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

Stray Kids earn six new RIAA certifications

SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids received six new certifications from the U.S. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Wednesday. They earned a "gold" certification for their latest album "Karma," after selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S. since its release in August this year, bringing their total certified albums to six, including the previous ones like "Ate," "Maxident," and "5-Star." They a

November 27, 2025

K-pop hitmaker Kim Hyung-seok bids to chair Korea Music Copyright Association

SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - Veteran K-pop composer Kim Hyung-seok (59), the creative force behind some of Korea’s most iconic ballads, has officially announced his candidacy for the 25th chairman election of the Korea Music Copyright Association (KMC). Kim, whose three-decade career shaped the sound of Korean pop through hits for Lee Moon-sae, Jang Hye-jin, Shin Seung-hun, Kim Gun-mo, Jo Sung-mo, Park Jin-young, Kim Kwang-seok, and many more, said he decided to run after re

November 25, 2025

K-pop groups once again caught in diplomatic crossfire amid China–Japan fallout

SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - K-pop groups that have recently become regulars on Japanese television are once again caught in the crossfire between China and Japan, as renewed tensions under Tokyo's new hawkish leadership spill over into pop culture. The diplomatic standoff has revived decades-old antipathy between the two countries and is sending ripple effects across multiple fronts — from tourism to entertainment. Chinese music platform QQ Music announced Monday via

November 20, 2025

HYBE flies on rosy outlook with NewJeans and BTS pipeline, but NewJeans remain question

SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - Korea's entertainment giant HYBE gained a boost — 6 percent on Thursday on high expectations for a full-member comeback of their budding and steady stars NewJeans and BTS, after the breakaway girl group hinted they would return home following an epic split last year. The rise was more muted than the near-9 percent after-hours jump late Wednesday as the market grew cautious about whether reconciliation is real, given the deep distrust NewJeans m

November 13, 2025

Court rules NewJeans must remain under ADOR, rejects bid for independence

SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - The future of K-pop girl group NewJeans — who shot to global stardom upon their 2022 debut — has been thrown into uncertainty after a Seoul court ruled in favor of their agency HYBE on Thursday. The court determined that all five members remain exclusively bound to ADOR, a HYBE sublabel, until 2029, regardless of their claims of contract breaches and unfair treatment. The decision extinguishes hopes for an early stage comeback for NewJeans,

October 30, 2025

Soundtrack from Netflix's K-pop anime slips to No. 2 on Billboard 200 albums chart

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - The soundtrack of Netflix's hit South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters" slipped one spot from the top on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart this week. According to the U.S. music chart on Monday, the soundtrack was overtaken by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's new album, ending its streak at the top for the 10th consecutive week after spending several weeks in the top five. Billboard said Swift topped the ch

October 14, 2025

K-pop girl bands Hearts2Hearts and Babymonster to make October comebacks

SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Two of South Korea's most talked-about girl groups are returning with new albums this month. Super rookie band Hearts2Hearts from SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment's Babymonster are both preparing October comebacks, drawing attention from K-pop fans worldwide. Hearts2Hearts (H2H), which debuted in February this year with the single album "The Chase," will release its first mini-album "FOCUS" on October 20. The six-track album

October 8, 2025

HYBE revs up global idol pipeline as BTS comeback nears

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) -HYBE, the K-pop powerhouse behind global superstar BTS, is accelerating its international expansion with region-specific idol franchises as it sets the stage for BTS’s long-awaited group comeback next year. Latin America is the next market to host a HYBE-incubated idol group, following rollouts in Japan, the U.S., and China. The company also announced it will open a new outpost in Mumbai, India, this year — its fifth overseas base — to ta

September 26, 2025