https://www.scmp.com/rss/503701/feed This seven-member K-pop boy band made an instant splash on their debut in 2014, with their first EP hitting No 1 on Billboard's World Albums Chart. Since then, Got7 have increased their global popularity with a series of sold-out concerts throughout Asia, Europe, and North and South America. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Pierce Conran Pierce Conran With temperatures on the rise, the K-drama calendar is also heating up next month, as a mix of high-concept romance, thrills and even some supernatural lawyers get ready to meet audiences. Here are the highlights to watch over the coming weeks. 1. Siren’s Kiss Lead cast: Park Min-young, Wi Ha-joon Following last year’s Confidence Queen, Park Min-young is once again teaming up with Prime Video, which will stream the tvN thriller Siren’s Kiss globally. Based on the 1999 Japanese television... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344804/8-best-new-k-dramas-watch-march-2026-including-netflixs-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3344804/8-best-new-k-dramas-watch-march-2026-including-netflixs-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:15:08 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters Nostalgia for 2016 has been circulating on the internet over the last few weeks. People welcomed the new year by reminiscing 10 years into the past, sharing decade-old photos of themselves online. There is even a Wikipedia page for “2026 is the new 2016”. Of course, 2016 was before the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world and the widespread use of generative AI (artificial intelligence) made us question what on our feeds was real and fake. Back then, people used social media mostly to stay... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341778/2016-trends-pokemon-go-poke-bowls-looking-back-10-years-goes-viral-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341778/2016-trends-pokemon-go-poke-bowls-looking-back-10-years-goes-viral-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 07:15:07 +0000 February 2022 brings a slew of much-anticipated K-dramas for global fans of the genre. Set to come out on February 28, A Business Proposal – based on the webtoon of the same name – will see Ahn Hyo-seop star opposite Kim Se-jeong as Kang Tae-mu, a third-generation chaebol heir and CEO. Fans are excited to see Ahn’s return to the small screen as it’s been a year since he played Ha Ram in the highly successful historical fantasy drama Lovers of the Red Sky, a television series that caused his... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3167787/who-ahn-hyo-seop-star-netflixs-business-proposal-dr?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3167787/who-ahn-hyo-seop-star-netflixs-business-proposal-dr?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Feb 2022 04:54:38 +0000 As the year moves on, so does the K-pop industry. This month, many of its biggest names will have major releases that are sure to heat up the summer. B.I – Waterfall LP (June 1) The soloist, formerly of boy band iKon, kicks the month off with his highly awaited first studio album, Waterfall, which features 12 tracks, including the single illa illa. He shared a performance film featuring the song Waterfall in mid-May, giving a first taste of the album. Monsta X – One of a Kind EP (June 1) The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3135573/new-k-pop-releases-june-2021-twice-seventeen-exo-nct-127?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3135573/new-k-pop-releases-june-2021-twice-seventeen-exo-nct-127?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:15:07 +0000 Jay B of K-pop group Got7 has signed with South Korean hip-hop label H1ghr Music, which is headed by Jay Park, the Korean-American rapper, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. Jay B (Lim Jae-beom), also known as JB, is the latest of Got7’s members to announce his future plans after the seven members of the boy band left long-term company JYP Entertainment earlier this year. Jay B plans to release a new solo single on Friday. Both Park and Jay B, who coincidentally share the first given name in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3133182/jay-b-got7-joins-jay-parks-hip-hop-label-h1ghr-music-and-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/article/3133182/jay-b-got7-joins-jay-parks-hip-hop-label-h1ghr-music-and-will?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 May 2021 14:15:17 +0000 It was just a general conversation about K-pop, with fans chatting about their love for the music. Then the room’s numbers started to climb, with tens, then hundreds of individuals rushing in. The reason? Song Mino, a member of K-pop group Winner and a popular rapper and television personality in South Korea, had entered the fandom space on Clubhouse. The audio app, which allows iPhone users to engage in conversations in dedicated “rooms” and “clubs”, has swiftly become a space where industry... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3122476/clubhouse-app-becomes-playground-k-pop-artists-fans-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3122476/clubhouse-app-becomes-playground-k-pop-artists-fans-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Feb 2021 10:15:12 +0000 The journey of an aspiring K-pop idol begins with being scouted or accepted through an audition, followed by years of rigorous training, and finally debuting in front of the public. But there’s another element that diehard fans are painfully aware of: the seven-year contract. Trainees sign contracts and live in dormitories so that their entertainment agency can better micromanage their diets, relationships and overall behaviour. Under most of these contracts, trainees are usually required to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3118726/we-lost-got7-k-pops-seven-year-curse-will-these-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3118726/we-lost-got7-k-pops-seven-year-curse-will-these-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 00:00:24 +0000 Youngjae and Jackson of K-pop boy band Got7 have teamed up with South Korea’s Sublime Artist Agency after leaving their long-term label JYP Entertainment. On Wednesday, Sublime announced that Youngjae had joined its ranks, and the agency was now sorting out plans to work with Jackson. The news came soon after the Got7 members’ contracts with JYP Entertainment expired around the date of their seventh anniversary earlier this month. No member of the group opted to renew with the company. Youngjae,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3118643/jackson-and-youngjae-got7-leave-long-term-label-jyp-join?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3118643/jackson-and-youngjae-got7-leave-long-term-label-jyp-join?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 05:45:08 +0000 The seven members of K-pop boy band Got7 were confirmed to be parting ways with long-term home JYP Entertainment on Monday. The news arrived after weeks of consternation and buzz over what the act’s future would hold as they approached their seventh anniversary on January 16, the end of the term limit legally dictated for K-pop artist contracts in South Korea. Before the confirmation from JYP, it was rumoured that several members would be joining other South Korean labels and local news outlets... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3117410/k-pop-boy-band-got7-get-ready-leave-jyp-we-look-back-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/bands/article/3117410/k-pop-boy-band-got7-get-ready-leave-jyp-we-look-back-their?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 14:15:13 +0000 By Dong Sun-hwa Youngjae, a member of K-pop boy band Got7, has denied allegations he was a bully during high school. JYP Entertainment, his management agency, rejected the allegations, made by a person who claimed to be a former classmate of Youngjae, that the star had bullied and extorted money from him several years ago. “Youngjae told us that there was a physical altercation between him and a classmate when he was a high school student and their relationship has not recovered,” the agency... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3106675/he-devil-youngjae-got7-denies-bullying-and-extorting-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3106675/he-devil-youngjae-got7-denies-bullying-and-extorting-money?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:00:15 +0000 He’s gone way beyond music: Got7’s Jackson Wang is working non-stop to make a name for himself outside the K-pop industry. As well as being an ambassador for many brands including Cartier, the Hong Kong-born artist established his own agency in his hometown called Team Wang in 2017, where he released his first solo single Papillon. He went on to create seven more singles and his first full-length album “Mirrors” – so when will the man slow down? View this post on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3094945/jackson-wang-just-launched-streetwear-brand-team-wang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3094945/jackson-wang-just-launched-streetwear-brand-team-wang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2020 03:42:20 +0000 True K-pop fans know all about their favourite idols’ lives, voraciously reading up their background and upbringings long before they found fame. And while some Korean stars hail from surprisingly humble backgrounds – enduring hunger and cockroaches – there are a few famous faces who were born with silver spoons in their mouths. From business-savvy parents to going to expensive international schools, here are the idols that have come from wealthy backgrounds. Itzy’s Lia View... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3091228/blackpinks-jennie-itzys-lia-got7s-mark-and-korean-silver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3091228/blackpinks-jennie-itzys-lia-got7s-mark-and-korean-silver?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2020 00:00:16 +0000 Korea's music industry has long been aggressive in finding talent overseas, scouting the best from the US, China, Japan and many more locations. As K-pop continues to dominate the world, more and more non-Korean members are slowly sharing in the hallyu spotlight, most often standing shoulder to shoulder with bandmates in border-strafing band line-ups. Not convinced? Here are a few of those who’ve made their mark in Korea and the rest of the world. When K-pop fans become ‘sasaeng’ fans – and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3089817/blackpinks-lisa-exos-lay-zhang-twices-momo-and-13-more-k?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3089817/blackpinks-lisa-exos-lay-zhang-twices-momo-and-13-more-k?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2020 03:00:13 +0000 BamBam is a rapper with boy band Got7 and is Thailand’s biggest K-pop star. He attracts around 15,000 fans to solo fan meetings and is the face of six big brands in his home country. Got7 have a busy schedule promoting their comeback album, Dye, which was released on April 20, but BamBam will also be celebrating his 23rd birthday on Saturday. Here is all you need to know about the K-pop star. His early life BamBam was born Kunpimook Bhuwakul in May 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand. “BamBam” is his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3082432/bambam-got7-how-slender-lead-rapper-and-dancer-became?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3082432/bambam-got7-how-slender-lead-rapper-and-dancer-became?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2020 14:00:18 +0000 Concerts and shows are being cancelled, not just in China, but across much of Asia, as the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 420 people and reached 27 countries and territories, spooks the entertainment industry. Performances have been called off or postponed in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau over concern that people could be infected by the virus that first appeared in Wuhan. Popular K-pop artists such as Taeyeon and boy bands Winner and NCT Dream cancelled shows in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3048921/coronavirus-leads-got7-taeyeon-andy-lau-leon-lai-and-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3048921/coronavirus-leads-got7-taeyeon-andy-lau-leon-lai-and-others?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 10:00:22 +0000 Mark Tuan, well known as one of boy band Got7’s favourite rappers and singers, has spent more than five years honing his talent in the K-pop industry. Got7 have had No 1 albums in South Korea, the United States, Japan, Thailand and beyond, and played arenas around the world, in large part thanks to the band’s multinational make-up. Its members are from South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and the US. An integral part of the group, he has been spreading his wings in the fashion world and as a solo... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3047994/meet-mark-got7-multilingual-k-pop-rapper-dancer-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3047994/meet-mark-got7-multilingual-k-pop-rapper-dancer-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:00:10 +0000 Christy, a 20-year-old law student in Britain, was looking forward to her summer break back home in Hong Kong and catching a concert by her favourite K-pop boy band, GOT7. Her heart sank when the band’s concerts on August 31 and September 1 were postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances resulting from the latest social situation in Hong Kong”, according to its agency, JYP Entertainment. There were also concerns about the safety of fans at the Hong Kong stop of the band’s world tour. “I bought... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3029779/hong-kong-protests-fans-singing-blues-k-pop-stars-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3029779/hong-kong-protests-fans-singing-blues-k-pop-stars-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Sep 2019 02:00:15 +0000 K-pop fans are trending on Twitter again, this time calling for boy band GOT7’s upcoming concerts in Hong Kong to be cancelled over fears for the safety of their pop idols, particularly Hong Kong-born Jackson Wang. Ahgases, the band’s fan base, went online on Wednesday to urge GOT7’s management company JYP Entertainment to cancel the concerts on August 31 and September 1. The Twitter hashtag started trending worldwide, with an estimated 300,000 tweets. Why Singaporeans don’t get the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3022811/k-pop-fans-call-got7-concerts-hong-kong-be-cancelled-over-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3022811/k-pop-fans-call-got7-concerts-hong-kong-be-cancelled-over-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2019 11:19:36 +0000 After collaborating with Italian fashion brand Fendi, K-pop idol Jackson Wang has now been tapped as the face of Cartier’s Juste un Clou collection and stars in a series of new campaign videos launched by the French maison in July. Hong Kong-born and raised, Wang was tapped by a South Korean entertainment company for a career in K-pop in 2011 and joined the hugely successful GOT7 in 2014. The 25-year-old has defied stereotypes in following his own path, a quality that Cartier felt reinterprets... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/3020739/k-pop-star-jackson-wang-boy-band-got7-fresh-new-face?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/3020739/k-pop-star-jackson-wang-boy-band-got7-fresh-new-face?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 04:00:14 +0000 Fans who are curious about the hidden but more genuine sides of K-pop stars must check out the upcoming reality show Got7’s Real Thai: Along with the Gods, which chronicles the boy band’s adventures during a trip to Thailand. “The show is full of shockingly realistic scenes and allowed us to unveil our authentic features and personalities,” said main Got7 vocalist Youngjae. ‘Is he a man?’ TV host’s ‘racist’ comments on BTS enrage K-pop fans Bambam, a Thai member of the band who worked as a... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2181688/real-personalities-make-free-faces-k-pop-stars-got7-revealed-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2181688/real-personalities-make-free-faces-k-pop-stars-got7-revealed-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jan 2019 13:30:23 +0000 GOT7’s third full-length album “Present: YOU” is excelling on iTunes album charts across the globe, and so is their single Lullaby released in four languages: Korean, English, Mandarin and Spanish. The album was released on Monday at 6pm local time and soon after topped the iTunes Top Album charts in 25 countries, including Brazil, Finland, Hong Kong, Mexico and New Zealand. BTS agency under fire for working with Yasushi Akimoto “Present: YOU” is a beautiful compilation of solo tracks by each of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2164947/got7-crowned-kings-music-world-double-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2164947/got7-crowned-kings-music-world-double-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Sep 2018 02:14:11 +0000 K-pop is all the rage now. Although the K-pop music awards ceremony, Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), is still months away, we have picked seven of the best-loved and most promising K-pop boy bands you should have on your radar (in no particular order). 1. BTS The Bangtan Boys (which means “bulletproof Scouts” in Korean), also known as BTS, are one of the hottest boy bands both at home and abroad at the moment. The seven-member band debuted in 2013 with their song No More Dream, and shot to fame... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2158741/7-k-pop-boy-bands-are-poised-take-over-world-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2158741/7-k-pop-boy-bands-are-poised-take-over-world-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Aug 2018 02:00:29 +0000 Jackson Wang is a man of the world. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter was born in Hong Kong. He honed his skills in South Korea and is now based in China. Wang, as a member of K-pop boy group Got7, is among the many Chinese young artists tapped by South Korean entertainment firms hoping to expand into the Chinese market. The star is fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Japanese and Korean. Before joining showbiz, Wang was an avid fencing athlete and was a sabre fencer for Hong... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2149150/meet-jackson-wang-chinese-k-pop-singer-who-topped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2149150/meet-jackson-wang-chinese-k-pop-singer-who-topped?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:30:45 +0000