NewJeans Ends Over-Year Contract Dispute and Announces Return to ADOR
The group NewJeans is concluding a dispute over its exclusive contract that lasted over a year and returning to its agency, ADOR.…
NewJeans Pushes Ahead with Independent Activities Against ADOR; Dispute Intensifies with Injunction Request
The contract dispute between K-pop group NewJeans and their agency ADOR is escalating. ADOR submitted an injunction request to the Seoul Central District Court, seeking to prohibit the group’s members from entering indep…
All Members of NewJeans Return to ADOR; One-Year Legal Battle “Dramatically Ends” – Biggest Story in K-Pop in 2025
The group NewJeans has concluded its more than one-year dispute over their exclusive contract with agency ADOR and announced that all members are returning to the label.…
ADOR Files Injunction to Stop NewJeans from Signing Independent Brand Deal; Legal Battle Intensifies
ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, submitted an injunction request to the court aiming to prevent NewJeans from entering into an independent brand contract.…
NewJeans Ends Yearlong Legal Battle…Withdrawal of Appeal Confirms Return to ADOR
The group NewJeans has fully resolved its more than one-year legal dispute over its exclusive contract with agency ADOR.…
NewGroups Dominate Global Charts; NewJeans Claims 2nd Consecutive No.1 for Female Artists, ENHYPEN Exceeds 5 Million Album Sales
K-pop rookie groups and their new songs are firmly taking over global music charts at the beginning of 2025. The idol group BOYNEXTDOOR secured first place on the K-Pop Radar Weeekly Fandom Chart released on the 10th.…
JENNIE Ranks First in 2025 K-Brand Index for Music Tracks, Demonstrating Overwhelming Popularity
JENNIE of BLACKPINK achieved the highest brand index in the 2025 K-POP music track category. The Asia Brand Research Institute, a big data evaluation organization, announced on the 10th that JENNIE’s “like JENNIE” was se…
SM Entertainment’s 30th Anniversary: Reexamining 30 Years of K-Pop History from H.O.T. to aespa
SM Entertainment is reevaluating the development history of the K-pop industry as it marks its 30th anniversary this year. The company, founded in 1995, is regarded as synonymous with the growth of K-pop itself.…
NewJeans Returns to ADOR After Resolving Contract Dispute; Restoring Trust Remains a Challenge
NewJeans, which had been embroiled in a massive conflict that threatened to heat up South Korea’s music industry in 2025, finally announced its return to its agency, ADOR.…
K-Pop Establishes Itself as a Global Mainstream Genre... Massive Success of "KPop Demon Hunters," Jennie’s All-Kill Solo Career, and Internal Struggles at NewJeans
2025 was a year that demonstrated how K-Pop has moved beyond a temporary trend to fully establish itself as a mainstream genre in the global music market.…
New Landscape for K-POP in 2026···Multiple New Groups from HYBE, SM, and YG Set to Debut
The K-POP industry has begun intensive preparations for new groups heading into 2026. Major agencies such as HYBE, SM Entertainment, and YG Entertainment are competing to introduce new artists, raising expectations among…
Photo David Lee / CC BY 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons
K-pop Industry Crisis Deepens: Album Sales Decline, Major Scandals, and Worsening Treatment of Idols Mark a Fundamental Turning Point
The K-pop industry faced unprecedented challenges in 2024. A series of unprecedented scandals ranging from falling album sales to a national hearing between NewJeans and HYBE, along with various allegations of sexual mis…
K-POP Industry at a Crossroads Amid Falling Album Sales and Rising Scandals
The K-POP industry is facing a structural crisis. With declining album sales and a surge in scandals in 2024, the industry’s future has become uncertain, prompting attention to whether the Comeback of BTS and BLACKPINK i…
K-Pop Fully Establishes Itself as a Mainstream Genre in the Global Music Market in 2025
2025 was a year that demonstrated K-Pop’s complete transition from a temporary trend to a mainstream genre within the global music market.…
BLACKPINK Ranks Supreme Among Female Groups for 2025 Concerts; K-pop Stars Continue to Win Awards on International Stage
K-pop’s global influence was once again demonstrated through concerts and music award wins in 2025. According to data from the Korea Performance Arts Box Office Integrated System (KOPIS), BLACKPINK achieved the highest a…