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K-pop idols

K-pop idols
The Korean wave - or hallyu - has swept over the world. South Korea’s K-pop idols are now among the biggest celebrities in the world, with standout stars including BTS members Jungkook and Jimin, and Blackpink’s Lisa and Jennie
South Korean team captain Lee Gi-hyuk (left) celebrates winning the Asian Games gold medal with his coach and teammate on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

If BTS has to serve, why are South Korean sportsmen, artists exempt: ex-lawmaker

South Korean football captain Lee Gi-hyuk has come under fire for celebrating the exemption during his team’s Asian Games gold medal win.

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Art

7 must-visit exhibitions in October 2026, from BTS star RM’s collection to Jackson Pollock

Timepieces

Inside Blackpink star Lisa’s chic and sleek watch collection

South Korea

What a viral Jennie clip reveals about South Korea’s deepfake struggles

Severe legal threats fail to deter a wave of teenage offenders who see digital victims as nothing more than pixels.

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Jennie of Blackpink performs onstage during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 20, 2025 in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images for Coachella
Activists hold posters reading “Repeated deepfake sex crimes, the state is an accomplice too” during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul on August 30, 2024. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korean police seek tycoon behind K-pop supergroup BTS to be indicted

Bang Si-hyuk is being investigated for alleged investor fraud over the initial public offering of the agency Hybe.

K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Can Southeast Asian artists replicate K-pop’s global success with SEA-pop?

Even as more regional artists are performing overseas, they should not blindly copy the K-pop playbook, industry observers say.

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Women and gender

BTS members face backlash for attending Chris Brown concert

BTS members face backlash for attending Chris Brown concert
South Korea

‘What is he thinking?’: Japan influencer mocks K-pop idol with racist gesture

Gamix faced backlash over the racist gesture in a video parodying the Ateez idol’s dance challenge.

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Fame and celebrity

Meet Thai actor Blue Pongtiwat, rumoured to be dating Blackpink’s Lisa

The K-pop superstar, who has reportedly split from Frédéric Arnault, was spotted in Hong Kong and Japan with the actor dubbed ‘Thailand’s Cha Eun-woo’.

South Korea

Does K-pop need the Grammys? BTS’ boycott reignites debate

BTS’ decision has forced Asian pop artists to weigh Grammy recognition against the risk of being boxed in.

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Members of South Korean K-pop band BTS perform during their “Arirang” tour in New Jersey on August 1. Photo: AFP
South Korea

BTS pulls out of Grammys after Asian pop category introduction

The K-pop sensation will not submit music for next year’s awards, saying that music shouldn’t be ‘defined by region or language’.

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BTS performs during the Fifa World Cup final halftime show on July 19. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

The underdog girl group putting the ‘K’ back in K-pop

While major labels chase global fame, Rescene won over South Korea by putting local culture front and centre.

South Korea

South Korean ticket touts to face the music when new penalties come into play

From August 28, authorities can impose fines of up to 50 times the resale price of a ticket, a sharp rise from the current US$6,600 maximum.

BTS

Video | Thousands of BTS fans protest in Chile over venue crisis

The decision would cancel 3 nights of the group’s concert in October.

BTS Chile fans
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The Future of Marketing in Asia

Sports marketing ditches billboards for culture

From NBA x K-pop collaborations to interactive experiences, brands are moving past simple sponsorships to embed themselves in sports culture.

Local Arsenal fans at the friendly between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur held at Kai Tak Stadium in July 2025. The prestige of marketing at major sporting events has skyrocketed in recent years. Photos: Elson Li
Singapore

Chinese, Japanese fans fuel surge in Singapore hotel rates for BTS shows

Some fans complained about the high room prices and suggested staying in neighbouring Johor Bahru instead.

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Celebrity style

How to Style like Felix of Stray Kids at Paris Fashion Week

The K-pop star nailed a rugged yet polished look in denim and everyday staples, elevated by fine jewellery.

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Food and Drinks

Oreo and BTS launch purple cookies in new K-pop collaboration

Oreo spent two years developing the BTS cookies, which have centres that taste like hotteok, a popular Korean street food pancake.

The new Oreo and BTS collaboration cookies will go on sale on June 1 online and on June 8 in stores in 80 markets around the world. Photo: AP
Malaysia

‘Scalpers making everything worse’: the fight to grab BTS tickets in Malaysia

‘You almost feel like you are preparing for an exam or going into battle,’ a K-pop fan says.

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South Korea

Desperate search for Busan rooms: ‘obscenely high’ prices anger BTS fans

‘I wanted to explore the city, but I’m now forced to find accommodation elsewhere,’ a K-pop fan says.

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K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Le Sserafim are facing their fears with new album Pureflow Pt.1

When Le Sserafim debuted, their message was about being fearless. Now, the K-pop girl group want to say that facing fear makes you strong.

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(From left) Le Sserafim members Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha, Sakura and Hong Eun-chae in Seoul. The group’s leader, Kim Chae-won, announced last week that she would sit out promotional activities due to a neck injury. The K-pop girl group’s new album, Pureflow Pt.1, is the culmination of facing their fears. Photo: courtesy of Source Music
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Got7’s Jackson Wang went from Hong Kong fencing prodigy to global music icon

One of the world’s most prominent Chinese singers, Jackson Wang was a star fencer before his music career exploded with K-pop boy band Got7.

Jackson Wang poses at the Met Gala in New York City in 2023. Long before he was a singer, the Got7 rapper was a fencer. Photo: Reuters
Viral stories

‘Are you still hiring?’: K-pop king G-Dragon gifts flats to staff, sparks online buzz

Known for his exceptional loyalty, the pop icon has developed a strong bond with his long-term team.

South Korea

‘She was just a human’: the world forgot K-pop’s suicides. These fans never did

Years after three high-profile K-pop suicides shook South Korea’s idol machine, the grief – and guilt – remains.

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K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

‘We’ve prepared so much’: K-pop newcomers Naze on what sets them apart

Naze’s Korean, Japanese and Thai members share how touring before making their self-titled debut album, released on May 4, made them closer.

(From left) K-pop boy group Naze members Kaisei, Ato, Yuya, Dohyeok, Younki, Turn and Kimkun. The seven-member act released their self-titled debut mini-album on May 4. Photo: The Korea Times
Indonesia

Indonesia’s aim to lure more K-pop concerts spurs chorus of doubts

While Indonesian K-pop fans applaud Jakarta’s intention, they cite safety, venue capacity and bureaucracy as some of the key hurdles.

Indonesian K-pop idol Carmen poses for photos alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung at a state luncheon in Seoul on April 1. Photo: Instagram/2_jaemyung
Fame and celebrity

Meet Matthew Kim, the K-pop star-turned-actor who plays Woosh in Beef S2

‘Big Matthew’ was a rapper in coed K-pop group Kard before joining Beef Season 2 with Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Parasite’s Song Kang-ho.

South Korea

‘Anyone from the North?’: US comedian Seth Herzog apologises over BTS joke

Herzog’s remarks sparked backlash from fans ahead of the K-pop band’s American TV comeback.

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