KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

David Yong의 K-pop 입문은 전형적인 아이돌 데뷔 코스를 따르지 않는다. BIGBANG과 TWICE를 통해 이 장르를 처음 접한 싱가포르 출신 사업가는 한국어 공부, 댄스 레슨, 서울에서의 녹음 작업을 병행하며 오랜 보컬 트레이닝 경험을 바탕으로 자신만의 길을 걸어왔다.

Fan에서 Artist-Executive로: David Yong의 K-pop 여정

NEXZ is a seven-member Japanese boy group formed by JYP Entertainment and Sony Music Japan through the Japanese reality show Nizi Project Season 2. The group&#x27;s name means Next Z(G)eneration, and was coined by J.Y. Park to represent the wish for the group to lead JYPE into the future. The final episode premiered on December 15, 2023, revealing the debut lineup, ranked as follows: Tomoya, Haru, Yuki, Ken (So Geon), Yu, Yuhi (Hyui), and Seita. They debuted with the Korean song &quot;Ride the Vibe.&quot;

NEXZ

NEXZ가 2026년 4월 "Mmchk"를 발매했을 때, 7인조 그룹의 올해 첫 컴백 앨범은 발매 첫 주에 44만 4천 장 이상 판매되며 커리어 하이를 기록했고, Circle Chart 리테일 앨범 차트 정상에 올랐으며, 한국 음악 방송에서 첫 1위를 차지했다

NEXZ: 위로만 남았다

K-pop 그룹과 안무가 헤드라인을 장식하는 가운데, 한국 음악 신에서는 또 다른 흐름의 싱어송라이터와 인디 아티스트들이 자신들만의 팬층을 만들어가고 있다. DORI 역시 그 흐름의 일부지만, 그녀가 이 길에 들어선 출발점은 꽤 이례적이었다.

DORI가 색으로 말하다

ASTRO is a four-member boy group under Fantagio. Originally debuting as six members, the group entered the industry with their first mini album &quot;Spring Up&quot;, quickly gaining attention for their bright concept and strong performance skills. The original lineup consisted of MJ, JinJin, Cha Eun-woo, Moon Bin, Rocky, and Sanha, establishing a well-balanced team recognized for both musical and variety presence. In their early years, ASTRO built a steady discography with releases such as &quot;Summer Vibes&quot;, &quot;Autumn Story&quot;, and the &quot;Dream&quot; series, while also expanding their reach through concerts and international promotions. Their growth continued with their first full-length album &quot;All Light&quot; and subsequent releases including &quot;Blue Flame&quot;, &quot;Gateway&quot;, and &quot;All Yours&quot;, solidifying their place in the industry with a consistent sound and evolving image. The group also explored unit activities, including Moon Bin &amp; Sanha and JinJin &amp; Rocky, further showcasing their versatility. :contentReference[oaicite:0] Over time, ASTRO experienced significant changes, including Rocky’s departure and the passing of Moon Bin in 2023, marking a deeply emotional period for the group and fans. Despite these challenges, the group has continued activities as four members, releasing commemorative and special projects such as &quot;Circles&quot;, &quot;Twilight&quot;, and &quot;Moon&quot;, reflecting both their growth and enduring bond as they move forward together.

ASTRO

YOON SAN-HA는 많은 사람들이 생각하는 것보다 훨씬 오래 이 업계에 몸담아 왔다. 그는 10대 초반에 Fantagio에 연습생으로 들어갔고, 2016년 ASTRO의 막내 멤버로 데뷔했다.

YOON SAN-HA는 이제 진짜 자신으로 설 준비가 됐다

dodree is the first Subunit of the girl group DDDD 25. The unit is composed of members Na Yeongjoo and Lee Songhyun. They debuted on January 21, 2026, with the single album &quot;Just Like A Dream&quot;.

dodree

dodree는 자신들의 음악을 “K-rossover Pop”이라고 부른다. 판소리 보컬, 가야금 리프, 그리고 전통 한국 선굿 움직임에서 가져온 안무가 트랩 비트와 몽환적인 신스 같은 현대적 요소와 맞물리며, 이들은 점점 확장되는 카탈로그 안에서 그 경계를 비튼다.

dodree: JYP 산하의 미스터리한 듀오

ENHYPEN is a boy group formed through the 2020 survival show I-LAND and managed by Belift Lab. The current lineup consists of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki. They debuted in November 2020 with Border: Day One, arriving with a built-in global audience from the show and a concept built around connection, transformation, and fate. The group&#x27;s early work used dark, dramatic imagery to separate them from brighter rookie-boy-group formulas. &quot;Given-Taken,&quot; &quot;Drunk-Dazed,&quot; &quot;Fever,&quot; and later songs in the Dimension and Dark Blood eras leaned into supernatural metaphors, sharp choreography, and a tension between elegance and danger. That made ENHYPEN feel less like a simple survival-show product and more like a group with a continuing storyline. ENHYPEN&#x27;s member appeal is strongly performance-based. Jungwon gives the team a steady center as leader, Jay and Jake bring international texture, Sunghoon&#x27;s skating background informs his clean stage image, Sunoo adds brightness and contrast, and Ni-ki anchors the dance line with unusual precision for a maknae. Their fandom, ENGENE, grew quickly because the group&#x27;s identity invited close reading: fans could follow the music, the lore, and the members&#x27; development at the same time. As a fourth-generation act, ENHYPEN&#x27;s importance sits between survival-show fandom and global idol scale. They showed how a group could debut with a transnational audience already watching, then keep that audience through consistent visual storytelling, polished performance, and songs that made adolescence feel mythic rather than ordinary.

ENHYPEN

ENHYPEN이 경력상 가장 야심찬 루팅 중 하나인 다섯 개 대륙 21개 도시를 도는 월드 투어 BLOOD SAGA를 발표했다

ENHYPEN, BLOOD SAGA 2026-27 월드 투어 발표

IVE is a six-member girl group formed by Starship Entertainment, debuting in December 2021. The group includes former IZ*ONE members Wonyoung and Yujin alongside Gaeul, Rei, Leeseo, and Liz. IVE&#x27;s concept centers on self-confidence and self-love, encapsulated by their motto &quot;I HAVE&quot; -- a declaration of owning one&#x27;s identity rather than chasing external validation. From their first single, &quot;Eleven,&quot; IVE established a style built around poise rather than maximal force. &quot;Love Dive,&quot; &quot;After Like,&quot; and &quot;I Am&quot; strengthened that image with sleek hooks, elegant choreography, and lyrics that frame confidence as something cool and self-possessed. The group stood out in a crowded fourth-generation field by feeling polished early: less like rookies chasing impact and more like a brand arriving already defined. IVE&#x27;s appeal also comes from contrast inside the lineup. Yujin gives the group a strong leader and performance anchor, Wonyoung brings a highly visible center presence, Liz adds vocal brightness, Rei gives the rap line a distinctive tone, Gaeul sharpens the dance and rap texture, and Leeseo adds youthful energy without making the group feel overly cute. Starship&#x27;s presentation often uses that balance to make IVE feel fashionable, direct, and easy to recognize. The fandom is known as DIVE, and IVE quickly became one of the defining girl groups of their generation through a mix of public-friendly singles, strong visual identity, and high-profile members. Their significance is not just that they produced hit songs, but that they helped re-center a graceful, self-assured pop image in modern K-pop: glamorous without being distant, confident without needing to shout, and accessible without feeling generic.

IVE가 SHOW WHAT I AM을 북미에 가져옵니다 — 그리고 이번에는 처음으로 캐나다 공연도 포함됩니다. 토론토, 몬트리올, 밴쿠버

IVE, SHOW WHAT I AM 월드 투어에 북미·아시아 공연 추가

Gaho와 KAVE가 올 4월 로잔, 바르샤바, 베를린, 쾰른, 파리, 암스테르담, 런던 등 7개 도시에서 총 8회 공연으로 유럽을 찾는다

Gaho and KAVE, ‘Cityscapes – New Horizons’ 투어 올 4월 유럽 공연

&amp;TEAM is a nine-member Japanese boy group under YX Labels (formerly HYBE Labels Japan). The group was formed through the survival program &quot;&amp;Audition - The Howling&quot; and debuted in December 2022 with their first extended play &quot;First Howling: Me&quot;. The group consists of EJ, Fuma, K, Nicholas, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, with EJ serving as the leader. Several members, including K, Nicholas, EJ, and Taki, previously participated in the survival show I-LAND before being selected for HYBE&#x27;s Japanese global debut project. Before their official debut, the group released the digital single Under the Skin, which introduced their storyline and concept. Their debut EP, First Howling,e followed shortly afterward, marking the beginning of the group&#x27;s &quot;First Howling&quot; series of releases. Although primarily active in Japan, &amp;TEAM promoted internationally and later expanded into Korea with Korean-language releases and promotions. Their fandom name is LUNÉ, representing fans who support the group like the moon lighting the night sky.

&TEAM

&TEAM, 지역 확장 가속화 속 11개 도시 아시아 투어 'BLAZE THE WAY' 발표

LOONA (이달의 소녀, &quot;Girl of the Month&quot;) is a girl group formed by Blockberry Creative with one of the most ambitious pre-debut projects in K-pop history. From 2016 to 2018, each of the twelve members was individually introduced with her own solo single, music video, and lore before the full group debuted in August 2018. This elaborate rollout created an intricate &quot;LOONAVERSE&quot; mythology that captivated fans who dissected every visual clue and narrative connection. LOONA&#x27;s music spans a remarkable range of styles — from Chuu&#x27;s bubbly &quot;Heart Attack&quot; to the cinematic grandeur of &quot;Butterfly&quot; to the girl-crush energy of &quot;PTT (Paint the Town).&quot; The group gained a uniquely devoted international fandom, Orbits, who turned LOONA into an internet phenomenon long before the group achieved mainstream domestic success. Despite significant company controversies and member departures, LOONA&#x27;s creative ambition and the quality of their discography have ensured their place in K-pop history as one of the most artistically inventive groups of their generation.

LOONA

Yves의 다가오는 유럽 투어는 맨체스터, 암스테르담, 파리, 쾰른, 뮌헨 등에서 여러 공연이 더 큰 수용 인원의 공연장으로 옮겨지는 등 공연장 업그레이드와 날짜 변경을 겪었다

Yves, 유럽 투어 조정 — 라이브 수요가 기획을 따라잡다

1VERSE, pronounced &quot;Universe,&quot; is a five-member multinational boy group under Singing Beetle. The lineup consists of Aito, Hyuk, Kenny, Nathan, and Seok. They officially debuted on July 18, 2025 with The 1st Verse, with the local profile noting &quot;Shattered&quot; as the debut song. The group drew attention before debut for an unusual member story, including North Korean defector members, but the group&#x27;s identity extends beyond that fact. 1VERSE is a new global-facing boy group whose identity is still forming across early singles, multilingual presentation, and the contrast between personal background and idol performance. Their early releases use the group&#x27;s name as a starting point: one verse, one universe, and a team being introduced piece by piece. Their fandom is known as 5TARZ. 1VERSE is still very early in its career, with its public identity centered on the lineup, debut, attention around the group&#x27;s formation, and the direction of the project.

1VERSE

1VERSE가 새로 공개한 1VERSE EU TOUR 2026 &lt;SHATTERED&gt;의 루팅은 어디로 가는지가 아니라 — 그 도시들이 어떻게 선정됐는지가 더 눈에 띕니다

1VERSE, 팬 주도 도시 선정 방식의 유럽 <SHATTERED> 투어 발표

BOYNEXTDOOR, is a South Korean boy group formed by KOZ Entertainment, a subsidiary of HYBE LABELS. The group consists of six members: Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak. They debuted on May 30, 2023, with the single album &quot;Who!&quot;, featuring the tracks &quot;But I Like You,&quot; &quot;One and Only,&quot; and &quot;Serenade.&quot; Marketed with a &quot;boy next door&quot; image, the group emphasizes relatable storytelling and youth-centered themes, blending pop, hip-hop, and R&amp;B influences. BOYNEXTDOOR is recognized for its self-produced approach, with members contributing to songwriting and production under the creative direction of KOZ founder Zico. Following debut, they achieved strong rookie sales and growing international popularity through subsequent releases and live promotions.

BOYNEXTDOOR

BOYNEXTDOOR, 첫 투어를 기록한 ‘BOYNEXTDOOR TOUR ‘KNOCK ON Vol.1’ FINAL - LIVE’ 발매

ILLIT is a South Korean girl group formed through the 2023 reality survival show R U Next?. The group is managed by Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE, and debuted in March 2024 with the EP &quot;Super Real Me&quot;. ILLIT consists of five members: Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha, though former member Youngeso left before the group officially debuted despite making the final line up. The group quickly gained global attention with their debut title track Magnetic, which became a viral hit on social media platforms and achieved high placements on international music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200. Their sound combines elements of Kpop, electronic pop, and dreamy pop aesthetics. ILLIT&#x27;s concept focuses on youthful energy and individuality, presenting a soft yet modern pop style that has helped establish the group as one of the notable fifth-generation Kpop girl groups.

ILLIT

ILLIT, 2026 ‘PRESS START&hearts;︎’로 첫 단독 투어 발표

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Music in 2010 and debuting on June 12, 2013, with the single album &quot;2 Cool 4 Skool&quot;. The group consists of seven members: RM (leader), Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. The name BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan (“Bulletproof Boy Scouts”), reflecting the group’s original concept of resisting societal expectations and criticism aimed at youth. Members RM, Suga, and J-Hope have played significant roles in songwriting and production throughout the group’s career. BTS first gained widespread attention with the [The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 era], particularly the single I Need U, which earned the group their first Korean music show win in 2015. Their international breakthrough followed with releases such as Wings and the Love Yourself series. In 2018, &quot;Love Yourself: Tear&quot; became the first album by a Korean act to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group achieved further global success with singles including &quot;Dynamite&quot;, &quot;Butter&quot;, and &quot;Permission to Dance&#x27;&quot;, all of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. BTS is among the best-selling artists in South Korean history and has received numerous international awards, while also participating in global initiatives such as the UNICEF Love Myself campaign. Between 2022 and 2025, BTS paused full-group activities as the members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. The last member, Suga, was discharged in June 2025, marking the completion of service for all seven members. Following their reunion, the group confirmed they were preparing a new album and world tour for 2026. Their tenth studio album, &quot;ARIRANG&quot;, recorded between July and November 2025, was released on March 20, 2026, marking their first group release in more than three years. The album will be supported by the Arirang World Tour, beginning in April 2026.

BTS, 대규모 2026-2027 월드 투어 발표

Stray Kids is an eight-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. The group was introduced through the 2017 survival program Stray Kids and officially debuted in March 2018 with I Am Not, following the pre-debut release &quot;Hellevator.&quot; Former member Kim Woojin left in 2019. The group&#x27;s identity is unusually tied to self-production. Before debut, Bang Chan had already gathered the members around a team-first concept, and the production trio 3RACHA -- Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han -- became the engine behind much of Stray Kids&#x27; sound. That gave the group a different center of gravity from many idol acts: the music often felt like it came from inside the team rather than being assigned to them. Musically, Stray Kids are known for dense rap writing, aggressive electronic textures, sudden rhythmic switches, and choruses built for performance impact. &quot;God&#x27;s Menu,&quot; &quot;Back Door,&quot; &quot;Thunderous,&quot; &quot;Maniac,&quot; and &quot;S-Class&quot; made their style easy to identify: noisy in the intentional sense, but organized around hooks, slogans, and choreography that fans could immediately hold onto. Their lyrics often return to pressure, self-definition, ambition, and the awkward process of growing into confidence. The members&#x27; contrast is a major part of the group&#x27;s appeal. Bang Chan anchors the team as leader and producer; Changbin and Han give the rap line speed and personality; Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix shape the performance image; Seungmin and I.N bring clearer melodic balance. Rather than smoothing those differences out, Stray Kids usually lean into them, making their songs feel crowded, restless, and unmistakably theirs. Stray Kids became one of the defining global boy groups of the fourth generation, with a fandom known as STAY and major touring success across Asia, North America, Europe, and beyond. Their rise helped prove that a self-producing idol group could scale internationally while keeping a specific sonic fingerprint. Even when the group experiments with genre or language, the core idea remains stable: Stray Kids make high-impact pop out of tension, noise, teamwork, and control.

Stray Kids

Stray Kids, 'Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience'로 스타디움 시대 지배력 확장

NMIXX is a six-member girl group debuted by JYP Entertainment in February 2022. The group — consisting of Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Jinni (who later departed), Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin — introduced a bold musical concept they call &quot;MIXX POP,&quot; which involves blending multiple genres within a single song. Their debut track &quot;O.O&quot; was polarizing but undeniably attention-grabbing, layering pop, hip-hop, and rock into one unpredictable ride. Since debut, NMIXX has refined their signature sound while maintaining its adventurous spirit, with tracks like &quot;Dash&quot; and &quot;Love Me Like This&quot; earning broader commercial appeal. The group is particularly noted for their outstanding live vocal abilities — widely considered among the strongest of any fourth-generation girl group. Their fandom, NSWer, has rallied behind the group&#x27;s unique artistic vision. NMIXX represents JYP Entertainment&#x27;s willingness to experiment and push the boundaries of what a K-pop girl group can sound like.

NMIXX

NMIXX, 첫 월드 투어 ‘EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER’ 발표…유럽·북미 공연 포함

BTOB (Born to Beat) is a boy group formed by Cube Entertainment, debuting in March 2012. The group — consisting of Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Changsub, Hyunsik, Peniel, Ilhoon (departed), and Sungjae — established themselves as one of K-pop&#x27;s premier vocal groups. While many boy groups lean on dance performance, BTOB made their name through extraordinary vocal ability and emotional ballad delivery that set a gold standard in the industry. BTOB&#x27;s signature ballads, including &quot;It&#x27;s Okay,&quot; &quot;Missing You,&quot; and &quot;Beautiful Pain,&quot; are some of the most iconic in K-pop, consistently topping charts and dominating noraebang (karaoke) playlists across South Korea. But the group is equally known for their hilarious, unfiltered variety show personalities — they are one of the funniest groups in the industry. Their fandom, Melody, cherishes this duality of genuine musical talent and chaotic humor. BTOB has maintained remarkable longevity, weathering military enlistments and lineup changes while remaining a respected and commercially viable act well over a decade into their career.

Concerts & Tours