Comedienne Park Na-rae suspends activities amid mounting allegations SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - A slew of allegations from verbal abuse and tantrums to illegal medical practices that emerged last week has led comedienne Park Na-rae to suspend all activities. In a message posted on social media on Monday, Park said, "I have decided to stop all activities until everything is resolved," adding, "I cannot continue to burden my colleagues on the programs ." In response, the shows and programs she had regul December 8, 2025

Rosé named Variety's 'Global Hitmaker of the Year' for her viral song SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - K-pop girl band BLACKPINK's member Rosé has been included among American weekly magazine Variety's annual "Hitmakers" list, her agency said on Monday. She was awarded "Global Hitmaker of the Year" at the magazine's ninth annual "Hitmakers" gathering in Los Angeles last Saturday, which recognizes the "artists and collaborators behind the year's 25 most popular songs." "Rising star Ros December 8, 2025

BTS's RM confesses thinking of disbanding group "thousands of times" SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - BTS leader RM confessed he had repeatedly questioned whether the K-pop superstar group should disband or suspend its activities altogether, despite the seven members all having finished their military service by June this year, implying deep internal pressure and a series of undisclosed circumstances that prevented the group from returning sooner. During a Weverse live session on Saturday, RM directly addressed fans wondering about the group’s lon December 7, 2025

Kpop Demon Hunters makes No. 2 most trending search on Google in 2025 SEOUL, December 06 (AJP) - Google’s Year in Search 2025 revealed a digital world captivated by culture clashes, political shocks and breakout entertainment — and Korea’s cultural engine once again emerged as one of the year’s dominant global forces. While U.S. political turmoil topped America’s trending list, Korean pop culture and gaming IP cemented their global imprint: Netflix’s animated “KPop Demon Hunters” surged to No. 2 in the December 6, 2025

BLACKPINK's Jennie sets new milestone with four RIAA certifications SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's member Jennie has earned another "gold" certification for a song from her first full-length solo-debut album. According to the U.S. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s latest list released this week, "ExtraL" from her album "Ruby" received the honor. This brings Jennie's RIAA certifications to four, the most among K-pop solo artists, including three tracks from &quo December 2, 2025

K-pop may have to lose the "K" as it sits as a genre, not a category SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - K-pop has broken a historic barrier at the Grammy Awards — one of the highest measures of global music recognition — entering a "Big Four" category for the first time. Since the Grammys began in 1959, no Korean artist had ever been nominated in any of the major categories. That changed when the Recording Academy announced its 68th Grammy nominees in early November, naming BLACKPINK's Rosé, the OST "Golden" from December 1, 2025

NewJeans drop social media moniker ahead of comeback after legal dispute SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - K-pop girl group NewJeans has deleted their short-lived social media account used during their dispute with management agency ADOR, sparking anticipation for their impending comeback. The account under the name of "NJZ," which served as the quintet's main channel to communicate with fans, is no longer accessible as of Monday. The girls created the account earlier this year under their own new name to rebrand themselves amid escalating ten December 1, 2025

Stray Kids achieve eighth consecutive No. 1 on Billboard 200 SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids' latest album topped the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, surpassing American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl," which had held the top spot for seven weeks. "Stray Kids claim their eighth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart as 'Do It' debuts atop the ranking dated Dec. 6," the American music chart said on Sunday, adding, "With an eighth No. 1, Stray Kids December 1, 2025

Coming-of-age indie film becomes this year's biggest sleeper hit SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - Low-budget film "The World of Love" has attracted over 150,000 viewers since its release in late October, becoming this year's biggest sleeper hit. According to the Korean Film Council, the 119-minute film directed by Yoon Ga-eun, reached the impressive milestone as of the end of November, consistently attracting viewers. The film's success has been driven by strong word of mouth, with viewers and critics alike praising it, despite December 1, 2025

K-pop quintet donate 200 million won to aid victims of Hong Kong's deadliest fire SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - K-pop group (G)I-DLE donated money to support victims of Hong Kong's deadliest fire earlier this week. The multinational quintet with Chinese member Yuqi donated 200 million won (approximately US$136,000) to support emergency relief efforts for those affected by the fire, the Shanghai-based nonprofit Fosun Foundation said on Friday. The donation comes a few days after Yuqi posted a message on social media expressing her hope for everyone's saf November 28, 2025