‘200 billion donation’ Kim Jang-hoon confesses his feelings about rumors that he can‘t even pay rent

Singer Kim Jang-hoon, who has been spreading good influence through consistent donations, has mentioned rumors about his financial difficulties. On the KBS 1TV show ‘Morning Yard’ that aired on the morning of the 1st, singer Kim Jang-hoon and vocalist Kim Dong-gyu appeared as guests. On that day‘s broadcast, announcer Kim Jae-won started by saying to Kim Jang-hoon, “There’s a rumor that you donate even though you‘re having a hard time.” To this, Kim Jang-hoon explained, “It’s not difficult at all. Some people have a hard time even if they have 10 billion won, and some people just don‘t have a hard time. They just go with what they’re happy with. It‘s not difficult at all.” Kim Jang-hoon then mentioned a past manipulated broadcast, and Lee Kwang-ki said, “I was shocked. They say they can’t even pay rent,” and Kim Jang-hoon confessed, “I heard they went to the market to pay their rent.” Regarding the spread of fake news, Kim Jang-hoon said, “I was originally a helper at a traditional mar

Following Jebewon, NCT Wish! ‘Closed China, definitely moving’

“It‘s definitely stirring.” This is the diary of a K-pop insider looking at China across the sea. It is a sign that China is opening the door it has firmly closed to K-culture. Looking at the current state of affairs within ‘core’ K-pop, it seems that the lifting of the THAAD ban is ‘surfaced’ beyond a simple mood. The recent activities of Zero Base One and NCT Wish, which are considered top tier fifth-generation idols, are strong evidence of this. Following Zero Base One, who confirmed a large-scale event lasting about a month at Chaoyang Joy City, a complex shopping mall called the ‘pop-up mecca’ in Beijing, the Chinese capital, NCT Wish held a press conference in Shanghai inviting many influential local media outlets. The press conference for NCT Wish held at the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Oriental Shanghai Hotel on the 30th of last month was attended by over 60 major Chinese media and entertainment channels, including NetEase, Sina.com, Sohu.com, Tencent News, Dongfang.com, China W

‘Spicy and sweet’ Eunice makes a comeback with ‘Spicy and sweet’

What kind of taste is ‘Spicy-dal that goes beyond sweet and salty’? We are determined to sing about the spicy and sweet world of ‘Spicy-dal’. This is Eunice‘s comeback declaration, ‘the best result’ from a TV audition. The group Eunice is back. The comeback date is the 15th. Following their debut year last year, the title of their second mini-album is ‘Spicy-dal’, which is emerging as a new flavor among the younger generation, following the sweet and salty ‘Sweet and Salty’. Swish is a combination of the words sweet and spicy, and is also very popular as a meme word on social media. ‘Swish’ is also significant in that it ‘embodies’ the unique musical color that Eunice revealed last year with ‘Superwoman’ and ‘Only You Don’t Know’. Inside and outside of K-pop, the ‘Spicy Sound’ brought about by the tight composition without any gaps and the ‘Sweet Charm’ exuded by the members themselves are described as Eunice‘s unique identity. Along with the curiosity about the ‘Spicy Song’, it is als

How far has AI come in the idol industry? ‘AI and Idols’ published

The publication of ‘AI and Idol’, which presents the influence and issues of AI in the rapidly changing idol industry, is drawing attention. The recently published ‘AI and Idol’ (Communication Books) is an artificial intelligence series that looks at the world in which AI is ‘resetting. Based on the change in hegemony between idols-management companies-media-fans, which is the structure in which existing idols operated, this book raises questions from various angles about where the authenticity and creativity of the idol industry will go in the future, and is garnering expectations as a timely plan. Author Lee Jae-won covers what changes are occurring and what are the expected issues as the role of artificial intelligence, rather than people, increases in the idol industry. Based on the presence or absence of a human original, whether it is public, and the style of the reproduced appearance, he presents a more comprehensive concept of ‘AI idols’ than the existing ‘virtual idols’, and e

‘Ive‘s younger sister’ Kiki, brand reputation continues to rank 1st with Zenji Beauty

Rookie girl group Kiki (KiiiKiii: JiU, Lee Sol, Sui, Haeum, Kiya), led by ‘Gen Z Beauty’, has solidified their presence as ‘2025 rising stars’. According to the Korea Enterprise Reputation Institute today (1st), Kiki ranked first in the rookie idol group brand reputation for April 2025. With this, Kiki has proven its power by maintaining the top spot for two consecutive months, following its first place in rookie idol group brand reputation in March. They had previously drawn attention by taking second place in the Rising Star brand reputation for March 2025, becoming the only idol group to make it into the top 5. In Kiki‘s April rookie idol group brand reputation link analysis released by the Korea Enterprise Reputation Institute, ‘hip, gen Z, natural’ came out high, while ‘idumi, gen Zimi, uncut gem’ came out high in keyword analysis. This suggests that Kiki’s charm overflowing with ‘Genji Beauty’ has captured the hearts of the public since her pre-debut in February. Kiki performed t

‘Refreshing Icon’ Tours ‘CF Trend’… This time, Casual Clothing

The ‘youth icon’ group TWS, who are sweeping the CF market, have been selected as the representative casual clothing model of the MZ generation. According to their agency Pledis Entertainment, TWS has been selected as the exclusive model for the casual brand Wacky WiLLy. Through the pictorial that was released along with the pictorial, TWS showed off an even stronger side of their unique ‘refreshing beauty. Wacky WiLLy explained that they wanted to maximize TWS‘s lively energy and exciting boyish charm with a new look. TWS has established itself as an ‘MZ signature’, working as CF models for beverages, basic cosmetics, school uniforms, and casual clothing, as well as being ambassadors for luxury brands. They are also scheduled to make a comeback this month. The release of their third mini-album ‘TRY WITH US’ is scheduled for the 21st. Tours, who was the self-proclaimed ‘Rookie of the Year’, succeeded in the double mega hit last year with ‘The First Meeting Doesn’t Go as Planned’‘If I‘m

‘April Fool‘s Day 1st Anniversary’ Baby Monster ‘Numbers Don’t Lie’

‘4.2 billion views’, ‘1.72 million copies’, ‘The legend of the hand mic’ In just one year, they have proven themselves to be ‘monsters’. It is ‘YG‘s new DNA’ Baby Monster. The monster rookie who appeared ‘like a lie’ on April Fool’s Day last year. Baby Monster celebrated their first anniversary since their official debut on April 1st. True to the DNA of their agency YG Entertainment (YG), which has been and will remain the same, Baby Monster talked about the past year only in ‘numbers’ without any exaggeration. When you put it all together, the quantitative results they have achieved in one year are the epitome of ‘compressed growth’. Just like YG‘s senior group BLACKPINK, Baby Monster has also brought about an enormous response that can be called a ‘core talent’ by the standards of the global platform YouTube. Based on their official channels, they have accumulated 4.2 billion cumulative views, and have accumulated 8 video clips with hundreds of millions of views in just one year. Wit

(G)I-dle, First Live Broadcast Appearance Since Debut… All-Kill with Morning Live

The group (G)I-dle has appeared on their first live Japanese broadcast since their debut. On the 31st, (G)I-dle surprised local fans by making a surprise appearance on the Japanese TBS morning variety program ‘Rabbit!’ (LOVE it!). ‘Rabbit!’ is a weekday morning variety program on the Japanese terrestrial broadcasting station TBS, and is a popular program that boasts high viewership ratings in Japan. (G)I-dle‘s appearance was made possible because ‘Rabbit!’ MC Akira Kawashima is a huge fan of (G)I-dle. Akira Kawashima went to (G)I-dle’s concert in Japan last year and even revealed on air that he was a fan. In particular, the production team made a surprise invitation to (G)I-dle to commemorate Akira Kawashima‘s 5th year as the program’s MC. (G)I-dle explained the reason for their first Japanese live broadcast appearance, saying, “We heard that MCs Kawashima and Tamura are huge fans of ours, so we really wanted to appear on ‘Rabbit!’.” The cast, including Kawashima, looked thrilled by (G

Stray Kids donates a total of 800 million won to forest fire victims [Official]

The group Stray Kids donated 800 million won for emergency relief efforts for wildfire victims in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions. On April 1, Stray Kids donated 400 million won to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association and 400 million won to the social welfare organization World Vision, asking that the money be used to provide emergency relief supplies to residents affected by the wildfires, emergency living expenses, and support for firefighters. Stray Kids said through their agency JYP Entertainment, “We deeply sympathize with the pain of the victims who lost their daily lives in an instant, and we want to express our gratitude to everyone who is working hard with us.” As a group and as individuals, Stray Kids is practicing positive influence by spreading goodwill in places in need both domestically and internationally. Member Lee Know began personally sponsoring children overseas in 2014, before his debut, and the group began regular individual sponsorship

Virtual Idol Skins, Debut in 10 Days

The new wave of virtual idols, SKINZ, is set to bring a breath of fresh air to K-pop. The virtual idol group SKINZ will release their first digital single ‘YOUNG & LOUD’ on the 10th at 6PM, taking their first step toward their official debut. SKINZ announced the release of their single ‘YOUNG & LOUD’, which is expected to show off their strong group color, by releasing an impactful artwork video through their official SNS the day before. The released video revealed a part of the melody with an impressive rock sound mixed with elements of punk and hip-hop, and the members‘ voices captivated the ears, raising expectations for music full of passion and energy. Recently, SKINS attracted a lot of attention by revealing the visuals of all seven members, and fans’ interest is hot as they stimulated curiosity with keywords that arouse curiosity about their beautiful appearances and the members. In addition, SKINS will be holding the ‘Inga Live Unicorn in Tokyo Dome Powered by SBS Inkigayo’ on

HITGS, debut imminent… Will they become the second Ive?

Super rookie HITGS, following in the footsteps of girl group Ive, has announced their debut. On the 1st, H Music Entertainment announced, “We will be launching a new girl group in the first half of this year.” Prior to this, a short 10-second logo motion video was released on HITGS‘ official SNS channel on the 31st of last month. It contained a scene of five stars rising into the blue sky along with mystical music. The stars gathered as one in a circle, and the HITGS logo was engraved below it, drawing attention. HITGS is a new girl group presented by Kim Kang-hyo, the CEO of H Music Entertainment, who worked at Starship Entertainment for 17 years. CEO Kim Kang-hyo has built a high level of successful know-how and infrastructure in discovering and producing idols through his production and management of Monsta X, WJSN, CRAVITY, and IVE, so his first girl group launch is highly anticipated. The group name HITGS is an abbreviation of Hip, Innocent, Teenager, Girls,

XG, China‘s wild run, Coachella and Tokyo Dome entry confirmed

The group XG has proven their popularity in China through their world tour, fashion week, and pop-up store. Starting on the 21st of last month, XG successfully completed the additional shows of their world tour ‘The first HOWL’ in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu, China, drawing an audience of approximately 40,000. While this world tour has been sold out in 35 cities around the world, the additional shows in China also sold out within 1 minute of opening tickets. XG successfully heated up China by showcasing captivating stages and overwhelming skills during these Chinese shows, while also showing off their one-of-a-kind group identity. To show their gratitude to their Chinese fans, XG has released a collaboration product with a Chinese brand. XG made a surprise visit to the pop-up store for the product, and the crowd that day showed XG‘s popularity in China. XG was also confirmed as a Nike runway model for Shanghai Fashion Week on April 1. XG has always been known for his uniqu

Butterfly, ‘Even if I try everything’ sad voice → part of the sound source released

Singer Nabi has raised expectations for her comeback by releasing a highlight video that gives a glimpse into the charm of her new song. On the 31st of last month, her agency Plan B Entertainment posted a preview video containing the highlights of Nabi‘s new song ‘Even If I Try Everything’, which will be released on the 7th at 6PM, through their official SNS. In the released video, Nabi’s appealing vocals and the sorrowful lyrics that flow like “I tried everything to erase you like crazy, but in the end, I really want to see you again” perfectly convey the emotions of a breakup. Nabi‘s signature emotional voice, detailed emotional expression, and appropriate tempo control harmoniously blend together, foreshadowing the birth of a luxury breakup ballad. The new song ‘Even If I Try Everything’ is a ballad that depicts the feelings of struggling to forget a lover while experiencing longing and pain after breaking up with them, but ultimately being unable to erase that longing. This is a ne

Lee Chan-won‘s Good Influence... Fan Club Chance Donates 122 Million Won to Forest Fires [Official]

Following singer Lee Chan-won, his fan club ‘Chance’ also donated money to help with wildfire relief. The Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association (Chairman Song Pil-ho) announced on the 1st that Lee Chan-won‘s fan club ‘Chance’ donated 122,290,000 won in wildfire relief. Following singer Lee Chan-won’s donation of 100 million won on the 25th for wildfire relief in his hometown Ulju, fans have joined in on the good deed. ‘Chance’‘s donation will be used to support recovery and daily life recovery, including emergency relief, provision of daily necessities, and operation of temporary shelters for residents in wildfire-stricken areas such as Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam. This is not the first time the fandom has done good deeds. This is already the fourth donation in response to a national disaster, having donated 280 million won to the 2022 floods, the East Coast wildfires, and the 2023 floods. The total donation reached 400 million won. The members of Lee Chan-won’s fan club

Dragon Pony Releases ‘NEVER’ Music Video for ‘Ahyeon+Gyo’

The band Dragon Pony is releasing an additional music video for their sub-title track. Dragon Pony (Ahn Tae-gyu, Pyeon Seong-hyeon, Kwon Se-hyeok, Go Kang-hoon) posted a music video clip for their second EP, ‘Not Out’, ‘NEVER’, through their official SNS channel on the 31st of last month. The clip shows Dragon Pony immersed in the filming of the ‘NEVER’ music video. The four members‘ serious faces, combined with the hazy yet calm atmosphere, add to the emotional resonance, while the sensual camera work utilizing the car window stands out. The sub-title track ‘NEVER’ is a song that honestly expresses the emotions of the moment when you decide to break up after hesitating. It is characterized by starting with a calm acoustic guitar melody and gradually building to an intense rock sound. They expressed their determination not to go back to the moment when they hurt each other with appealing vocals and instrumental performances. Dragon Pony released two music videos, including ‘Not Out’, t

Solar, Transformation into Cupid of Love to Welcome Spring… MV Teaser Released

MAMAMOO member Solar transforms into a ‘Cupid of Love’ to welcome spring. Today (1st) at midnight, Solar released the music video teaser for her second single ‘WANT’ through MAMAMOO‘s official YouTube channel. In the video, Solar is seen exploring her emotions in a space filled with high-teen sensibility. You can catch a glimpse of Solar’s free-spirited and confident charm as she goes back and forth between the characters of ‘Secret Partner’ and ‘Nerd’. The dynamic directing with tricks added to the richness of the show. The sound source and part of the performance of ‘WANT’, which captures the moment when love begins in a pink mood full of excitement, have been revealed for the first time. Expectations are high for the birth of a kitschy cheering song by Solar that conveys the courage to run to the person you like. ‘WANT’ is Solar‘s solo single released one year after her second mini-album ‘COLOURS’ in April of last year. Bright energy that goes well with spring, the season of beginni

Eunice, Mapdal Charm ‘SWICY’… Truth‘s School Uniform Concept Photos Revealed

The group UNIS has announced a unique transformation with a high-teen sensibility. UNIS (Jin Hyun-joo, Nana, Jellydanka, Kotoko, Bang Yoon-ha, Elicia, Oh Yoon-ah, Lim Seo-won) released the first concept photo, the Archive version, of their second mini-album ‘SWICY’ through their official SNS channel at midnight on the 1st. On this day, a total of 13 photos were revealed, from the full group to Jin Hyun-joo, Nana, Jellydanka‘s individual and unit photos. Above all, the appearance of UNIS transformed into a student catches the eye. The eight members completed their own high-teen sensibility with an unconventional school uniform styling with a red tie as a point on navy. In the individual photos, Jin Hyun-joo, Nana, and Jellydanka expressed the appearances of different teenage girls by utilizing various spaces of the school such as the staircase, classroom, and hallway. The perfect visual synergy of the three members also captured the attention of viewers. In the unit photo, they were lea

Kim Jang-hoon, vocalist Kim Dong-gyu and concert commemorating the Day of Persons with Disabilities

Singer Kim Jang-hoon and vocalist Kim Dong-kyu will present a meaningful concert to commemorate the Day of Persons with Disabilities. Kim Jang-hoon and Kim Dong-kyu will hold a joint concert, ‘To the Beautiful You’, on the 19th and 20th at the Haeo-reum Theater of the National Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul. This concert will be co-hosted with the National Theater to mark the Day of Persons with Disabilities on April 20th. 100 people with disabilities and their families will be invited per concert, and disabled audience members will receive discounts on tickets. There will also be various discounts for soldiers, college students, pregnant women, and teenagers. Kim Jang-hoon revealed his philosophy of “The best performance in the world, with the cheapest price”, and said, “It will be the most wonderful, enjoyable, and warm performance”. Kim Jang-hoon has been sharing and donating his talents for the disabled for about 28 years since 1998. Since the year before last, the ‘Concert to Watch Whi

YVES, starts Latin American tour today (1st)

Singer Yves will be kicking off her first Latin American tour, ‘2025 YVES APPLE CINNAMON CRUNCH TOUR IN LATIN AMERICA’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘APPLE CINNAMON CRUNCH TOUR’) in Mexico today (the 1st, local time).‘APPLE CINNAMON CRUNCH TOUR’ is Yves‘ first solo tour since her debut, and she will visit Latin America after visiting Europe and North America. Yves will perform in five Latin American cities, starting in Mexico, followed by Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Brazil. She plans to connect wi

Ampersand One, Like a Cat… ‘Kick Start’ MV Teaser Released

The group AMPERS&ONE has released a music video teaser for the title track ‘Kick Start’ from their second mini album ‘WILD & FREE’. In the video, the members show off their overwhelming visuals that are impossible to take your eyes off of for a second, drawing admiration. The members‘ expressions and movements, reminiscent of cats, captivate attention. The lyrics, “I’ll fight and win with everything I‘ve got”, hint at a message to boldly overcome fear, increasing curiosity about the full track and music video for the new song. The title track ‘Kick Start’, which left a strong impression with just a short 16-second teaser video, is a hip-hop dance song with a heavy bass line and synth sound plus various FX sounds. Members Nacamden and Makaya participated in writing the lyrics, capturing Ampersand One’s unique musical color and individuality. Ampersand One previously released a comeback poster, a promotional time table, first concept photos, title poster, mood poster, second concept phot