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K-pop IP connects to Netmarble and the broader gaming story around it.
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· Michelle De Pacina
Aespa’s Karina, actor Lee Jae-wook break up 1 month after K-pop idol apologized for dating
Aespa member Karina and actor Lee Jae-wook have ended their relationship five weeks after it was made public and following extreme backlash from the K-pop idol’s fans. Key points:
· Bryan Ke
Big Ocean, first hearing-impaired K-pop group, set for debut
South Korea is set to unveil its first-ever hearing-impaired K-pop group, Big Ocean, this month. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
Blackpink becomes first K-pop girl group to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams
Blackpink has achieved a new milestone as their 2020 hit single “How You Like That” has surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams. Key points:
· Carl Samson
‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ contestant, a former K-pop star, debuts solo
A “Squid Game: The Challenge” contestant who is a former K-pop idol has returned to the music scene as a solo artist. Background: Joel Jay Lane, better known as Player 375 in “Squid Game: The Challenge” — and the lone Korean contestant in the Netflix reality show — debuted in…
· Bryan Ke
Chinese K-pop idol’s father had the most ‘dad’ response to son’s debut
Chinese K-pop idol Hanjin has shared how his father reacted to his recent debut as a member of boyband TWS. Finding inspiration: Hanjin, 18, whose real name is Han Zhen, hails from China’s Henan province. In an interview with Weverse Magazine on Jan. 14, he shared that his drive…
· Ryan General
American JYP K-pop group Vcha makes official debut
Vcha, the six-member global girl group formed through the “America2Korea” (“A2K”) competition series by JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, has officially debuted with their singles “Girls of the Year” and “XO Call Me.” Vcha has arrived: The group’s highly anticipated debut…
· Ryan General
Seoul to protect K-pop trainees from forced weight loss, plastic surgery
The city council of Seoul has enacted groundbreaking legislation that protects young K-pop trainees from forced weight loss and plastic surgery. About the ordinance: Proposed by Councilman Kim Kyu-nam, the “Seoul City Ordinance on the Protection and Support of the Rights of…
· Ryan General
South Korea to introduce ‘Hallyu visa’ for K-pop and K-drama fans
South Korea has unveiled plans to introduce a new visa catering specifically to fans of South Korean culture. About the Hallyu visa: South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced the launch of the Hallyu visa, a unique initiative aimed at attracting…
· Carl Samson
Watch: Hybe reveals how it trains its K-pop idols in video series
Hybe Labels on Tuesday released a series of videos that showcase its training and development program, shedding light on how some of K-pop’s most successful stars are shaped for the world stage. What it’s about: The YouTube series, titled “HYBE T&D Stories,” features accounts…
· Bryan Ke
NewJeans to be 1st K-pop girl group to perform on ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’
ABC and Dick Clark Productions announced Wednesday that K-pop group NewJeans will be performing two of their songs on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” on Dec. 31. About their appearance: The five-member group — consisting of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin…
· Bryan Ke
Louis Vuitton taps K-pop boy group Riize as new ambassadors
SM Entertainment rookie boy group Riize have been named ambassadors for fashion label Louis Vuitton this week. Breaking the news: Louis Vuitton announced Riize members Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee and Anton as its latest house ambassadors in an Instagram post…
· Bryan Ke
JYP’s mental health advice to talents divides K-pop fans
K-pop luminary Park Jin-young, better known as JYP, ignited controversy upon revealing a piece of advice he says he gives to his talents about mental health. What he said: Park, founder of powerhouse label JYP Entertainment, said he encourages his artists to make everybody…
· Ryan General
Azealia Banks accused of racism for social media diss against ‘fruity K-pop weirdos’
“Can we all pretty please tell these fruity k-pop weirdos to get out of here with their ghost white bleach booties and trash Michael jackson choreo?”
· Ryan General
K-pop girl group IVE includes several US cities in first world tour
“I’m delighted and excited at the same time to perform stages together with worldwide Dive,” said IVE member An Yujin
· Michelle De Pacina
K-pop singer-songwriter Nahee dies at 24
South Korean singer-songwriter Lim Nahee, better known by her stage name Nahee, died at the age of 24 on Wednesday. Nahee’s death: No official statements have been released by her family, and the cause of her death is currently unknown. However, Nahee’s music label, Mun Hwa In,…
· Carl Samson
K-pop legend G-Dragon under investigation for illegal drug use
K-pop soloist and former BIGBANG leader G-Dragon, 35, has been booked by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency for illegal drug use, according to South Korean media. Details: G-Dragon, whose real name is Ji-yong Kwon, is allegedly in violation of the Narcotics Control Act,…
· Michelle De Pacina
Interview: K-pop legend Rain to perform US concerts for 1st time in 15 years
K-pop legend Rain is making a comeback with his “STILL RAINING” tour after a seven-year hiatus from touring. Known as a pioneer of K-pop music, the 41-year-old artist and actor is gearing up to take the stage once again with stops in two U.S. cities, including Atlantic City and…
· Ryan General
Sandara Park says she ‘regrets’ leaving Philippines to chase K-pop stardom in S. Korea
“I feel like you guys are richer, to be honest,” Park tells host Luis Manzano in Filipino
· Carl Samson
K-pop star Ailee: North Koreans secretly admitted to listening to banned genre
Despite its isolationist policy that extends to the realm of entertainment, North Korea is reportedly no stranger to South Korea’s K-pop, with some North Koreans even identifying as fans. Secret fans: The latest revelation comes from K-pop soloist Ailee, who recalled her time in…
· Bryan Ke
Jisoo’s ‘Flower’ becomes first 2023 K-pop MV to hit over 400 million views
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo broke a YouTube milestone on Tuesday after her solo debut “Flower” became the first K-pop music video released in 2023 to garner over 400 million views. Breaking the news: Jisoo, whose real name is Kim Ji-soo, reached the milestone at around 3:57 p.m. Korean…
Answer
BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.
People & Works
Open
Artist · K-pop
&TEAM
&TEAM is HYBE's first homegrown Japanese boy group -- a localization play that plants the HYBE system directly inside the world's second-biggest music market rather than exporting Korean acts into it.
Artist · K-pop
2PM
2PM invented the 'beast idol' -- JYP's masculine, acrobatic counter-brand that opened the Japanese arena market for K-pop boy groups and made Thai member Nichkhun one of the first non-Korean idols engineered as a pan-Asian sales asset.
Artist · K-pop
aespa
SM's flagship 4th-gen group turned streaming dominance into arena-scale global touring — the clearest sign K-pop's next tier can headline, not just chart.
Artist · K-pop
AKMU
AKMU are the sibling duo who won K-Pop Star and picked YG on their own terms -- 'The Nation's Siblings' whose songwriting-first model gave YG a rare non-idol prestige asset that outlasted a full 12-year label run.
Artist · K-pop
BABYMONSTER
YG built BABYMONSTER as its designated BLACKPINK successor, and the pressure is the point -- the label bet its next decade of revenue on a seven-member group that had to shatter rookie sales records just to justify the comparison.
Artist · K-pop
BIGBANG
BigBang were the original architects of K-pop as a global export business -- the first mainstream Korean hip-hop idols whose stadium tours and merch empire proved a Korean act could out-earn Western pop stars and became the template YG monetized for a decade.
Artist · K-pop
BLACKPINK
The genre's biggest girl group returned as a group after years of solo dominance — testing whether K-pop's Western peak was a moment or a plateau. 'GO' answered.
Artist · K-pop
BOYNEXTDOOR
BOYNEXTDOOR is rapper Zico's KOZ Entertainment absorbed into the HYBE machine -- an artist-founded label that HYBE bought and turned into a hit factory, showing how HYBE grows by acquiring creative shops, not just building them.
Artist · K-pop
BTS
BTS didn't just come back — they re-coronated K-pop's top tier. 'Arirang' fuses Korean folk roots with global pop, and the tour proved the machine HYBE built scales to stadiums worldwide.
Results
Culture · artist
BTS
BTS connects to HYBE, the company behind BTS, Weverse, albums, merch, memberships, tickets, and concerts.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035760
CJ ENM
CJ ENM is behind TV, music, film, award shows, and major cultural exports that shape what people watch.
Company · Korea · KRX:352820
HYBE
One of the layers behind BTS, SEVENTEEN, TXT.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900
JYP Entertainment
JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:041510
SM Entertainment
SM is tied to idol groups, tours, fan clubs, and the long-running system behind some of K-pop's most recognizable acts.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:122870
YG Entertainment
YG connects global K-pop attention to touring, brand deals, fan demand, and artist-centered entertainment revenue.
Company · Korea · KRX:251270
Netmarble
Netmarble is Korea's mobile-game powerhouse that turns pop-culture IP into games — from BTS titles to Marvel — and is one of HYBE's largest shareholders, linking K-pop and gamin...
HYBE · K-pop · KRX:352820
A BTS comeback is not just songs. It’s albums, merch, tickets, and Weverse.
A BTS comeback can start with one stream on your phone, then turn into a fan-club sign-up, merch order, livestream ticket, and more time spent inside Weverse.