Korean golfers sweep with Ryu Haeran's major double and Tom Kim's Open win SEOUL, July 13 (AJP) -South Korea enjoyed one of its most successful weekends in international golf as Ryu Haeran captured her second consecutive major championship and Tom Kim ended a difficult two-year spell by claiming the Genesis Scottish Open, giving the country victories on both the LPGA and men's PGA Tour stages. Ryu completed a stunning ascent to the summit of women's golf by winning the Amundi Evian Championship in France on Sunday, just two weeks after claiming t July 13, 2026

Korean bass wins second prize at Sumi Jo International Singing Competition SEOUL, July 11 (AJP) - South Korean bass Yoo Seung-ho won second prize at the second Sumi Jo International Singing Competition, held in France. Yoo, 25, placed second in the competition's final round, held Friday at the Château de La Ferté-Imbault in France's Loire region. A graduate of Gyeongbuk Arts High School, where he finished at the top of his class, Yoo is currently a senior majoring in vocal music at Seoul National University. "Everyone was an July 11, 2026

BTS' 'SWIM' lawsuit centers on alleged path from demo to hit song SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - A copyright lawsuit over BTS' chart-topping single "SWIM" is focusing not only on alleged musical similarities, but on how an unreleased demo may have traveled through Los Angeles' songwriting and publishing network before reaching people involved in the hit. Three Los Angeles-based songwriters, Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson, filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on July 8, ac July 10, 2026

NCT's Jaehyun drops new solo single SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - K-pop boy group NCT's Jaehyun has released his new solo single "99 Degrees," his management agency SM Entertainment said on Friday. The single, a ballad that Jaehyun helped write and compose around the idea that love can make an incomplete person feel whole, will also be released on major global music-streaming platforms at 6 p.m. here, with its music video available on YouTube. The song opens with a restrained piano line before gradually buil July 10, 2026

TWICE to wrap up largest-ever world tour with sold-out Seoul finale SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - K-pop girl group TWICE will wrap up their world tour with three sold-out concerts in Seoul this weekend, bringing to an end their yearlong run of some 81 shows across 44 cities across the world. According to JYP Entertainment, the three-day encore concerts, starting Friday at KSPO Dome in southern Seoul, will conclude "THIS IS FOR," their largest-ever tour since their debut, which began in Incheon in July 2025. A 360-degree stage will be used for July 10, 2026

DAY6's Young K to drop 2nd solo album later this month SEOUL, July 10 (AJP) - Young K of K-pop band DAY6 will release his second full-length solo album later this month, his management agency JYP Entertainment said on Friday. "YOUNGEST," due out on July 27, will be Young K's first solo release since his debut full-length album "Letters with notes" in September 2023. To promote the album, Young K will stage a three-day concert series in Incheon from Aug. 14 to 16, marking his first solo concerts in nearly thr July 10, 2026

Hong Myung-bo to testify at National Assembly hearing SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - Former South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo issued a new public apology Thursday over the national team's early exit from the 2026 World Cup, saying he would appear before a parliamentary hearing if called and take full responsibility for the result. The statement was released through the Hong Myung-bo Scholarship Foundation, a charity the 57-year-old 2002 World Cup hero himself chairs. It was made public on the day the National Assembly's Culture, July 9, 2026

NCT's Jaehyun previews new solo single '99 Degrees' with music video teaser SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - NCT's Jaehyun released a music video teaser Thursday for his new solo single "99 Degrees," ahead of the song's release on Friday, SM Entertainment said. The teaser was posted on the SMTOWN YouTube channel at midnight. It shows Jaehyun moving between a brightly lit stage, an empty street where he appears to wander alone, and quieter everyday moments, with his soft vocals giving a brief preview of the ballad. The music video follows Jaehyu July 9, 2026

RIIZE's 'II' tops Korea's monthly album chart three weeks after release SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - K-pop boy group RIIZE's second EP, "II," released June 15, is still adding to its chart tally nearly a month later, topping Circle Chart's monthly album ranking for June and reaching No. 1 on Japan's Oricon daily album chart this week, SM Entertainment said Thursday. Most K-pop comebacks peak in their first week and taper off from there. "II" has instead kept climbing: the EP already led Circle Chart's weekly a July 9, 2026

SM Classics to take K-pop orchestral concerts to Singapore, Bangkok and Toronto SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - SM Entertainment's classical and jazz label SM Classics will expand its orchestral concert series overseas, with performances scheduled in Asia this year and in North America next year, the company said Thursday. The label announced the main lineup for the "SM Classics Live 2026 - 2027 Season," a concert series that reinterprets SM Entertainment's K-pop catalog through orchestral arrangements. The season marks the label' July 9, 2026