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Welcome to K-Buzz, your daily source for the latest Korean entertainment news.

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We're your hosts bringing you all the hottest updates from the K-pop and K drama world.

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Today is May 13th, 2026, and we've got some incredible stories to share with you.

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Let's dive right in.

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Boy Group XID's leader Solji has found a new home at Mom Entertainment, marking an exciting new chapter in her career. The agency recently confirmed that Solji signed an exclusive contract with them, joining a roster that includes artists like Park Hyun-ho, Unga Yoon, Kim Nahi, and Juhan Yaoon. This reunion is particularly meaningful as Mom Entertainment's CEO, Kim Je-hyoon, previously worked as XED's manager and has a long-standing relationship with Solji. The agency has promised full support to help Solji expand her talents across multiple fields, building on her recent success on MBN's current King 3, where she made it to the top seven and showcased her versatility in the trot genre.

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Apink's Yoon Bomi is preparing for her wedding to music producer Rado on May 16th, and the ceremony is shaping up to be a star-studded celebration of their eight-year relationship. The couple's wedding at the Grand Hyatt Soul Hotel will feature an impressive lineup of performers, with Apink members, girl group Stacy, and Unchild all confirmed to perform congratulatory songs. Comedian Kim Keary will serve as the MC for the ceremony, reflecting the couple's close friendships throughout the entertainment industry. The event is expected to draw numerous K-pop agency executives and idol groups as guests, celebrating the union of the 31-year-old Pink member and the 40-year-old producer who have been dating since 2017.

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Fresh Duo Flarey U made their highly anticipated debut with their first mini-album, Youth Error, bringing a refreshing energy to the K-pop scene. The group consists of Choi Lip Wu and Kahong Wu Jin, who built their bond through Emmet's Boys 2 Planet and are now showcasing their chemistry as a duo rather than joining a larger group. Their title track, Way2 You, is a hybrid pop song that captures the excitement of realizing romantic feelings for a friend, featuring cute choreography and a storyline that connects to their B-side track, Hyper. The members emphasize that being a duo allows them to show their individual colors more clearly while telling their authentic story, with Choi Lipwoo describing their goal as becoming a vitamin vending machine that provides energy whenever fans need it.

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BTS and Blackpink's Jenny are dominating the Billboard charts with impressive reverse runs that showcase K-pop's enduring global power. BTS reclaimed the number one spot on Billboard's global, excluding US chart with their track, Swim, from their fifth full album, Harryang, while also maintaining a seventh-week streak in the top ten of the Billboard 200 album chart. Meanwhile, Jenny achieved a significant milestone by entering the Hot 100's top ten with her collaboration track Dracula, which was released last October and has shown remarkable staying power through steady radio play and streaming growth. This marks Jenny's first time reaching the Hot 100's upper ranks as a solo artist and demonstrates that Blackpink members have established independent competitive power beyond their group brand.

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Rising Group Cordis is making waves on the Billboard charts, positioning themselves for a potential Hot 100 breakthrough. Their second mini album title track, Red Red, debuted at number 17 on the bubbling under hot 100 chart, which tracks songs on the verge of entering the main Hot 100. The song also climbed on other Billboard charts, rising to 43 on the Global 224 on the Global Excluding US chart. Their streaming numbers are particularly impressive, with total plays across their 13 tracks surpassing 600 million as of May 11th, gaining 100 million streams in just 20 days since hitting the 500 million milestone.

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Our featured song today is WDA, Whole Different Animal, by Esper, a pre-release track from their second full album, Lemonade. This experimental powerhouse has been dominating global charts, hitting the top ten in 17 countries on iTunes and claiming number one across major Chinese music platforms. Here's a preview.

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Park Ji-Hun plays Kahang Sung Jai, a legendary military cook who faces various crises with his bumbling yet endearing character. A stark contrast to his previous role in the film The Man Who Lives With the King. The latest episode featured an intense moment where Park's character and his senior soldier Yun Dong Hyun attempted to win over their unpredictable company commander with a perfectly prepared pork cutlet dish.

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SBS drama Wonderful New World has taken the top spot on Netflix's global non-English series chart, just three days after its premiere. Starring Lim Ji Yon, the series accumulated 9.3 million viewing hours and 3.9 million views during the May 4th to 10th tracking period, capturing audiences with its unique premise of a Joseon era villainous possessing an unknown actress in the 21st century. The show ranked in the top 10 across 44 countries and regions, claiming first place in South Korea, Singapore, and Bolivia. Other Korean dramas also performed strongly, with Netflix series GiriGo holding second place with 3.6 million views, and SBS drama sold out today, taking third with 3.1 million views.

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Screenwriter Kim Unsuck and producer Yoon Harim have donated 100 million one to support children in care facilities, marking another chapter in their decade-long philanthropy. The donation to Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association will fund the Protected Children's Anniversary Support Project, which helps children and teenagers celebrate important milestones like birthdays, school entrance ceremonies, and graduations. Kim Unsook expressed that anniversaries are moments when children feel their self-worth, hoping to create warm memories for them. As members of the Hope Bridge Honors Club for high-value donors, the pair has consistently donated for over 10 years with cumulative contributions totaling 1.3 billion one.

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Actor Yu Hai Jin has demonstrated his commitment to helping cancer patients with another generous donation to Seoul Asan Hospital. The actor recently donated 100 million, one to support cancer patient treatment and medical expenses, expressing his hope that patients fighting cancer can overcome their difficult treatment process and return to normal life. This latest contribution brings Yuhai Jin's total donations to Seoul Asan Hospital alone to 200 million one following previous donations of 50 million one in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic and another 50 million one in 2023. The hospital confirmed the funds will be used to build advanced treatment systems and improve the treatment environment for cancer patients.

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The group will begin music show promotions on NET's M Countdown on May 13th, and will also perform at university festivals, including Gachon University and Yonsei University, ahead of their full album Home Release on June 8th. Until then, stay tuned to All Things Korean Entertainment, and we'll catch you tomorrow.