G-Dragon named ambassador for UNESCO World Heritage Committee SEOUL, July 03 (AJP) - G-Dragon of K-pop boy band BIGBANG has been named promotional ambassador for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, set to open in Busan on July 19, Korea Heritage Service said Friday. It will be the first time Korea has hosted a session of the UNESCO body, which reviews the conservation of World Heritage sites and decides on additions to the World Heritage List. Ahead of the session, the JUSPEACE Foundation, founded by G-Dragon, will July 3, 2026

NCT's Jaehyun to release solo ballad "99 Degrees" on July 10 SEOUL, July 03 (AJP) - NCT's Jaehyun will release his new solo single "99 Degrees" on July 10, SM Entertainment said Friday. The single will be released at 6 p.m. KST across major platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Melon. Jaehyun co-wrote and composed the track. "99 Degrees" is a piano-led ballad that builds from a delicate opening into a fuller arrangement before settling back into Jaehyun's vocals for a quiet, intimate close. July 3, 2026

i-dle to return with new EP 'We made' SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle will release its ninth EP, "We made," on July 6, led by the summer single "Gimme Dat Love," the group's agency Cube Entertainment said Thursday. The five-track EP will arrive on major streaming platforms at 6 p.m. Monday. It includes the title track, pre-release single "Crow," "Mono" featuring British artist skaiwater, "Morning" and "Love Is Pain." "Gimme Dat L July 2, 2026

TWICE-themed pop-up store opens ahead of world tour finale concerts in Seoul SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - A pop-up store featuring merchandise related to K-pop girl group TWICE opened in Seoul on Thursday. According to their agency, JYP Entertainment, the store will remain open until July 12 at Plat1399 Studio in Gangdong, eastern Seoul, coinciding with the finale of their world tour scheduled for next weekend. The nine-member girl group will wrap up their "This Is For" world tour with sold-out encore concerts in Seoul from July 10 to 12 at KSPO Dome i July 2, 2026

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