aespa to release first Japanese EP 'KISS N TELL' in July SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - K-pop girl group aespa will return to the Japanese music scene after about two years with its debut Japanese EP, "KISS N TELL," set for release on July 24, the group's agency SM Entertainment said Thursday. The group — Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning — will offer six new original Japanese tracks on the EP, led by the title song of the same name. It follows aespa's Japanese debut single "Hot Mess." SM also relea July 2, 2026

NiziU releases first Japanese greatest hits album 'Portfolio' SEOUL, July 01 (AJP) - NiziU released its first Japanese greatest hits album, "Portfolio," at midnight Wednesday, the group's agency JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. The release came with a 2026 version of the music video for "Make You Happy," the group's pre-debut single. NiziU is a nine-member Japanese girl group formed through a joint project between JYP Entertainment and Sony Music. The 29-track compilation traces the group's activities s July 1, 2026

Collaborative single by three K-pop acts stays on Billboard Hot 100 for another week SEOUL, July 1 (AJP) - "Iconic By Mistake," a collaborative single by K-pop girl groups LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and KATSEYE, remained on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for a second straight week. According to the latest American music chart released on Monday, the song ranked No. 43 on the main singles chart for the week ending Saturday, after making its entry at No. 38 last week. Earlier, the song was also included in Spotify's weekly top songs charts in 46 countries July 1, 2026

BTS' explosive hit song 'Dynamite' amasses 2.1 billion views on YouTube SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - BTS' global megahit song "Dynamite" has amassed more than 2.1 billion views on YouTube, becoming the K-pop juggernaut's most-viewed music video. According to their agency Big Hit Music, the video hit the milestone early Wednesday morning, about nine months after surpassing 2 billion views in September last year. The explosive hit single, which was BTS' first all-English-language song, became their first to achieve the feat. The upbe June 24, 2026

AI K-pop group SweeTeez to releases new single 'Line & View' SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - AI-generated K-pop girl group SweeTeez will roll out its new single "Line & View" on major streaming platforms Wednesday at noon. The single contains two tracks: the title track "Line & View" and "Where You Went, Cloud." Built around synth-pop and future bass, the title track explores repeated encounters and separations between people kept apart by distance and time. The second song deals with remembrance and the cycl June 24, 2026

South Korea moves to make culture a larger part of foreign aid SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea plans to make culture a larger part of its foreign aid policy, using its experience in the arts and creative industries to support developing countries, the foreign and culture ministries said Tuesday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed an agreement at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul to jointly develop official development assistance projects focused on culture. Un June 24, 2026

i-dle teams with Latin pop producers for new EP 'We Made' SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle will release its ninth EP, "We Made," on July 6, Cube Entertainment said Wednesday. The group unveiled the six-track album's full track list through its official social media accounts. "Gimme Dat Love," the lead single, is a Latin pop-inspired track produced by Daramola and Samantha Cámara. Daramola has previously worked with Anitta, Becky G and Jason Derulo. Members Yuqi and Soyeon also took part in t June 24, 2026

K-pop boy band Stray Kids to release 'RUN IT' ahead of world tour SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) -Eight-member K-pop boy group Stray Kids will release a new digital single, "RUN IT," JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. The song was written and produced by 3RACHA, the group's in-house production unit comprising Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. Built around brass, marching drums and world-beat rhythms, the track captures the group's drive and confidence as they head into a new tour cycle. Stray Kids earned their eighth No. 1 on th June 24, 2026

Korea to finance upgrading of local sports venues for K-pop concerts SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea will spend 12 billion won ($7.8 million) this year to upgrade six regional sports and multipurpose facilities for K-pop and other live music concerts, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. The program is aimed at addressing the country's shortage of dedicated concert venues by upgrading existing public facilities rather than waiting for new arenas to be built. Many large music events in South Korea are held at stadiums June 23, 2026

BTS' 'ARIRANG' lands on 4 midyear best-album lists ahead of European tour SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - BTS' fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," has been named one of the best albums of 2026 so far by four major music and culture publications in the United States and Britain, the group's agency BigHit Music said Tuesday. U.S. pop culture outlet Complex included the album on its midyear list on June 11, followed by British daily The Telegraph on June 13, Rolling Stone on June 15 and British music magazine NME on June 16. Released on March 20, &q June 23, 2026