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A decade on, NCT 127 launches fifth world tour as five
SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - In the K-pop jungle, where reinvention can move almost as quickly as fast fashion, surviving a decade is something to celebrate. The latest to cross that threshold is NCT 127. Nearly every patch of shade around Seoul's KSPO Dome had been claimed three hours before NCT 127 was due onstage Sunday. Fans sat beneath trees and along concrete walls with photo cards, merchandise and lightsticks spread around them, trading collectibles and talki
September 20, 2026
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IU celebrates 18th debut anniversary with another generous donation SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Singer and actress IU has donated 200 million won (US$145,00) to mark the 18th anniversary of her debut, her agency said on Friday. According to EDAM Entertainment, IU donated 50 million won each to four nonprofit organizations, including Korea Welfare Services, Habitat for Humanity Korea, Seoul Rehabilitation Center and Heart to Heart Foundation. The donated money will be used to support young patients from low-income families, war veterans and others September 18, 2026 -
South Korea to begin medal hunt on Asian Games's opening weekend SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korean athletes are set to begin their gold-medal hunt this weekend as the quadrennial Asian Games kick off with an opening ceremony in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday. South Korea is aiming for 40 to 45 gold medals to finish third overall, with early medal races coming in disciplines like wushu, modern pentathlon, shooting and swimming. The first chance for a gold medal comes Sunday morning in wushu, a martial art often called kung fu, when Lee Yong-h September 18, 2026 -
Netflix puts viewer attention at center of ad strategy SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Global OTT service Netflix is putting viewer attention at the center of its advertising strategy, the company said Friday. The streaming platform is also expanding programmatic ad buying and plans to offer its ad-supported plan in 27 countries next year. Park Young-sun, Netflix's industry lead in Korea, outlined the strategy at The Trade Desk's "Open Forum: Omnichannel in the AI Era" in Seoul on Thursday. "In the past, rea September 18, 2026 -
Super Junior Yesung to roll out second album SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - K-pop boy group Super Junior's member Yesung will release his second full-length album "Where We Are" taking part in its overall creative direction and writing lyrics for nine of its tracks, SM Entertainment said Friday. Yesung contributed ideas to the album's music selection, visual concepts and styling, according to the agency. Built around the theme of time, "Where We Are" looks back on the singer's past decade thro September 18, 2026 -
NCT 127 kicks off fifth tour in Seoul SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NCT 127 will kick off its fifth concert tour with three shows in Seoul beginning Friday, SM Entertainment said. The group will perform at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park from Sept. 18 to 20 under the title "NEO CITY : SEOUL - THE REDLINE." The concerts will feature songs from NCT 127's seventh studio album "BLINGY" alongside tracks spanning the group's 10-year career. The Sept. 19 and 20 shows will also be str September 18, 2026 -
Asia tests punishment, treatment to curb repeat drug use SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - South Korea has abandoned its once-prized claim to being a drug-free country. Dramas, public campaigns and advertisements now warn teenagers away from drugs, reflecting how quickly illicit drug use has spread. Society — and the system meant to respond to it — has struggled to keep up. Rapper Kim Gam-jeon, 22, was back in the headlines after being arrested on suspicion of using liquid cannabis while still under a suspended sentence for an September 17, 2026 -
Korean dictionary data to join 600-language BabelNet network SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - South Korea's National Institute of Korean Language is teaming up with Italian AI language technology company Babelscape to connect Korean-language resources with BabelNet, a multilingual network covering about 600 languages. The institute, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Wednesday it signed an agreement with Babelscape to expand the development and use of AI-based language resources. BabelNet is a large multilingual dicti September 17, 2026 -
Stray Kids take 'STRAYCITY' across Latin America SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids are taking a new music festival built around the group across Latin America, with "STRAYCITY" set to move to Mexico City later this month, JYP Entertainment said Thursday. The festival, jointly planned by JYP and Live Nation, opened in Bogota on Sept. 9 before staging two shows in Buenos Aires on Sept. 14 and 15. Stray Kids headlined the events with a set spanning tracks including "TOPLINE," "MANIAC, September 17, 2026 -
RIIZE lands second 100 million-stream Spotify hit SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - "Love 119" by K-pop boy group RIIZE has surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify, becoming the group's second song to reach the milestone after "Get A Guitar," SM Entertainment said Thursday. The 2024 single had logged 100,026,078 streams as of Thursday, according to Spotify data cited by the agency. "Love 119" gave RIIZE its first music show win and peaked at No. 3 on Melon's Top 100 chart. The song previousl September 17, 2026