ENHYPEN Makes History As First K-pop Group To Attend San Diego Comic-Con

On July 23, the six-member boy group ENHYPEN became the first K-pop group to attend San Diego Comic-Con, the most iconic and globally influential pop culture convention in the United States. At first glance, you’d probably wonder why a K-pop group is there, considering comic cons primarily focus on comic books, TV, film, anime, and other niche sci-fi/fantasy interests in pop culture. However, given ENHYPEN’s dark fantasy concepts and lore – particularly, involving vampires – the crossover isn’t as random as you’d think.

Kicking off the convention with the panel, “BITE ME: Calling All Vampires,” the ENHYPEN members are joined by Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke and actors Peter Facinelli and Ashley Greene, who play Carlisle and Alice Cullen, respectively. Hosted by TV Guide Magazine’s Damian Holbrook, the panel explored how vampire storytelling has evolved across film, television, music, webcomics, animation, and more. And what better way to dive into this topic than with the creatives who delivered the biggest vampire franchise to date, The Twilight Saga, and a musical act whose entire IP is called, “DARK MOON: Blood Night,” dedicated to the creatures of the night? While the former has always had legions of passionate fans since 2008, the deafening cheers once the K-pop idols entered made it clear who the stars of the show were that day. Another memorable moment included ENHYPEN member Jake explaining the concept of lightsticks to the Twilight actors and director, suggesting the franchise create its own lightstick for Twi-hards (Twilight’s fanbase).

Aside from the panel itself, ENHYPEN embarked on an entire Comic-Con takeover, holding an autograph sessions for their webcomic, Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, on July 24, an official booth on the convention floor for giveaways, a live performance that same night, and an interview with DJ and radio host JoJo Wright. Of course, the event was vampire-themed, so fans were encouraged to show up in their best “vamp” attire – luckily, K-pop fans are already well-accustomed to dressing up according to their faves’ concepts. Even after all of the “K-pop firsts” and crossovers that have been achieved over the years, it’s exciting to see that there is still so much untapped potential when it comes to introducing K-pop groups to mainstream media and audiences. By combining ENHYPEN with Twilight in one of the most populated conventions, not only did it bring exposure for those who hadn’t heard of the group, but it also just made sense thematically, providing a unique experience for fans and vampire-enjoyers alike.

ONE HUNDRED Loses 8 Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Ju Haknyeon

2026 has seen no shortage of legal disputes between K-pop artists and their labels. THE BOYZ and former member Ju Haknyeon have both been in separate battles with ONE HUNDRED – and both have largely prevailed. After winning his case against a Korean reporter who falsely accused him of engaging in prostitution, Ju Haknyeon celebrates another victory, with the court rejecting ONE HUNDRED’s 8 billion dollar lawsuit in damages against the singer on July 23. According to Star News Korea, the main issue of the lawsuit was whether or not Ju Haknyeon’s actions established behavior that “damaged his dignity as a cultural artist to such an extent that it would hinder his entertainment activities, which is grounds for terminating his exclusive contract.” However, the court ruled that "the plaintiff's claims against the defendant are without merit," and determined that this case did not apply. In response, ONE HUNDRED announced plans to appeal the lawsuit.

This new development comes just a day before the company turned around and claimed ownership over the trademark rights for the group name, THE BOYZ, and intends to take legal action against the rest of the members who left (excluding New) to keep them from using the name. However, as many fans were quick to point out, TBZ’s former agency, IST Entertainment had already granted all members the right to use the trademark, free of charge, in 2024. Because of this, TBZ technically should be considered the rightful owners of the trademark, but with 28-year-old singer New remaining the only group member under ONE HUNDRED, the legal battle could be a little trickier.

On July 24, it was also reported that the agency filed provisional seizures against real estate owned by TBZ members Younghoon and Q, to which the court granted. Attorney Hyun Dong-yeop, representing ONE HUNDRED CEO Cha Gawon, stated, “This decision to grant the provisional attachment marks the starting point of the main claim worth approximately 8.8 billion won against THE BOYZ members. This is a procedure to preserve the execution of monetary claims asserted by ONE HUNDRED.” The pattern is consistent enough to be its own argument: agencies that lose tend to come back with something new. Whether that reads as due diligence or attrition depends on which side of the contract you're on.

NewJeans Posts First Group Content In Over A Year For 4th Anniversary

After over a year of social media inactivity – and two years since their last comeback – NewJeans began posting content again on July 21 to mark the group's fourth debut anniversary. Running through July 25, the posts have included individual photos and videos from each member, covering everything from photoshoots to TikTok trends. Notably, Minji features throughout, offering the clearest indication yet that she intends to continue with the group. A message from Danielle also appears – despite her ongoing legal dispute with ADOR – reading: "Life gets cloudy sometimes, but the light always finds its way back in. Until then, keep shining. Forever grateful."

The inclusion of Danielle's message has drawn a mixed response from fans. For many, it's a reassurance that her contribution to the group isn't being written out of its history. The comments sections of the anniversary posts have seen repeated variations of "NewJeans is 5" and "It's not NewJeans without Danielle," reflecting a fanbase that remains divided on where things stand.

As for what comes next, one post carried the caption "2026 Summer of NewJeans," which has been widely read as signalling an imminent comeback. ADOR has not confirmed anything. "The content was created to commemorate NewJeans' fourth debut anniversary," the label told The Korea Herald. "Updates regarding the group's future activities will be shared once discussions with the members have been concluded." The anniversary content alone is a meaningful shift after an extended period of silence – whether it's a precursor to something more will become clearer soon enough.