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 28th, 2026, and we've got some incredible stories to share with you.

Let's dive right in.

BTS member V has turned a seven-year dream into reality by taking piano lessons from world-renowned pianist Sung Jin Cho, the 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition winner. V shared videos on Instagram showing both artists at the piano, with V playing the jazz standard Misty while Cho performed Chopin's ballad number four. The touching moment referenced Cho's famous philosophy that music doesn't start when fingers touch the keys, but rather begins in the air before, which Vi demonstrated by adopting Cho's signature arm motion. Their friendship has deepened since V attended Cho's soul recital last year, and this mentorship marks another milestone in V's musical journey as he continues expanding his artistry beyond vocals to include guitar, saxophone, and now piano.

Blackpink's Jenny has achieved a historic milestone on American radio with her collaboration Dracula, featuring Australian musician Tame Impala, reaching number one on Billboard's Adult Pop Airplay chart. This makes Dracula only the second K-pop-related song to top this chart, following the Netflix anime film K-pop Demon Hunter's theme song Golden. The Adult Pop Airplay chart measures radio airplay on adult contemporary pop stations across the United States, making it a crucial indicator of mainstream American audience acceptance. Originally released as a tame in Parler solo track, the song gained momentum through short-form video platforms before steadily climbing radio playlists to reach the summit.

Girl Group Kiki has unveiled diverse concept photos for their upcoming third mini album, Waiki Ki-E, set for release on August 10th. The teasers showcase two distinct visual themes. The ever too late version features minimalist white tones with natural elements like flowers and butterflies, creating a mysterious Y2K aesthetic with unique accessories, including P VC bags and patterned stockings. The Hei Hai version splits into two breakfast concepts, Jatame Meal, evoking a European bakery atmosphere, and Wo'aini meal, capturing beachside vacation vibes with members in colorful resort wear. The album promises to deliver a unique visual paradise by combining the famous vacation destination Waikiki with Kiki's signature retro sensibility, telling the story of a summer day through six tracks presented as a tour course.

Prosecutors have formally requested an arrest warrant for Char Gar Wan, CEO of 100 Label, on charges of fraud exceeding 30 billion one, marking the third attempt by police to secure his detention. Seoul Central District prosecutors filed the warrant after police conducted additional investigations, including account tracking and contract analysis, uncovering evidence that Cha allegedly used a debt splitting method to cover existing obligations. Authorities suspect Cha started his entertainment agency while already heavily in debt, and allegedly received $242 billion, won in advance payments by proposing business ventures using intellectual property rights of his agency's artists without actually intending to fulfill the contracts. Police believe Char concealed the fact that existing contracts with other companies were not near expiration when he signed duplicate agreements, and was unprepared to execute the promised business ventures.

The K-pop album market has shattered records in the first half of 2026, with total sales reaching 49.53 million copies, surpassing the previous half-year record of 46.17 million set in 2023. BTS led the surge with their fifth full-length album A Re Rang, selling 4.71 million copies in the first half alone, while ITs became the only group to achieve two separate million sellers in one half-year period with their Golden Hour, Part 4 and Part 5 releases. Notably, 14 different groups reached million seller status during this period, including newer acts like Two-year-old group COUTIS and Debut Year Group Alpha Drive 1, demonstrating the market's expansion beyond established names. If current trends continue through the second half, the industry is projected to surpass the all-time annual record of 103.3 million albums set in 2023, but this time driven by a broader base of successful artists rather than a few dominant groups.

Hype Corporation has posted record-breaking financial results for the second quarter, with revenue reaching 1,450,0001 and operating profit hitting 170.9 billion1, marking the first time the company has exceeded 1 trillion1 in quarterly revenue. BTS drove the exceptional performance with their fifth full-length album, Ari Rang, topping US CD and vinyl sales charts, while their ongoing world tour spans 88 shows across 23 countries and regions, generating the popular term BTS nomics through their economic impact. Other hype artists also contributed significantly, with Tomorrow by Together, Nhypen, Anteam, Boy Next Door, TWS, and Cortis all achieving million-seller status, while Cat's Eye won three awards at the 2026 American Music Awards, and their single Animal reached number four on Spotify's Daily Top Songs US chart. The company's concert business flourished with 12 artist teams holding 119 performances in the first half alone, with over 200 concerts scheduled for the second half of the year.

BTS has donated items worn during their historic 2026 FIFA North America World Cup halftime performance to a charity auction benefiting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, with V's Scarf commanding the highest bid at $19,000. The auction, titled One Goal and conducted through Christie's Auction House until July 30th, features seven items from the group including RM's boots, Jin's belt, sugar's pants, J Hope's gloves, Jimin's shirt, and Jung Cook's jacket. V's Scarf leads all items as the second highest bid in the entire auction, while Jimin's shirt has attracted $17,000 in bids, with all BTS items far exceeding their estimated values and outpacing bids for signed jerseys and match balls from soccer stars. The members continue their A Hare Rank World Tour with upcoming performances at MetLife Stadium in the United States on August 1st and 2nd.

Tomorrow Buy Together will celebrate their seventh debut anniversary with an immersive exhibition titled Layers of Us, running from August 13th through September 6th in Seoul's Hyeongsu Dong district. The exhibition will visually represent the narrative layers the group has built across their discography. From their debut The Dream Chapter Star through last year's fourth full-length album, The Name Chapter Together. Seven distinct spaces will guide visitors through the group's musical journey, including zones named Who Am I, Dreamscape, Zero World, and In a Maze, offering fans a comprehensive look at the themes of youth, wandering, and growth that have defined their seven-year career. The group is also preparing to release their fifth Japanese single, set Suna Hanabi, on August 19th.

Zero Base. One member Kim J-Wong will temporarily reduce his participation in group activities to focus on his acting commitments, according to an announcement from NES Management. While Kim has been balancing both his acting career and group activities, confirmed filming schedules for his drama projects will make it impossible for him to attend certain group events going forward. The agency emphasized that Kim will continue to fulfill responsibilities to both his acting work and Zero Base One to the best of his ability, though fans should expect potential changes in his attendance at group schedules. He will notably miss the group's performance at the 2026 SBS Gaio Dejon Summer on August 9th at Kintex in Ilsan, where the remaining four members will perform without him, while the full group prepares to release their second Japanese EP, Kakira Love, on August 19th. Until then, stay tuned to All Things Korean Entertainment, and we'll catch you tomorrow.