do not show whether the decline continued after 2022. They do, however, suggest that the formal trainee pool was shrinking even as K-pop expanded into a truly global business. The financial rewards for those who succeed have rarely been larger. HYBE reported record second-quarter revenue of 1.45 trillion won ($1.04 billion) and operating profit of 170.9 billion won in 2026, buoyed by BTS's long-awaited return. Concert revenue surged 630 percent from the previous quarter to 647.7 billion won. BTS's album ARIRANG topped the Billboard 200 for three consecutive weeks, while its lead single SWIM remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 weeks. HYBE's newer group CORTIS also surpassed three million cumulative album sales with its second EP and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Those results demonstrate what the trainee system can produce. Kang's research asks a different question: what happens to the far larger number of trainees who never reach the stage? Drawing on interviews with nine current or former trainees and three industry professionals, Kang explores the realities of education, health care, personal autonomy and career preparation inside South Korea's trainee system. The sample is too small to represent the entire industry, a limitation acknowledged in the dissertation, but the interviews provide an unusually detailed glimpse into a world that largely operates behind closed doors. One trainee described entering the system convinced that success was simply a matter of working harder. "Everyone wants to become BTS or BLACKPINK," the participant said. "But only a small number of trainees debut. There needs to be a safety net for those who succeed and those who do not." Built to debut The modern trainee system emerged during the 1990s as entertainment companies began recruiting teenagers years before their public debut. The success of H.O.T. established the blueprint of carefully selecting members, refining their vocal and dance skills and launching them as a coordinated group. BoA later demonstrated how foreign-language instruction and cultural education could prepare artists for overseas markets. Over time, casting, training, music production, image management and marketing evolved into an integrated company-led development process. A 2021 study by Chung-Ang University researcher Lee Ye-il described South Korea's approach as producing "full-fledged" idols expected to perform at a professional level from their first appearance. Japan's idol industry, by contrast, has traditionally emphasized performers whose growth unfolds in public after debut. That distinction helps explain why Korean idols are often admired for their polish. Trainees can spend years studying singing, dancing, acting, foreign languages, fitness, communication and media skills before audiences ever see them. Yet while the goal is standardized, the path is not. One participant recalled spending long days inside an agency with little structured instruction. "It was basically, 'Show up at one in the afternoon, leave at eleven at night, and figure it out yourself,'" the trainee said. "I expected manuals and teachers. That wasn't what happened." The system has become remarkably efficient at preparing performers for debut. The quality of training and support they receive before reaching that point, however, varies widely from one agency to another. Where artist training and education diverge Many trainees enter agencies while still attending middle or high school. Kang's interviews found that balancing education with training often proved difficult. Some participants regularly arrived late to class or left school early. Others became isolated from classmates or were simply too exhausted to participate in school life. Several interviewees said the uncertainty surrounding debut was harder than the demanding schedule itself. Trainees rarely know when — or whether — they will debut, how long they will remain under evaluation or what will happen if they are released. Some agencies help trainees attend arts schools, enroll in online classes or prepare for South Korea's high-school equivalency examination. Such support, however, depends largely on individual company policies. Career preparation for trainees who fail to debut is even less developed. That exposes a structural weakness in the current model. K-pop's trainee system excels at preparing teenagers for one highly competitive career. It provides far less preparation for the career most trainees will ultimately need — the one after they leave the agency. Years spent training may leave former trainees outside conventional education pathways while providing no formal qualification recognizing the skills they acquired. Health and autonomy Education is only where the imbalance begins. Participants described severe dieting, nutritional deficiencies and menstrual irregularities among female trainees. One interviewee said disrupted menstrual cycles were common and that agencies remained primarily focused on maintaining a particular appearance. Others reported anxiety, panic attacks, depressive symptoms and breathing difficulties under the pressure of constant evaluations. The interviews cannot establish how widespread such experiences are across the industry. They do, however, illustrate how intense performance expectations can conflict with adolescent physical and mental health. Access to counseling also varied significantly. While larger companies often offered psychological support, several participants questioned whether seeking help might influence future evaluations. Interviewees also described restrictions on mobile-phone use, social media and personal relationships. Some reported having messages monitored, while others said they experienced pressure regarding cosmetic procedures. Questions over fairness surfaced repeatedly. One trainee pointed to Mnet's Produce series. "If I don't make it because someone else is better, I can accept that," the trainee said. "What hurts is thinking the result may already have been decided while everyone is told it's a fair competition." That concern is not without precedent. South Korean courts later confirmed that producers manipulated the final lineups in two seasons of the Produce franchise regardless of audience votes. Agencies, however, also face commercial realities. Industry participants interviewed by Kang estimated that training costs can reach roughly 15 million won per trainee each year and exceed 200 million won to prepare a five-member group over three years. From the company's perspective, every trainee represents a significant investment with no guarantee of financial return. That creates a structural contradiction. Trainees are simultaneously students, audition participants and commercial investments. Yet legally they fall neatly into none of those categories. South Korean labor authorities have generally regarded entertainers as parties to specialized contracts rather than employees protected under labor law, leaving trainees in particular without clearly defined legal status. Establishing a common floor The government has begun strengthening protections. On Jan. 1, 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism introduced revised standard contracts for trainees and minor entertainers following amendments to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. The revisions prohibit specific misconduct toward minors, require agencies to appoint youth-protection officers from the beginning of every contract and make access to mental-health treatment easier by removing the previous requirement that depressive symptoms be deemed "severe." The reforms establish a stronger legal framework. Whether they transform trainees' daily experiences, however, will depend largely on how individual agencies implement them. Kang proposes four additional reforms: requiring agencies to establish internal education policies for minors, introducing income-protection measures modeled on California's Coogan Law, making career education and health examinations mandatory parts of trainee contracts, and creating an independent entertainment-industry ombudsman to investigate complaints before problems escalate. K-pop's weakness has never been a lack of training. Its blind spot is that the industry has invested farmore systematically in creating stars than in protecting the young people trying to become them. The next stage of K-pop's global evolution, therefore, may have less to do with producing better performers than with building a system that values education, health care and life after training as essential parts of artist development itself. Until then, South Korea's trainee system will remain exceptionally good at preparing a handful of teenagers for the spotlight — and far less prepared for the many whose dreams end before the curtain ever rises. 2026-07-30 17:46:14 -
Hyundai Motor union warns of disciplinary action over strike violations SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - Members of Hyundai Motor's labor union who continue working during scheduled strike hours could face disciplinary action, with additional walkouts threatened against entire departments if violations are confirmed, the union said Thursday. The warning came as the union entered its third round of partial strikes this week after wage and collective bargaining talks with the automaker stalled. The union plans four-hour walkouts through Friday, with both production and office workers taking part. Hyundai Motor shares were trading at 345,000 won as of 2:12 p.m. Thursday on the Korea Exchange, down 2.40%, or 8,500 won, from the previous close of 353,500 won. The stock had climbed as high as 369,000 won earlier in the session before falling back. It was not immediately clear whether the decline was tied to the strike or to broader market conditions. Unlike production workers, whose duties stop when assembly lines shut down, office employees often return to accumulated workloads after participating in strikes because many administrative responsibilities must still be completed afterward. Some office workers also handle time-sensitive tasks involving suppliers, financial institutions and other outside parties, making it difficult to suspend work without creating backlogs or missing contractual deadlines. The union said members who work during strike hours at management's request could face disciplinary measures, with additional strike action possible against their departments. It added that employees who voluntarily continue working without management's instruction could also face sanctions for violating strike guidelines. The union's stance has raised questions about the scope of its internal disciplinary authority. In a separate recent case, the Seoul Southern District Court ruled that a labor union could not expel members solely for refusing to participate in industrial action, saying the alleged violations and the union's disciplinary grounds had not been sufficiently established. The current round of walkouts will continue through Friday before the union begins its summer vacation. Its central strike committee is scheduled to meet on Aug. 11 to review the status of negotiations and decide whether to escalate industrial action. The union is seeking a 149,600-won increase in monthly base pay, a bonus equivalent to 30 percent of last year's net profit, a bonus increase from 750 percent to 800 percent of base pay, an extension of the retirement age linked to national pension eligibility, stronger job protections as artificial intelligence and robotics are introduced, and the adoption of a fully fixed monthly wage system. 2026-07-30 14:31:35 -
Hanroro revives 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' in latest J-pop remake project SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — Singer-songwriter Hanroro has reinterpreted "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," the iconic opening theme from the Japanese anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion," as part of a Korean project reimagining classic J-pop hits for a new generation of listeners. The remake will be released at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) Thursday, music producer SHgold Networks said. Originally recorded by Yoko Takahashi in 1995, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" became one of Japan's most recognizable anime songs after serving as the opening theme for "Neon Genesis Evangelion." Three decades after its release, the track continues to enjoy enduring popularity in both Japan and South Korea. Hanroro preserves the song's dramatic energy and sweeping sound while adding her own vocal style and emotional interpretation, according to the producer. She previously performed a rock rendition of the track at the WONDERLIVET 2024 festival, a performance that led organizers to tap her for the remake. The release is part of the "J-pop Remake" project organized by singer and television personality Kangnam, a Korean-Japanese entertainer who obtained South Korean citizenship in 2022, which brings Korean artists together to reinterpret well-known Japanese pop songs. The project debuted with Girls' Generation member Taeyeon's remake of "Manchanga," a 2023 ballad by Japanese singer-songwriter tuki. that has drawn more than 170 million YouTube views. Taeyeon's version ranked No. 7 on Melon's Top 100 chart as of 9 a.m. Thursday. 2026-07-30 13:10:54 -
Korean director Lee Chang-dong to receive TIFF Ebert Director Award SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong will become the first Korean director to receive the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Ebert Director Award, Netflix said Thursday, as his latest film, "Possible Love," is also set to make its North American premiere at this year's festival. The award is part of TIFF's annual Tribute Awards, which recognize individuals for outstanding artistic achievement and contributions to cinema. Named after influential American film critic Roger Ebert, the TIFF Ebert Director Award honors filmmakers whose work has demonstrated a distinctive artistic vision and had a lasting impact on the medium. The awards ceremony will be held Sept. 13 during the festival. Lee joins previous recipients including Guillermo del Toro, Mike Leigh, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, Denis Villeneuve and Chloé Zhao. He is the first Korean filmmaker to receive the honor. The recognition comes ahead of Lee's return with "Possible Love," his first feature film in eight years. The film has been invited to the Special Presentations section of this year's Toronto festival after earning a competition berth at the Venice International Film Festival, where it will make its world premiere. Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, the Netflix-backed drama follows two married couples brought together through the production of a documentary as they confront the realities of their relationships and long-hidden desires. Netflix will give the film a limited theatrical release in South Korea beginning Sept. 23 before its global streaming debut on Nov. 6. Lee is widely regarded as one of South Korea's leading auteurs, with films including "Peppermint Candy," "Oasis," "Secret Sunshine," "Poetry" and "Burning." His work has received major honors at international film festivals, including Cannes and Venice, helping establish him as one of the country's most influential contemporary filmmakers. 2026-07-30 11:02:19 -
WayV builds new EP ahead of Seoul concerts SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - NCT's China-based unit WayV will return next month with a seven-track EP built around Chinese words that share the same pronunciation but carry different meanings, SM Entertainment said Thursday. The Chinese boy band will release its eighth EP, "Vision Wings," at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Aug. 10, according to SM Entertainment. The album includes Chinese- and English-language versions of the title track, "Vision Wings." Each song is tied to a Chinese word that shares a pronunciation with a different, related term, a device the group is using to link otherwise separate tracks. The keywords include origin, completeness and beginning, which SM said trace the driving force behind the group. "Blue Fever" builds on the keyword for origin, describing two people becoming the source of each other's energy. The retro hip-hop and R&B track draws on 1990s West Coast sounds, comparing that intensity to the blue flame produced at extremely high temperatures. Vintage piano chords and resampled drums drive "Count It," a track built around the keyword for completeness. Its lyrics frame confidence and ambition as part of the group's push toward a larger future. In "Icon," a dance hip-hop track carrying the keyword for beginning, the place where one stands becomes both a starting point and a stage of one's own, reflecting a wish to continue that journey with someone important. WayV has also begun rolling out promotional material for the album. Mood samplers and teaser images released Tuesday and Wednesday depict the members transforming through training into five mythical guardian beasts, a visual concept drawing on the balance between yin and yang. The release will be followed by two Seoul concerts on Sept. 12 and 13 at KBS Arena in western Seoul as part of the group's "BORN THIS Way" tour. Fan-club ticket sales open at 8 p.m. Wednesday, followed by general sales at 7 p.m. Thursday through Ticketlink. 2026-07-30 10:43:42 -
After BTS comeback year, what's next for K-pop? SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - K-pop continues to debut new groups, dominate global streaming platforms and fill concert halls from Los Angeles to Bangkok. The industry's talent pipeline remains as prolific as ever, producing acts not only in South Korea but increasingly through overseas partnerships and local adaptations. Yet beneath the steady flow of new debuts lies a quieter reckoning. While visibility has never been broader, far fewer acts are reaching the commercial scale needed to generate the blockbuster album sales, stadium tours and merchandise revenue that underpin the industry's biggest companies. It is the same question now confronting South Korea's semiconductor industry: not whether demand has peaked, but whether the industry's growth model has. K-pop is not facing an immediate collapse. Major entertainment agencies remain profitable, younger artists continue to break through on streaming platforms, and overseas demand continues to expand. But physical-album sales have retreated from their pandemic-era highs, blockbuster releases have become less frequent, and earnings across the industry's largest companies remain heavily dependent on a small group of established stars. The numbers illustrate the shift. Total K-pop physical-album shipments fell from roughly 120 million units in 2023 to 98.9 million in 2024 before slipping further to about 93.5 million in 2025, remaining below the 100 million mark for a second consecutive year. The number of albums selling more than three million copies also declined from 11 in 2023 to seven in 2024. The figures do not suggest listeners are abandoning K-pop. Rather, they point to a widening gap between attention and spending. Streaming has made it easier than ever for audiences to discover new artists. But listening does not necessarily translate into purchases. A fan may stream dozens of groups while buying albums, concert tickets or merchandise from only one or two. As the number of releases grows, visibility has become easier to achieve than commercial scale. The industry's economics are becoming increasingly concentrated. That trend is reflected in trade data as well. Korea Customs Service figures show physical-album export revenue reached a record $120 million in the first quarter of 2026, up 159 percent from a year earlier, despite lower shipment volumes. The United States overtook Japan as the largest export market after revenue surged 506 percent, while exports to the European Union climbed 462 percent. The divergence suggests K-pop's business model is evolving rather than simply shrinking. Industry analysts say Western consumers are more likely to purchase albums at full retail prices, unlike the bulk-buying campaigns and discount-heavy sales common in South Korea and China. Fewer albums are being shipped, but each album is generating more revenue. The industry is increasingly relying on a smaller base of higher-value overseas consumers instead of ever-expanding unit sales. If industry-wide data reveal the structural shift, HYBE's latest earnings show what it means in practice. BTS overhang HYBE reported record second-quarter revenue of 1.45 trillion won, up 105.5 percent from a year earlier and 107.6 percent from the previous quarter. Operating profit surged 159.3 percent to 170.9 billion won. The extraordinary performance was driven overwhelmingly by one factor: BTS. HYBE's quarterly revenue had remained remarkably stable, fluctuating between roughly 698 billion won and 727 billion won over the previous four quarters. Once BTS' "ARIRANG" world tour entered full operation, revenue nearly doubled. Concert revenue jumped 243.3 percent year-on-year to 647.7 billion won. Merchandise and licensing revenue more than doubled to 310.6 billion won, while recorded-music revenue rose 43 percent to 326.8 billion won. Other artists also contributed. SK Securities cited million-selling releases from TXT, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS and Cortis, together with strong U.S. vinyl sales for BTS. But none altered HYBE's financial scale the way BTS did. The market reaction underscored the distinction. Despite beating consensus estimates for both revenue and operating profit, HYBE shares fell about 16 percent after the earnings announcement. SK Securities noted that operating margins fell short of expectations because concerts carry higher artist settlement costs than recorded music. Investors were not questioning BTS' commercial power. They were questioning how much of that growth could be repeated once the current touring cycle concludes. That may be the defining challenge facing the industry. HYBE has positioned Cortis as one of its next global growth engines. The group has surpassed 12.7 million monthly Spotify listeners, while its second EP, GREENGREEN, has sold more than 3 million copies and remained on the Billboard 200 for 11 consecutive weeks. Those achievements make Cortis one of K-pop's most promising new acts. They do not yet demonstrate that the group can generate the stadium tours, merchandise demand and company-wide earnings impact that BTS continues to deliver. Breaking through and becoming a new financial engine are no longer the same thing. The same pattern appears across South Korea's other major entertainment companies. SM Entertainment posted first-quarter revenue of 279.1 billion won, up 20.6 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit rose 18.4 percent to 38.6 billion won, supported largely by concerts and merchandise sales. Yet forecasts for the full year differ sharply. Korea IR Service expects revenue to rise just 1.2 percent and operating profit 0.6 percent, while LS Securities projects increases of 9.3 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively. The gap reflects uncertainty over whether expanding concert activity and younger artists can offset softer album sales and rising overseas operating costs. JYP Entertainment faces a more immediate slowdown. Eugene Investment & Securities forecasts second-quarter revenue of 190.2 billion won, down 11.9 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit is expected to fall 27.3 percent to 38.5 billion won. The brokerage attributed the weakness partly to modest album sales despite releases from ITZY, NMIXX, KickFlip, NEXZ and Xdinary Heroes. Growth is expected to improve later this year as Stray Kids launches another global tour. Even so, analysts argue that younger groups such as NMIXX and KickFlip must demonstrate meaningful fandom expansion as TWICE approaches another contract-renewal cycle and Stray Kids gradually moves closer to military service. YG Entertainment faces a similar challenge. Second-quarter revenue is expected to increase 10 percent year-on-year to 110.6 billion won, but operating profit is forecast to decline 12 percent to 7.4 billion won as weaker touring activity, heavier production spending and softer merchandise sales weigh on margins. Analysts expect earnings to recover through renewed activities by BABYMONSTER and TREASURE, together with a planned BIGBANG stadium tour. But that outlook reinforces the same structural reality. The next meaningful jump in earnings still depends largely on the next comeback from an already established act. None of this suggests K-pop is entering structural decline. Major agencies are still expected to post positive full-year growth, streaming audiences continue to expand globally and export revenue has reached record highs. The industry's problem lies elsewhere. Its cultural reach continues to widen faster than its commercial foundations. One development could still reshape the equation: China. Following a November 2025 summit between Seoul and Beijing, the two governments have signaled a gradual thaw in cultural restrictions that have largely constrained Korean entertainment activities in mainland China since 2016. Earlier this year, Dream Concert 2026 became the first major Korean music event in years to be broadcast in mainland China through Hunan Television. Entertainment companies are already positioning themselves for a broader reopening. HYBE has expanded its Beijing operations and sold a stake to Tencent Music Entertainment, while analysts covering SM Entertainment identify China as the market with the greatest upside should large-scale concerts resume. None of those expectations has yet translated into earnings, and Beijing has given no indication that it plans to fully remove informal restrictions on Korean entertainment. But China remains the industry's clearest opportunity to reignite growth without waiting for another once-in-a-generation global superstar to emerge. Absent such a catalyst, the industry's challenge is becoming increasingly apparent. K-pop continues to produce successful debuts, streaming hits and global cultural influence. What it is producing less frequently are artists capable of sustaining multi-million album sales, global stadium tours and merchandise ecosystems large enough to transform a company's financial trajectory. That leaves agencies increasingly reliant on volatile comeback schedules, expensive touring cycles and a small number of flagship artists whose commercial power remains difficult to replicate. It also helps explain why investors have become more cautious toward entertainment stocks. The question is no longer whether earnings can continue growing. It is whether that growth can become broad-based enough to sustain premium valuations. 2026-07-29 17:21:57 -
Red Velvet to roll out 'Surfin' Boy' at Seoul fan concert SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Red Velvet will perform its new title track "Surfin' Boy" for the first time during a three-day fan concert in Seoul this week, SM Entertainment said Wednesday. The performance comes ahead of the release of the group's new summer EP, its first full-group release in over two years. The group will unveil the song at "2026 Red Velvet FAN-CON ," which runs from July 31 to Aug. 2 at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium. The fan concert sold out during the pre-sale period, while the final performance will be livestreamed globally through Beyond LIVE and Weverse. "Velvet Summer," a five-track EP, is due out at 6 p.m. KST on Aug. 3, two days after the fan concert's final show. The EP marks Red Velvet's first release as a complete five-member group since "Cosmic," which was released in June 2024 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. It is also the group's first comeback since Wendy and Yeri left SM Entertainment in April to join separate agencies while remaining members of Red Velvet. Irene, Seulgi and Joy continue to be managed by SM. "Surfin' Boy," the EP's lead single, features lyrics written solely by Joy about revisiting memories of a summer spent with someone special while looking ahead to creating new ones. According to SM Entertainment, the choreography incorporates the Hawaiian "shaka" hand gesture as a key move in the chorus. Red Velvet will also host a countdown livestream through its official YouTube and TikTok channels beginning at 5 p.m. KST on Aug. 3, ahead of the EP's 6 p.m. release. 2026-07-29 15:25:23 -
Genesis backs Marilyn Monroe short film ahead of Venice premiere SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - South Korean carmaker Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis is backing a 17-minute short film marking the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's birth. The project will make its world premiere at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival in September. Genesis said Wednesday that the company played a vital role in the production of "Flesh Impact," by collaborating with Authentic Brands Group, which owns and manages the Marilyn Monroe estate. The film presents two interpretations of the world-famous actress, with Dakota Johnson portraying the actress at the height of her fame and Academy Award-winning actress Ellen Burstyn playing an imagined version of Monroe who lived into old age. Actor and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal directed the project, while Peter Sarsgaard and Sepideh Moafi round out the cast. The company also unveiled the film's first promotional images. The film will premiere at a festival where Gyllenhaal is serving as president of this year's jury and Burstyn is set to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The project is the latest in Genesis' series of cultural partnerships, following collaborations with New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and London's Tate Modern. Its Manhattan flagship, Genesis House, has also hosted a range of exhibitions and artist collaborations since opening in 2024, including an immersive floral installation with designer Jeff Leatham and a Korean folklore-themed exhibition created with actress Ashley Park last October. Genesis' Marilyn Monroe centennial campaign began earlier this year with "Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon," an exhibition developed with Authentic Brands Group at Genesis House. Running from June 1 through Aug. 2, the exhibition explores Monroe's life and legacy through personal archives, photographs and immersive installations. 2026-07-29 10:47:44 -
Netflix's 'The East Palace' rises to No. 2 on global non-English TV chart SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) -Netflix's Korean fantasy series "The East Palace" climbed to No. 2 on the platform's global Top 10 list for non-English television shows in its second week of release, drawing 8.1 million views and entering the Top 10 in 69 countries, according to Netflix's weekly rankings on Wednesday. The eight-part series, which premiered on July 17, stars Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo and Cho Seung-woo in a supernatural mystery set in a royal palace. It follows Gu-cheon, a man able to cross into the spirit world, and court lady Saeng-gang as they investigate a curse haunting the East Palace at the king's request. Netflix released 15 behind-the-scenes photos featuring main characters. The images show the cast during filming as well as the sets, visual-effects work and production techniques used to create the series' fantasy sequences. "The East Palace" is directed by Choi Jung-kyu and written by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won. It is available on Netflix. 2026-07-29 08:54:50