Asia Artist Awards mark 10th anniversary with expanded 2-day festival in Taiwan

The Asia Artist Awards are preparing an expanded celebration for their 10th anniversary with a two-day event in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, this week. The 10th Anniversary Asia Artist Awards 2025 will take place on Friday at Kaohsiung National Stadium, followed by a special festival, “ACON 2025,” on Saturday at the same venue. ACON 2025 is being held as a commemorative festival for the 10-year milestone, with actor Lee Jun-young, I-dle’s Shuhua, Cravity’s Allen and KiiiKiii’s Sui serving as show hosts. T

Dec. 4, 2025

Former Ador CEO preparing to launch new group?

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Ador and now head of the newly established K-pop agency Ooak Records, is holding closed-door auditions at a major dance academy in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Sunday. The move is widely seen as the first concrete step toward creating a new idol group following her split from NewJeans. Min founded Ooak Records in October and completed corporate registration soon after. The company, registered near Sinsa-dong in southern Seoul, has listed artist management, music and album product

Dec. 3, 2025

Stray Kids, Enhypen mark fourth-generation K-pop takeover

K-pop’s landscape is shifting. Stray Kids and Enhypen, two of the genre’s most prominent fourth-generation boy groups, claimed two of the four grand prizes at the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong, signaling a generational handover in an industry long dominated by third-generation acts such as BTS and Seventeen. While generational definitions in K-pop vary, groups that debuted around 2020 are widely recognized as the fourth generation. The global success of BTS’ “Dynamite” in August 2020

Dec. 3, 2025

‘Robot idols’ may debut within 5 years, G-Dragon’s agency CEO says

Galaxy Corp. CEO Choi Yong-ho said artificial intelligence will accelerate virtual content production and could lead to the emergence of “robot idols” within the next five years, during an appearance with CNBC on Monday. Galaxy Corp., an AI-driven entertainment tech company, is known for managing K-pop star G-Dragon and producing Netflix series “Physical: 100.” “I take a lot of interest in robotics and AI and what I’ve learned so far is that robots are next,” Choi said. “We have physical idols a

Dec. 3, 2025

K-pop walks tightrope as China-Japan cultural friction deepens

The escalating geopolitical tension between China and Japan is spilling into their cultural sectors, raising fears of a broader boycott and placing K-pop in a precarious position. Korean entertainment companies hope their artists will remain insulated from the fallout, but they are watching developments closely. Signs of a possible cultural freeze emerged Friday when Maki Otsuki, the Japanese singer behind the theme song for the hit anime “One Piece,” was abruptly pulled off the stage during a c

Dec. 2, 2025

[Exclusive] JYP Entertainment plans India entry, poised to follow Hybe’s expansion, source says

JYP Entertainment, the K-pop agency behind major global acts such as Stray Kids and Twice, is preparing to enter the Indian market, according to an industry source. G-Dragon’s agency Galaxy Corp. is also eyeing India, but has yet to issue an official statement, placing JYP in a position to become the second K-pop agency to expand into the country, following Hybe’s Mumbai launch in September. “JYP Entertainment is preparing to open its office in India to target the local music market. The exact l

Dec. 1, 2025

MAMAs 2025 to go on as Hong Kong mourns, K-pop industry donations pour in for victims

In the wake of the deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, K-pop agencies and artists have joined a wave of donations for victims while simultaneously preparing to attend the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards set to take place Friday and Saturday at Kai Tak Sports Park, roughly 20 kilometers from the disaster site. Some fans have criticized the decision to proceed with the event, while some industry watchers have defended the ceremony, which returns to Hong Kong for the first time in se

Nov. 28, 2025

Former Ador CEO says she was ‘sacrificed for Hybe’s IPO’

Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin claimed Thursday that she had been “a sacrifice for Hybe’s stock market debut,” as her legal dispute with the K-pop powerhouse over a put option worth some 26 billion won ($17.7 million) continued at the Seoul Central District Court. The court held the third hearing in two related suits in which Hybe, parent company of Ador, is seeking confirmation that its shareholder agreement with Min has been terminated and Min is demanding payment for exercising the put option. M

Nov. 28, 2025

CJ ENM will proceed with ‘2025 MAMA Awards,’ organizer confirms

CJ ENM confirmed Thursday evening that the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards will go ahead as scheduled, despite the recent high-rise fire in Hong Kong that has left dozens dead and hundreds missing. “Believing in the healing and unifying power of music, we have carefully planned the overall stage and program to deliver comfort and hope rather than extravagant performances,” CJ ENM said in a statement. “We hope the music will offer a small measure of solace and courage to everyone.” The organizer als

Nov. 27, 2025

[Exclusive] YG founder Yang Hyun-suk may skip MAMAs amid deadly Hong Kong fire, YG official says

Yang Hyun-suk, founder and chief producer of YG Entertainment, may not attend the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park, as the city grapples with a high-rise fire that has claimed at least 55 lives and left hundreds missing at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, a company official said Thursday. “He has not departed yet and is closely monitoring the situation. The final decision will likely depend on CJ ENM’s official announcement,

Nov. 27, 2025