BIGBANG to reopen fan club after 11 years ahead of comeback SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - K-pop boy band BIGBANG will recruit members for its official fan club, V.I.P, for the first time in 11 years ahead of the group’s 20th anniversary comeback, YG Entertainment said Saturday. The group unveiled a teaser poster for the recruitment of the sixth generation of V.I.P through its official social media channels on Friday. It marks the first official fan club drive since 2015. The poster features BIGBANG’s official light stick, known as B May 2, 2026

BTS Busan concert sells out in presale as global tour demand surges SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - BTS’ upcoming Busan concert has sold out during the fan club presale, highlighting strong demand for the group’s global tour, BigHit Music said Thursday. Tickets for the BTS Busan concert, part of the “BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in Busan,” scheduled for June 12 and 13 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, were fully sold out during the membership presale, which opened on Thursday via NOL Ticket, South Korea's popular onlin April 30, 2026

S. Korea sees record inbound tourism driven by resurgent Chinese and Japanese markets SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - South Korea welcomed a record-breaking number of inbound visitors this month, with the majority of travelers arriving from China and Japan, alongside significant contributions from Taiwan and the United States, data released by the state tourism agency showed Thursday. This surge marks a pivotal moment for the nation's tourism sector, signaling a transition from post-pandemic recovery into a period of historic expansion. According to the latest report f April 30, 2026

Ador seeks property seizure as Danielle and Min Hee-jin face deepening legal rift SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - Ador has secured a provisional attachment on the real estate assets of former NewJeans member Danielle, her mother, and former chief executive Min Hee-jin as the legal fallout from the K-pop industry’s most high-profile corporate schism intensifies. According to Legal sources, the court filing was confirmed on Wednesday, ahead of a full-scale trial scheduled for May, and would represent a tactical shift by the Hybe-owned label to freeze the financial April 29, 2026

South Korea benchmarks BTS tourism success as Goyang visitor numbers surge SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - Foreign arrivals in a satellite city northwest of the capital increased 35 times during a three-day BTS concert series that took place on April 9, 11, and 12, providing South Korean authorities with a statistical mandate to overhaul regional tourism strategies, a report released by the culture ministry showed Tuesday. The massive influx of travelers into Goyang, traditionally overlooked in favor of Seoul's central districts, suggests that high-profile c April 29, 2026

Annual film fest set to kick off in Jeonju, featuring over 200 films SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - The annual Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is set to kick off with a red-carpet event in the southwestern city on Wednesday. According to organizers, this year's festival, now in its 27th year, will run for 10 days until May 8 and feature some 236 films from 54 countries. The festival's curtain-raiser is American filmmaker Kent Jones' "Late Fame," which tells the story of a poet whose secluded life is suddenly thrown into th April 29, 2026

K-pop girl band Le Sserafim releases world tour schedule as group targets European debut SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - K-pop girl band Le Sserafim will perform 32 shows across 23 cities starting this July, including the first solo European concerts for the K-pop group, the five-member group's agency Source Music said Tuesday. The tour begins in the western port city of Incheon on July 11 and travels through Japan and the United States before reaching five cities in Europe this October. The expansion into Europe follows a year of commercial growth where the group was r April 28, 2026

Netflix wins tax battle in Seoul to pay little despite massive revenue in Korea SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - A South Korean court ruled in favor of Netflix, ordering tax authorities to refund most of the roughly 80 billion won ($58 million) it had imposed on the global streaming giant, in a decision that underscores the limits of taxing cross-border digital services. The Seoul Administrative Court sided with Netflix Services Korea in a lawsuit filed in November 2023 seeking to cancel 76.2 billion won of the total tax assessment following a probe into its income. April 28, 2026

NEXZ returns with 'Mmchk' as JYP sharpens global group strategy SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) — Rookie boy group NEXZ is back with its second single “Mmchk,” underscoring JYP Entertainment’s evolving strategy to globalize the K-pop model through multinational lineups. The seven-member group held a showcase in Seoul on Sunday to mark the release of the single album at Blue Square Woori Bank Hall in Yongsan District. Formed through “Nizi Project Season 2,” a joint audition program between JYP and Sony Music Japan, April 27, 2026

K-pop takes Oxford University by storm as Korean culture gains global spotlight SEOUL, April 26 (AJP) - K-pop has taken center stage at one of the world's most prestigious academic institutions, highlighting the growing influence of Korean popular culture in reshaping global education and cultural landscapes. A K-pop performance was held at the University of Oxford's Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities last Saturday, drawing hundreds of visitors including students and local residents, who gathered around a circular stage to watch the unusual April 26, 2026