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

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

Today is July 3rd, 2026, and we've got some incredible stories to share with you.

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StrayKid's member Sungmin is minimizing his activities as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. News sources report that the idol has been focusing on rest and treatment following a fatigue fractured diagnosis in his left ankle from March. Due to his condition, Seongmin has either skipped or participated minimally in recent filming schedules, which means some upcoming content will feature limited appearances from him. The agency emphasized that while Siungmin showed strong determination to continue activities, the decision was made after thorough discussions to prioritize his health, with his participation in major official schedules to be determined based on his recovery progress.

New group Cookies is making their variety show debut with an unscripted travel series set in Jonju. The six-member multi-creator group, composed of models, actors, and singers, will premiere their original content. Well, there's no plan on July 7th through their official YouTube channel Cookies Box. The show follows the members as they explore Jonju without a fixed itinerary, experiencing traditional Hanuk villages, local cuisine, and spontaneous interactions with citizens. Leader Kong Min shared that they did everything during filming without holding back, promising viewers an authentic and entertaining look at the group's genuine personalities beyond the stage.

NCT's Jehun is returning with his first comeback since military discharge, releasing the new single 99 Degrees on July 10th. The ballad track, which Jee Hun wrote and composed himself, begins with delicate piano melodies before building into a rich band sound that showcases his warm vocals. The song explores the concept of finding complete love in the imperfection of 99 degrees, one degree short of boiling, with lyrics suggesting that true love is completed through one's partner. This marks Jee Hun's first solo release in approximately one year and eight months, since his single Unconditional in October 2024, and he'll be performing at his fan concert tour, Mono, in Taipei on July 4th and 5th.

Actor Choi Min Sik opened up about his challenging role in the Netflix series The Man in the Last Row, admitting he worried whether viewers would enjoy the uncomfortable story. The psychological thriller follows a failed writer and literature professor who becomes obsessed with a student sitting in the back row of his classroom, presenting a character Choi described as pathetic and someone he'd personally criticize if he met in real life. Despite the character's unlikable nature, Choi worked to understand and empathize with the professor's struggles with inferiority complex. Noting the series addresses the violence of words and writing in an era filled with hate speech. The veteran actor of 45 years praised co-star Choi Hyun-Wuok's performance, particularly highlighting their intense classroom confrontation scene where he felt genuinely caught off guard by the younger actor's delivery.

The upcoming film Hope has unveiled character posters captured through the lens of cinematographer Hong Kyung Pyo, showcasing stars Huang Jungmin, Juan Sung, and Jung Ho-yun. The six posters reveal behind the scenes moments, with Huang and Jung displaying intense focus on set, while Zhou appears with a group of young men in a lush forest holding a rifle. The movie, directed by Na Hong Jin, tells the story of a port office chief who encounters an unbelievable reality after hearing reports of a tiger appearing in the area. Already making waves before its July 15th release, Hope was pre-sold to approximately 200 countries at a record-breaking price for Korean cinema, recovering half its production budget early through global distribution deals.

Our featured song today is Head Rock by the Korean-Australian alternative hip-hop group 1300, featuring Gee Reeboy. This hard-hitting track draws its name from the Korean phrase headbutting the ground, capturing the group's fierce determination and unbreakable spirit with experimental sounds that have already sold out two Australian tours. Here's a preview.

Industry reports indicate the couple sent contributions to nine food banks, seven educational programs, and three children's hospitals in areas connected to both of them, with some organizations confirming donations of $1 million each. City Harvest noted the timing was crucial as it coincided with federal budget cuts, while Rhode Island Community Food Bank expressed gratitude for the support in purchasing nutritious food. Swift has a long history of philanthropy, having donated millions during her Eras tour and contributing to disaster relief efforts, including Florida hurricanes, Tennessee tornadoes, and Los Angeles wildfires, with a couple expected to marry on July 4th at Madison Square Garden in New York.

ITs has achieved another career milestone with their 14th mini album Golden Hour Part 5, recording initial sales exceeding 1.88 million copies. This marks the group's seventh consecutive million seller album and their highest personal record, demonstrating explosive fan response immediately after the June 26th release. The album, which captures members enjoying moments led by instinct and sensation, topped real-time and daily charts on Hanteo Chart, Circle Chart, and Bugs, while also claiming number one on iTunes Top Albums chart in 31 countries. The title track, Bad and B-Sides, including Mamasita, Toxin, Fall In, and Body have all received strong listener support, with the music video surpassing 10 million views and trending worldwide at number one.

Boy Next Door has added an extra concert date in Busan after their initial shows sold out completely during general ticket sales. The group will now perform three days from July 31st through August 2nd at Busan Sajik Indoor Gymnasium as part of their first world tour, knock-on volume 2. The expanded tour now includes 35 shows across 24 cities, taking them through Seoul and Busan before heading to six Japanese cities, 10 North American locations, and six Asian destinations. Following their successful first solo tour, last year covering 13 cities and 23 shows, plus an appearance at Lollapalooza Chicago, the group recently achieved their fourth consecutive million seller status with their first full album, Home.

Girl Group Eilit has been appointed as the first ever rice consumption promotion ambassadors by Nong Yup, launching the Like Me Like Rice campaign to encourage healthy eating habits among the MZ generation. The collaboration began after Nonggyup noticed the group's mini fourth album title track, It's Me, and created an advertisement playing on the similarity to the Korean word for rice, featuring the members dancing in the middle of a rice field. Eyelit will participate in various activities including visiting farms in Dengjin for rice planting experiences, launching a breakfast-eating SNS challenge, and operating a happy rice meal truck featuring menus chosen by the members. The group is set to make their Japanese comeback on July 26th with their second single I Got Your Back, with physical albums releasing on the 29th.

Rising actress Joe Sung-hee showcased her fresh first love visuals as the female lead in Yang Han Yoon's new music video for You Can't Be Nervous Around a Friend. The music video for the bright rock genre track depicts two longtime friends gradually realizing their romantic feelings for each other, with Joe delivering the fluttering emotions through her clear eyes and youthful energy. Wearing a school uniform, the actress created a cinematic youth film atmosphere alongside Jiang, enhancing the song's immersive quality. Joe debuted in 2021 with NBC's The Red Sleeve and has continued building her career through projects like the Tiving web drama 22 and Netflix original Love Competition, recently signing an exclusive contract with O3 Collective, the agency home to Lee Jun Ho.

That wraps up today's episode of K-Buzz.

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