The Pulse of K-Entertainment

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#SM Entertainment

22 articles

SM Entertainment and UNICEF Korea partnership ceremony signing in Jakarta, March 2026
K-Culture5 min read

SM Entertainment and UNICEF Korea Commit to 60 Indonesian Schools in New Partnership

SM Entertainment and UNICEF Korea signed their fourth partnership on March 27, pledging to install gender-separated toilets and water monitoring systems across 60 Indonesian schools by 2028. Hearts2Hearts members Carmen and Jiwoo attended the Jakarta ceremony.

PakMarch 31, 2026
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SHINee members posing together for a group promotional photo in 2026
K-Pop4 min read

SHINee Announces WORLD VIII: THE INVERT as Key Signals Return

SHINee will perform three nights at KSPO Dome from May 29-31, marking Key's first group activity since his December 2025 hiatus.

PakMarch 29, 2026
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NCT WISH Ode To Love first full album teaser - winged figures in ethereal winter landscape
K-Pop5 min read

NCT WISH Drops First Teaser for Debut Full Album "Ode To Love," Out April 20

NCT WISH drops the first teaser for "Ode To Love," their debut full-length album arriving April 20, 2026. First full album in two years since debut, first post-BoA release.

PakMarch 23, 2026
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BoA official BApal Entertainment profile photo 2026
K-Pop6 min read

BoA Ends 25-Year SM Era, Launches BApal Entertainment

BoA (권보아) officially ended her 25-year contract with SM Entertainment in December 2025 and launched BApal Entertainment on March 3, 2026, marking a historic shift for one of K-pop’s most iconic artists.

PakMarch 22, 2026
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HYO Returns With ‘MOVEURBODY’: Hyoyeon’s Rave Single Drops March 23.
Music3 min read

HYO Returns With ‘MOVEURBODY’: Hyoyeon’s Rave Single Drops March 23

Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon is back as DJ HYO with 'MOVEURBODY,' a Brazilian phonk and hard techno hybrid dropping March 23, plus a live rave night showcase in Seoul on March 21.

PakMarch 20, 2026
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aespa's Winter Donates 200 Million Won to UNICEF and Samsung Medical Center.
Lifestyle3 min read

aespa's Winter Donates 200 Million Won to UNICEF and Samsung Medical Center

Winter of aespa donated 200 million won on March 19, splitting the sum evenly between UNICEF Korea and the Patient Happiness Fund at Samsung Medical Center.

PakMarch 19, 2026
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aespa performing live on stage in white sparkly outfits during their SYNK aeXIS LINE world tour
Music5 min read

aespa Returns in May With What Could Be K-Pop's Biggest Girl Group Album of 2026

SM Entertainment has confirmed aespa is targeting a May 2026 comeback with what's expected to be their second full-length album, building on five consecutive million-seller first weeks.

PakMarch 17, 2026
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aespa as Lotte Duty Free global brand ambassadors for 2026. Image: Lotte Duty Free
Music3 min read

aespa Returns to Lotte Duty Free as Global Brand Ambassadors for 2026

Lotte Duty Free has reappointed aespa as global brand ambassadors, completing the South Korean travel retailer's K-pop ambassador lineup for 2026.

PakMarch 10, 2026
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K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts Image: SM Entertainment
K-Pop4 min read

Hearts2Hearts Makes History: "The Chase" Hits 100 Million Streams on Spotify

Hearts2Hearts became the first K-pop girl group from the 2025 debut class to hit 100 million Spotify streams, with their title track The Chase crossing the mark on March 9, 2026.

PakMarch 10, 2026
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RIIZE six-member K-pop group promotional photo for Kill Blue anime ending theme KILL SHOT
Film & TV4 min read

aespa and RIIZE Are Scoring Kill Blue: K-Pop Takes Over Anime Season

aespa opens and RIIZE closes Kill Blue, the TV anime adaptation of Tadatoshi Fujimaki's Shonen Jump manga. Both songs drop as the series prepares to premiere April 11 on TV Tokyo.

PakMarch 9, 2026
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SMTR25 trainees in school uniforms for Reply High School on Mnet, 2026. SM Entertainment
K-Pop5 min read

2026 Is the Year of Rookie Boy Groups

SM, YG, Lee Soo-man, and Min Hee-jin are all racing to debut new boy groups in 2026. Here is why everyone moved at once, and what it means for K-pop.

PakMarch 8, 2026
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Hearts2Hearts in STYLE MV. SM Entertainment
K-Pop3 min read

Hearts2Hearts Beats BLACKPINK for First-Ever M Countdown Win

Hearts2Hearts claimed their first M Countdown trophy on March 5, defeating BLACKPINK's "GO" with 9,389 points to 8,239. SM's rookie eight-member group is officially on the map.

PakMarch 8, 2026
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NCT WISH members in Mongolia for On the Map variety show
K-Culture3 min read

NCT WISH's "On the Map" Ends With 46 Million Views and a Global Fandom Explosion

NCT WISH's Mongolia adventure variety show pulled 46 million views across 186 regions, driving 20,000 new Mnet Plus subscriptions and proving the rookie group's global reach.

PakMarch 3, 2026
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Kai in Lacoste green polo shirt for Korea brand ambassador campaign 2026
K-Fashion3 min read

EXO's Kai Bags Lacoste and MAC Cosmetics Ambassador Deals in One Week

EXO's Kai locked in Lacoste Korea and MAC Cosmetics China ambassador deals within 48 hours of each other, becoming the first Korean male artist to hold the MAC title.

PakMarch 2, 2026
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NCT JNJM Jeno and Jaemin debut BOTH SIDES. NCT JNJM / SM Entertainment
K-Pop4 min read

NCT JNJM Debut with BOTH SIDES: Jeno and Jaemin Arrive as One

NCT Dream duo Jeno and Jaemin officially debut as NCT JNJM with their first mini album BOTH SIDES, a six-track set spanning hip-hop, R&B, and hyperpop.

EllaMarch 2, 2026
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Hearts2Hearts group. SM Entertainment
K-Pop4 min read

Hearts2Hearts' First US Showcase Is SM 3.0 in Action

SM Entertainment's newest girl group Hearts2Hearts is heading to New York and LA in March, becoming the fastest SM act ever to reach a standalone US showcase. The speed is the point.

PakMarch 2, 2026
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aespa and Anderson .Paak Keychain single cover art featuring purple fuzzy bag with aespa charm
Film & TV3 min read

aespa and Anderson .Paak Drop "Keychain" for K-POPS! Soundtrack

aespa and nine-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak have dropped "Keychain," a hip-hop, R&B, and funk track from the K-POPS! film soundtrack, produced by Dem Jointz.

PakFebruary 28, 2026
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KAI for Lacoste
K-Fashion3 min read

EXO's Kai Named LACOSTE Korea Brand Ambassador

LACOSTE Korea has appointed EXO's Kai as its newest brand ambassador. The partnership deepens a collaboration that began at the FW25 Paris fashion show.

HITKULTRFebruary 28, 2026
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Irene of Red Velvet solo comeback March 2026 SM Entertainment
Music3 min read

Irene Is Making Her First Solo Comeback in March 2026

SM Entertainment confirms Red Velvet's Irene will release new solo music in March 2026, her first comeback since the debut EP Like a Flower last November.

PakFebruary 27, 2026
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RIIZE performing at Tokyo Dome during their RIIZING LOUD world tour, February 2026
K-Pop6 min read

RIIZE Just Made Tokyo Dome History: Only 2.5 Years After Debut

RIIZE drew 120,000 fans across three nights at Tokyo Dome in February 2026, setting the record for the fastest K-pop boy group to reach the iconic venue, just 29 months after their debut.

PakFebruary 26, 2026
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Taemin, SHINee member and solo artist, in a promotional photo shoot
K-Pop6 min read

Taemin Leaves Big Planet Made: Inside the Agency Crisis That Forced K-Pop's Biggest Free Agent Out

SHINee's Taemin has terminated his contract with Big Planet Made Entertainment after less than two years, amid unpaid settlements, unauthorized contracts, and a financial crisis affecting multiple artists. He even paid his own staff's salaries when the agency couldn't.

PakFebruary 25, 2026
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Lee Soo-man: The Godfather of K-Pop
K-Pop9 min read

Lee Soo Man's Return: The Godfather of K-Pop Is Free

The three-year non-compete clause binding SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man expires at the end of February 2026. A2O Entertainment is already operational, Yoo Young-jin has defected, and a new boy group is in the works. The man who invented the K-pop idol system is building again.

HITKULTRFebruary 24, 2026
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