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

&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

인천 INSPIRE Arena 매진 공연 현장에서 소식을 전한 &amp;TEAM은 오는 9월 두 번째 한국 미니 앨범 'Mark on Me'로 돌아온다. 8월 8일 발매되며, "Back to Life"가 발매 첫날 100만 장 이상 판매된 지 1년이 채 되지 않아 선보이는 작품이다.

&TEAM, 'Mark on Me'와 두 번의 돔 앙코르를 발표하며 'BLAZE THE WAY'의 정점을 찍다

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.

BTS는 2019년 이후 UK 무대에 서지 않았다. 그 사이 스트리밍 기록을 갈아치웠고, 병역 의무를 마쳤으며, 최근 기억 속 가장 상업적으로 압도적인 앨범 중 하나로 돌아왔다.

BTS, London을 자신들의 세계로 바꾸고 있다

HEIZE는 현재 자유계약 신분이다. 2020년 8월 P NATION에 합류한 지 6년 만에 전속계약이 6월 30일 종료됐으며, 이후 행보에 대해서는 아직 발표가 없다. 그녀는 그 자체로 이미 충분히 입증된 디스코그래피를 갖춘 채 이 지점에 도착했다.

HEIZE, P NATION과 결별…CHUU 협업곡은 내일 공개

TWICE is a nine-member girl group formed by JYP Entertainment through the survival show Sixteen. The lineup consists of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, with members from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. They debuted in October 2015 with &quot;Like Ooh-Ahh,&quot; introducing the bright, kinetic identity that would make them one of the central girl groups of K-pop&#x27;s third generation. The group&#x27;s early rise was built on an unusually clear pop formula: big choruses, memorable gestures, colorful styling, and personalities that were easy for viewers to distinguish. A run led by &quot;Cheer Up&quot; and &quot;TT&quot; turned TWICE into a national-level phenomenon in Korea, while their Japanese members helped the group cross naturally into Japan&#x27;s idol and pop markets. Rather than relying on a single vocal or dance center, TWICE worked because the lineup felt balanced as a whole: playful, approachable, and tightly rehearsed. As the members grew older, TWICE gradually expanded beyond the cute and school-age image attached to their first hits. The move from &quot;Fancy&quot; through &quot;I Can&#x27;t Stop Me&quot; kept the group&#x27;s melodic accessibility while bringing in sleeker dance-pop, disco, synth-pop, and more mature performance styling. That evolution mattered because it let TWICE remain recognizable without staying frozen in their debut concept. TWICE also became one of the clearest examples of a K-pop girl group building a long international career without losing its domestic base. Their Korean and Japanese discographies developed side by side, and later global touring brought the group to arenas and stadiums far beyond East Asia. The fandom is known as ONCE, a name that matches the group&#x27;s long-running emphasis on mutual loyalty between the members and their audience. Their legacy is not only commercial. TWICE helped define what a modern large girl group could be: member-driven, visually bright, musically immediate, and durable enough to age into a second phase. They normalized the idea that a top K-pop girl group could keep all members active across many years, shift concepts without abandoning its core warmth, and still feel like a complete team even as individual members developed solo work, acting, modeling, and unit activities.

TWICE

JIHYO가 그래미 후보에 오른 Jamaican artist Shenseea와 함께 "Distant Lover"로 만난다. 이 곡은 7월 10일 공식 뮤직비디오와 함께 공개될 예정이다. 얼핏 의외의 조합처럼 보이지만, 사실 꽤 자연스럽다. JIHYO의 솔로 작업은 늘 R&amp;B와 그루브를 중심으로 전개돼 왔기 때문이다.

JIHYO와 Shenseea, “Distant Lover”로 손잡다

P1Harmony is a South Korean boy group formed and managed by FNC Entertainment. The group debuted on October 28, 2020, with the extended play &quot;Disharmony: Stand Out&quot;. P1Harmony consists of six members: Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. Since their debut, the group has released a series of EPs and promotional singles under a narrative continuity that explores themes of identity, conflict, and growth, often described as the &quot;Harmony series.&quot; Their discography includes Disharmony: Break Out (2021), Harmony: All In, Harmony: Set In, and subsequent releases reflecting both commercial and conceptual development. The group is known for strong choreography, narrative-driven concepts, and genre versatility spanning pop, hip-hop, R&amp;B, and EDM influences. P1Harmony has promoted both domestically and internationally, performing on Korean music shows and participating in global events.

P1Harmony

FNC Entertainment는 P1Harmony가 7월과 8월 동안 Taipei, Macao, Bangkok을 방문하는 아시아 투어를 진행한다고 발표했다. 이번 투어는 2026년 3월 12일 발매된 그룹의 아홉 번째 미니 앨범 UNIQUE와 이름을 함께하며, 공식 명칭은 ‘2026 P1Harmony Asia Stage [BE UNIQUE]’다.

P1Harmony, 서울 팬미팅에 이어 3회차 아시아 투어 [BE UNIQUE] 개최 발표

ATEEZ is an eight-member boy group formed by KQ Entertainment, consisting of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. They debuted in October 2018 with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero, launching a pirate-and-treasure storyline that gave their early music a cinematic frame. ATEEZ stood out because their performances felt oversized in the best way. Even before they had the company power of larger labels behind them, the group built attention through intense facial expressions, full-bodied choreography, live-stage energy, and songs designed to explode in concert. &quot;Wonderland,&quot; &quot;Answer,&quot; &quot;Guerrilla,&quot; &quot;Bouncy,&quot; and &quot;Crazy Form&quot; all show that instinct for scale: big chants, dramatic builds, and a sense that every chorus is meant to be shouted back. The members&#x27; roles support that theatrical style. Hongjoong anchors the group as leader and producer, Mingi gives the rap line a deep tone, Jongho brings unusually strong high notes, and San, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, and Wooyoung shape much of the performance identity. ATEEZ&#x27;s fanbase, ATINY, became known for strong international support, helping the group grow from a smaller-agency act into a major global touring name. ATEEZ&#x27;s significance comes from proving how far performance identity can carry a group when it is consistent. Their concepts can be loud, dark, playful, or rebellious, but the core remains theatrical and physical. They made intensity feel like a worldview, not just a comeback style.

ATEEZ

ATEEZ가 타이틀곡 “BAD”와 Chase Infiniti가 출연한 뮤직비디오를 앞세운 GOLDEN HOUR 시리즈의 다섯 번째 작품으로 돌아왔다. GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5라는 제목의 이번 앨범은 오늘 공개됐다.

ATEEZ, Chase Infiniti가 출연한 뮤직비디오와 함께 ‘GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5’로 돌아오다

AND2BLE (앤더블) is a five-member boy group under YH Entertainment. They made their debut on May 26, 2026 with their 1st mini album Sequence 01: Curiosity. The group consists of former ZEROBASEONE Members Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu Vin, and Han Yu Jin, as well as former EVNNE member Yoo Seung Eon.

AND2BLE

YH Entertainment는 보이그룹 AND2BLE이 Sony Music Labels 산하 레이블인 Epic Records Japan과 계약했다고 발표했다. 이번 발표는 이들의 한국 데뷔 정확히 한 달 만에 이뤄졌다.

AND2BLE, Sony Japan과 계약… 일본 시장 진출 준비 중

Cortis, is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Music. The group consists of five members: Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. They debuted on August 18, 2025, with the digital single “What You Want&quot; followed by their first EP, &quot;Color Outside the Lines&quot;. The group’s name is derived from the phrase “Color Outside the Lines,” reflecting their concept of creative freedom and nonconformity. Cortis has been promoted as a self-producing “creator crew,” with members participating in songwriting, choreography, and visual direction. Blending pop, hip-hop, and experimental elements, the group gained early attention for their performance skills, self-produced content, and strong rookie-year sales, establishing them as one of Big Hit Music’s newer generation acts.

CORTIS

CORTIS가 10월 Marina Bay에서 열리는 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix 라인업에 합류했다. 이들은 10월 9일 이벤트 오프닝 데이에 새롭게 발표된 JJ Lin, DJ Snake 등과 함께 무대에 오른다.

Singapore의 F1 Grand Prix에서 공연하는 CORTIS

ATEEZ가 이번 8월 다시 영화관으로 향한다. 하지만 이번에는 콘서트 영화가 아니다. LIGHT THE WAY는 2025년과 2026년 전 세계를 돌며 선보인 VR 체험을 대형 스크린용으로 재구성한 작품이다.

ATEEZ, VR 콘서트 경험을 오는 8월 전 세계 극장으로 가져온다

KPop Demon Hunters가 6월 20일로 공개 1주년을 맞았다. 그리고 이 작품이 만들어낸 세계는 줄어들 기미가 보이지 않는다. Maggie Kang의 열정 프로젝트는 1년 만에 입소문을 탄 Netflix 화제작에서 오스카 수상작이자 Billboard 차트 1위작으로 거듭났다.

Kpop Demon Hunters와 그 문화적 영향 1년

Girls&#x27; Generation, also known as SNSD, is a girl group formed by SM Entertainment and debuted in August 2007. The classic lineup includes Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany Young, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, Seohyun, and former member Jessica. They became widely known as &quot;The Nation&#x27;s Girl Group,&quot; a title that reflects both popularity and cultural familiarity. Their early rise reshaped the scale of girl-group success in Korea. &quot;Into the New World&quot; later became a symbolic debut song far beyond its initial chart life, while &quot;Gee&quot; turned Girls&#x27; Generation into a national phenomenon. &quot;Genie,&quot; &quot;Oh!,&quot; &quot;Run Devil Run,&quot; and &quot;The Boys&quot; showed different sides of the group: bright, polished, sleek, and ambitious. Their visuals and choreography were widely imitated, but the bigger point was how completely they entered everyday popular culture. Girls&#x27; Generation also helped define the modern idol member ecosystem. The group was large, but each member developed a recognizable public role through music, acting, variety, hosting, modeling, or solo work. Taeyeon&#x27;s solo career, Yoona and Sooyoung&#x27;s acting, Hyoyeon&#x27;s dance profile, Tiffany&#x27;s international activities, and the members&#x27; many television appearances helped make the group feel present even outside comeback cycles. Their Japanese promotions were another major part of their expansion, showing how a Korean girl group could build serious cross-market success without losing its domestic center. The group also weathered lineup change after Jessica&#x27;s departure in 2014, continuing as eight members while the original nine-member era remained a defining part of their history. The fandom is known as SONE. Girls&#x27; Generation&#x27;s legacy is difficult to reduce to records because so much of it became infrastructure for later girl groups: the large lineup with distinct personalities, the mix of national public recognition and fandom power, the Japan strategy, and the model of members becoming stars in their own right while still belonging to a group identity.

Girls' Generation

Girls’ Generation의 리더이자 솔로 가수인 TAEYEON이 6월 29일 일본 히트곡 “Bansanka”의 한국어 리메이크를 발매하며, 새로운 J-POP REMAKE 프로젝트의 첫 번째 볼륨을 시작한다

TAEYEON, Tuki.의 “Bansanka”로 J-pop 리메이크 프로젝트 이끈다

ARrC is a boy group under Mystic Story. The group debuted on August 19, 2024 with the EP AR^C and the title track &quot;S&amp;S (sour and sweet).&quot; Its lineup includes Hyunmin, Andy, Choi Han, Doha, Kien, Rioto, and Jibeen. Former member Ziwoo left in January 2025. The group&#x27;s name stands for &quot;Always Remember the real Connection,&quot; pointing to a concept built around communication and connection with listeners. ARrC&#x27;s releases include Dummy, nu kidz: out the box, HOPE, and Ctrl+Alt+Skiid, with a sound that moves through youthful pop, hip-hop textures, and performance-focused tracks. On June 23, 2026. Mystic Story announced that ARrC’s activities officially ends and that all members will embark on a new journey to pursue their own paths moving forward.

ARrC

MYSTIC STORY는 데뷔 2년, SM Entertainment가 회사 지분을 매각한 지 1년 만에 5세대 보이그룹 ARrC의 해체를 발표했다

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