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

OH MY GIRL is a girl group formed by WM Entertainment, debuting in April 2015. The group became known for their ethereal, fairy-tale-like concepts and dreamy musical style, which set them apart from the girl-crush trend dominating K-pop at the time. Early releases like &quot;Closer&quot; and &quot;LIAR LIAR&quot; established their whimsical identity, while members Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Jiho, Binnie, and Arin each brought distinct charms. OH MY GIRL&#x27;s breakthrough came with &quot;Nonstop&quot; and &quot;Dun Dun Dance&quot; in 2020 and 2021, which became massive domestic hits and propelled the group to mainstream fame after years of steady growth. Their appearance on the survival show &quot;Queendom&quot; was also a pivotal moment. OH MY GIRL proved that patience and artistic consistency could pay off in an industry that often favors instant success. Their fandom, Miracle, has been a devoted force throughout the group&#x27;s journey from underdog to one of K-pop&#x27;s beloved acts. On May 8, 2025, WM Entertainment announced that Arin and YooA had decided not to renew their contracts with the company. However, they would still promote as members of Oh My Girl.

OH MY GIRL

OH MY GIRL의 컴백이 적절한 곡을 선별하는 데 필요한 시간을 이유로 WM Entertainment 측에 의해 2027년으로 연기됐다. 멤버들의 솔로 활동이 우선 진행될 예정이며, 1년 넘게 만에 선보이는 그룹의 첫 정식 발매는 이제 내년으로 미뤄졌다

OH MY GIRL, 컴백을 2027년으로 연기

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 6월 20일 Auckland의 Spark Arena에서 8,000명을 동원하며 New Zealand에서 열린 K-pop 콘서트 중 가장 많은 판매고를 올린 신기록을 세웠다. 이는 K-pop이 아직 우선순위로 두는 데 다소 느렸던 이 지역에서 나온 또 하나의 지표다

IVE, New Zealand서 관객 동원 기록 경신

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 Kids가 돌아온다. 새 싱글, 새 앨범, 새 월드 투어까지 한 번에 공개됐다. “RUN IT”은 6월 24일 발매되며, ‘THIS &amp; THAT’은 8월에 이어진다. &lt;RUN IT&gt; World Tour도 곧 베일을 벗을 예정이다.

Stray Kids, 새 싱글 “RUN IT” 발표… 앨범과 월드 투어도 함께 공개

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

ILLIT의 Moka가 5월 말 짧은 복귀 이후 다시 한 번 활동을 잠시 멈춘다. BELIFT LAB은 과도한 긴장과 불안 증상을 이유로 들었으며, 복귀 시점은 아직 정해지지 않았다

건강 문제로 일시 활동 중단하는 ILLIT의 Moka

ITZY is a five-member girl group formed by JYP Entertainment, consisting of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. They debuted in February 2019 with &quot;Dalla Dalla&quot;, a song built around self-acceptance, difference, and the refusal to fit neatly into other people&#x27;s expectations. ITZY&#x27;s early identity was direct and performance-forward. &quot;Icy&quot;, &quot;Wannabe&quot; and &quot;Not Shy&quot; expanded the same confidence-first message with sharper choreography, chant-like hooks, and a visual style that mixed teen crush, streetwear, and runway attitude. Their dances became a major part of the group&#x27;s public image, with Ryujin&#x27;s shoulder move in &quot;Wannabe&quot; standing out as one of the most recognizable fourth-generation choreography moments. The group&#x27;s strength is the way its members divide the performance picture. Yeji gives ITZY a precise leader and dance center, Lia brings a warmer vocal tone, Ryujin anchors the cool charisma, Chaeryeong adds technical dance detail, and Yuna gives the group a bright visual spark. Even when the music shifted into different textures, that balance kept ITZY recognizable as a group built around motion, confidence, and clean stage impact. ITZY&#x27;s fandom is known as MIDZY. Their place in K-pop comes from helping define the fourth-generation girl-group language of self-confidence: louder than simple cuteness, less dark than some girl-crush concepts, and built for fans who wanted slogans they could actually say back to themselves.

ITZY

ITZY의 Yuna는 January 데뷔 이후 드라마 세 편에 연이어 출연하며 빠르게 연기 커리어를 쌓아가고 있다. 여기에 Netflix의 차기작 Do Not Climb Over the Wall에서 주연까지 맡게 됐다. 이 속도와 Netflix, tvN의 지원은 그녀의 다음 행보가 어디로 향할지 궁금증을 더한다

ITZY의 Yuna, Netflix 오리지널 드라마 ‘Do Not Climb Over the Wall’ 주연 발탁

Stray Kids의 Felix가 2026년 한국의 ‘Hanbok Wave’ 캠페인의 전면에 나선다. 2022년 이후 처음으로 배우가 아닌 인물이 선정됐으며, Z세대 중심의 글로벌 팬덤을 보유한 점에서 의미 있는 조합으로 평가된다.

Stray Kids의 Felix, 한국의 글로벌 ‘한복 웨이브’에 합류

Grammys가 새로운 Best Asian Pop Music Performance 부문을 신설했지만, 한 가지 조건이 있다. 후보곡은 아시아 언어를 “의미 있게” 사용해야 하며, 이는 현재의 많은 K-pop 곡들을 제외시킬 가능성이 크다

Grammy Awards, 새로운 ‘Asian Pop’ 부문 공개

FIFTY FIFTY is a 5-member South Korean girl group under ATTRAKT, currently consisting of: Keena, Chanelle Moon, Yewon, Hana, and Athena. They debuted on November 18, 2022, with the mini album The Fifty. On June 28, 2023, all original members officially filed a lawsuit against ATTRAKT. On October 23, 2023 it was announced that Saena, Sio and Aran‘s exclusive contracts with ATTRAKT were terminated. On November 2, 2023 ATTRAKT announced that the group’s remaining member Keena will be joined by three new members. On August 8, 2024, four new members were announced, including Chanelle Moon, Yewon, Hana, and another mystery member, who was later revealed to be Athena. Along with that, the group&#x27;s fandom name changed from &quot;Hunnies&quot; to &quot;TWENY&quot;. Soon after, they pre-released ‘Starry Night‘ on August 30, 2024, and made their comeback with the new lineup on September 20, 2024, with the mini-album Love Tune.

FIFTY FIFTY

FIFTY FIFTY의 Athena가 T1 VALORANT의 새로운 앰배서더로 발탁됐는데, 이미 신뢰도는 충분했다. 게임 내 최고 티어 중 하나인 Immortal 랭크를 보유하고

FIFTY FIFTY의 Athena, T1 VALORANT 앰배서더로 선정

TOMORROW X TOGETHER, often shortened to TXT, is a five-member boy group under BIGHIT MUSIC. The group consists of Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai. They debuted in March 2019 with The Dream Chapter: Star, becoming BigHit&#x27;s first boy group after BTS and immediately attracting heavy attention. TXT&#x27;s early identity centered on youth, friendship, imagination, and the strange emotional weather of growing up. Instead of debuting with a hard-edged performance image, they leaned into brightness, fantasy, and vulnerability on songs such as &quot;Crown,&quot; &quot;Run Away,&quot; and &quot;Blue Hour.&quot; That made the group feel distinct within fourth-generation boy-group trends, especially because their storytelling often treated adolescence as magical, confusing, and a little unstable. As their catalog developed, TXT added sharper pop-rock, emo, and dance influences through songs like &quot;0X1=LOVESONG,&quot; &quot;LO$ER=LOVER,&quot; &quot;Sugar Rush Ride,&quot; and &quot;Chasing That Feeling.&quot; The members&#x27; strengths map cleanly onto that evolution: Soobin&#x27;s calm leadership, Yeonjun&#x27;s performance charisma, Beomgyu&#x27;s color, Taehyun&#x27;s vocal focus, and Huening Kai&#x27;s bright tone all help the group move between softness and intensity. TXT&#x27;s fandom is known as MOA, short for Moments of Alwaysness. The group&#x27;s significance is tied to how carefully they built a coming-of-age identity across albums, videos, and performances. Rather than defining themselves through a single sound, TXT became a group about transition itself: childhood into adulthood, fantasy into reality, and polished idol pop into something more emotionally restless.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

YEONJUN이 7월 10일 발매되는 두 번째 솔로 앨범 NO LABELS: PART 02를 발표했다. Billboard 200에서 10위를 기록한 NO LABELS: PART 01의 후속작인 이번 앨범은 약 8개월 만에 공개되는 것으로, 발표 영상으로 보아 전작이 끝난 지점에서 정확히 이어지는 흐름을 보여준다.

TXT의 YEONJUN, 두 번째 솔로 앨범 NO LABELS: PART 02 발표

Korean 정부가 K-pop의 다음 도약을 뒷받침하고 있다. Ministry of Culture의 새 ‘Support for Global Leap’ 이니셔티브는 소규모 및 중견 기획사 10곳에 연간 최대 3억 원을 지원하며, 이 자금은 마케팅, 제작, 라이브 이벤트 전반에 유연하게 사용할 수 있다.

Korean Ministry of Culture, 소규모 K-pop Agencies 지원 위한 이니셔티브 출범

이번 주에는 모두 같은 방향을 가리키는 세 가지 이야기가 있었다. HYBE가 LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, KATSEYE를 한 영어 트랙에 함께 올린 것—그리고 이 선택은 곡 자체보다 레이블의 전략을 더 많이 말해준다.

지난주 K-pop 해석하기 (2026년 6월 8일 - 12일)

HAN은 이제 Stray Kids 멤버 중 마지막으로 브랜드 앰배서더가 되며, Versace, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry 등을 아우르는 라인업을 완성했다. 이번 주 Tod’s의 발표로 그는 6월 21일 Milan Fashion Week에 모습을 드러낼 예정이다

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