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RBW acquires 257 Entertainment through WM, adds boy band Xlov
Korean entertainment company RBW, the agency behind girl groups Mamamoo and Oh My Girl, said Tuesday that it acquired 257 Entertainment through its subsidiary WM Entertainment as part of efforts to strengthen its global expansion strategy. According to RBW, WM Entertainment recently signed a comprehensive business transfer agreement with 257 Entertainment and has begun post-merger integration procedures. Under the agreement, WM Entertainment will take over 257 Entertainment’s intellectual proper
March 11, 2026 -
Why did Heeseung leave Enhypen?
Heeseung of Enhypen announced his sudden departure from the boy group to pursue his own solo career through agency Belift Lab on Tuesday — raising questions across the industry about the rare circumstances surrounding the move. Departures from idol groups are not uncommon, but it is highly unusual for a member of a thriving group to leave the band specifically to pursue a solo career while remaining under the same agency. Speculation has quickly spread within the K-pop community, ranging from po
March 11, 2026 -
BTS’ RM backs Korean art catalog
A new catalog highlighting Korean paintings preserved in major museums around the world has been published with support from RM of BTS. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, affiliated with the Korea Heritage Service, announced the publication of "It's ___ Here: Korean Paintings Shining Abroad," a richly illustrated catalogue that documents significant Korean paintings currently held in overseas museum collections. The project was made possible through a donation by RM in 2022, refle
March 11, 2026 -
From idol to producer: Lee Hae-in’s rise as a K-pop hitmaker
For the past three years, the K-pop scene has been swept by girl groups backed by major agencies and veteran hitmakers such as Min Hee-jin, creative director behind NewJeans. But one of the most talked-about breakthroughs came from a far smaller company: Kiss of Life, a girl group launched by the little-known S2 Entertainment. The group’s rapid rise — often described in the industry as a “miracle from a small agency” — has drawn attention to the creative force behind it: Lee Hae-in. The former i
March 11, 2026 -
Blackpink sets new K-pop girl group record on Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Go’
Blackpink continues to expand its presence on global music charts, setting new records for K-pop girl groups on both the US Billboard and UK Official Charts. According to the latest chart update released by Billboard on Monday, the group’s newly released song “Go,” the main track from its third EP “Deadline,” debuted at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The entry marks Blackpink’s 11th appearance on the Hot 100, the most among K-pop female artists to date. Other tracks that made the chart include
March 11, 2026 -
BTS to accommodate 7,000 more for comeback show
More seats will be added to the much-anticipated live show signaling BTS’ return, according to Big Hit Music. The group is set to go live in central Seoul on March 21 under the title “BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang,” a day after the rollout of its fifth studio album “Arirang.” All 15,000 tickets sold out upon release — with a waitlist of over 100,000 people — and the label decided to expand the outdoor venue for safety reasons and allow 7,000 more fans to enter. Seoul has gone on full alert to a
March 11, 2026 -
Ateez charts 4 weeks on Billboard 200
Ateez logged another week on the Billboard 200, ranking No. 108 with its 13th EP, agency KQ Entertainment said Wednesday. The EP “Golden Hour: Part 4” has spent four weeks on the main albums chart after entering it at No. 3. It is the group's sixth consecutive album to sit among the top three on the chart. The newest endeavor logged 200,000 units in streaming equivalent album sales in the US — a career-best for the octet. It also sold more than 1.5 million copies in the first week and became the
March 11, 2026 -
Riize earns double platinum status in Japan
Riize’s second Japanese physical single “All of You” has earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan, the organization announced Tuesday. Released Feb. 18, the single surpassed 250,000 cumulative shipments as of February, securing platinum status in the Gold Disc category and reaffirming the group’s strong popularity in Japan. It also topped the daily singles chart on Oricon three times. Following the release, Riize held three concerts at Tokyo Dome, performing
March 11, 2026 -
Illit surpasses 100m streams in Japan
Illit surpassed 100 million streams in Japan with its first Japanese single, “Almond Chocolate,” according to Oricon on Wednesday. The track reached the milestone on Oricon’s Weekly Streaming Ranking, becoming the group’s second song to exceed 100 million plays on the chart following “Magnetic,” which has accumulated more than 300 million streams. Released in February last year, “Almond Chocolate” was produced as the theme song for the film “It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love.” The
March 11, 2026 -
Shinee’s Onew tops iTunes Chart in 9 regions with solo EP
The fifth solo set from Shinee's Onew debuted atop the iTunes Top Albums Chart in nine regions, his agency Griffin Entertainment said Wednesday. His five-track EP “Tough Love” rolled out on Monday. Onew co-wrote all five tracks on the album, including the title track — a first for the veteran idol — which landed atop the real-time songs chart on Bugs. A pop-up store is running in Seoul through March 15 to mark the album's release. Onew released his first solo album in 2018 and has since put out
March 11, 2026 -
BTOB to return as full group after almost 3 years: report
BTOB will drop a digital single on March 21 featuring all six members, according to a local media report on Wednesday. It will be the first full group effort since their 12th EP, “Wind and Wish,” released in May 2023, and will mark BTOB's 14th debut anniversary. After the mini album, the bandmates’ exclusive contract with Cube Entertainment expired. Lee Changseob and Yook Sungjae each signed with new agencies, while the remaining four set up a company named after the group. BTOB’s 13th EP “BToda
March 11, 2026 -
Wealthier overseas fans reshape power dynamics in K-pop
With BTS’ full-group comeback less than two weeks away, Chinese fan communities have recently announced large-scale promotional campaigns that will dominate some of Seoul’s most visible digital billboards. Jungkook’s official Chinese fan club said it will broadcast a congratulatory video for the singer’s comeback on the 60-meter landmark megascreen at the Koreana Hotel in central Seoul from March 20 to 22. Chinese fan club Baidu V Bar has planned an even larger campaign for V, securing the massi
March 10, 2026 -
Heeseung to leave Enhypen
Heeseung will part with Enhypen to pursue a solo career, his agency Belift Lab announced Tuesday. The agency shared the news through the fan community platform Weverse, saying it had been discussing the group’s future direction and goals with the members. According to Belift Lab, the discussions included in-depth conversations about each member’s vision and the team’s path forward. During that process, Heeseung expressed a clear musical direction he wanted to pursue, and the agency decided to re
March 10, 2026 -
BTS to launch ‘Arirang’ pop-up store in Seoul ahead of album release
BTS will open a special pop-up store in Seoul to mark the release of its upcoming album, “Arirang,” the group’s agency said Tuesday. According to Big Hit Music, the pop-up event will run from 1 p.m. on the day of the album’s release (March 20) through 8:30 p.m. on April 12 at two locations: Shinsegae Department Store’s The Heritage building in Jung-gu, central Seoul, and the Hybe headquarters in Yongsan. Merchandise for sale at the pop-up was created in collaboration with the National Museum Fou
March 10, 2026 -
Police probe ticket scams ahead of BTS Gwanghwamun comeback show
Police have launched an investigation into suspected ticket scams and misuse of automated programs related to BTS’ upcoming comeback show at Gwanghwamun Square. Park Jeong-bo, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said Monday that police are currently investigating three suspected criminal cases tied to ticket sales for the concert, after ticket platform Nol Universe requested a probe into signs of automated programs buying tickets for the event on March 21. Police said the main types o
March 10, 2026