Business - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang earns spot at number 117 on Variety's list of 120 most powerful entertainment executives for driving company's expansion beyond K-pop into global markets.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Korean rock band FT Island held their third annual FTSODE year-end concert on December 27-28, 2025, at Kwangwoon University in Seoul, featuring an awards ceremony theme where members and fan club Primadonna celebrated the year together. The band will continue the FTSODE series in Taipei on January 24-25, 2026, as they approach their 18th anniversary since debuting in 2007.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
LE SSERAFIM will perform as the only K-pop act at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2026 on ABC December 31, following their successful world tour that ranked eighth on Billboard's highest-grossing K-pop tours of 2025.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
ADOR terminated NewJeans member Danielle's contract on December 29 while confirming Hanni's return to the agency, threatening the K-pop group's future as a five-member act following their year-long legal dispute over former CEO Min Hee-jin's removal.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
JYP Entertainment takes firm legal action against Stray Kids malicious commenters with zero tolerance policy.
K-WAVE - Dec 28, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Actor Kang You-seok successfully wrapped his first solo fan meeting "u:niverse" on December 27, 2025, showcasing dance performances from his breakout role as Um Jae-il in tvN's "Resident Playbook." The event capped a breakthrough year that saw Kang star in three hit dramas including Netflix's Baeksang-winning "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and legal series "Law and the City."
K-PEOPLE - Dec 27, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
IU topped Gallup Korea's 2025 year-end survey as the #1 singer among voters aged 13-39 with 20.1% and ranked second in the actress category with 11.3%, solidifying her status as South Korea's top dual-threat entertainer following her Netflix hit "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and May 2025 remake album release.
K-WAVE - Dec 27, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
The New York Times named NewJeans K-pop's most innovative group in a December 25 analysis, but warned that their 18-month hiatus from a legal battle with HYBE has silenced the act that was reshaping the genre's creative direction.
K-WAVE - Dec 27, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
EXO made their first awards show appearance in eight years at the 2025 Melon Music Awards on December 20, performing iconic hits and debuting new track "Back It Up" ahead of their January 19, 2026 comeback album REVERXE.
K-PEOPLE - Dec 26, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
K-pop legend Seo Taiji shared his annual Christmas update on December 25, 2024, revealing autonomous driving technology as his year's highlight while describing a hilarious family moment watching Netflix's "The Tyrant's Chef" when his 1995 hit "Come Back Home" appeared in Joseon-era style. The 52-year-old "President of Culture" apologized for no comeback news but shared Alaska travel memories and health reminders for aging fans.
K-WAVE - Dec 26, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
BTS Jungkook's cover of "The Christmas Song" reached 2 million views in 38 hours and topped YouTube's Global Popular Music Videos chart, trending across 56 countries including No. 1 in Mexico. The self-filmed holiday release marks his second Christmas cover following his 2017 "Oh Holy Night," which has accumulated 13 million SoundCloud streams.
K-WAVE - Dec 26, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Park Bo-gum, Reply 1988, Korean actor singer, SM Entertainment audition, K-pop idol trainee, Park Bo-gum singer-songwriter, Reply 1988 reunion, Park Bo-gum music career, Korean drama actor
K-WAVE - Dec 26, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
aespa's Winter received a silent reception from fans at the 2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon red carpet on December 25 when she greeted them with "Merry Christmas," contrasting sharply with the loud cheers her groupmates received. The awkward incident has been linked to ongoing dating rumors with BTS member Jungkook that began in early December after fans noticed matching tattoos on both idols.
K-WAVE - Dec 23, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Netflix's Korean sci-fi disaster film "The Great Flood" reached #1 globally in 71 countries despite sharply divided reviews, sparking an unprecedented public debate among Korean entertainment industry figures about modern film criticism culture. Writer Heo Ji-woong and translator Hwang Seok-hee publicly criticized what they called excessively harsh attacks on the Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo starrer, arguing that streaming-era audiences have lost appreciation for creative risk-taking.
K-WAVE - Dec 23, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
G-Dragon's 2025 comeback album Übermensch shattered streaming records with 825,000 fans attending his world tour, but the K-pop icon faced heavy criticism for late concert starts and inconsistent live vocals despite sweeping major year-end awards including seven wins at the Melon Music Awards.
Dec 21, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 20, 2025 PM EST - Hannah
Dec 20, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
Dec 20, 2025 AM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
