Thursday, July 9, 2026

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Actor Kim Youngdae has officially been selected to join the Republic of Korea Army's military band.

If you missed the news, he enlisted as an active-duty soldier back on April 20 and completed his basic military training at the Korea Army Training Center. Right after finishing the training, he took the army band selection test at the end of June, and he successfully passed. Now, he has been assigned to his official post, serving as a member of the 12th Infantry Division's military band. 

What makes this news even more interesting is that the 12th Infantry Division is the exact same place where NCT's Doyoung is currently serving as a drill instructor. Since they are both '96-liners, fans are so excited to see them ending up in the same division together. 

Looking back at his career, he made his official debut in 2017 through a web drama 'Drama Special: The Expiration Date of You and Me' before shooting to fame and gaining massive recognition through hit dramas like 'Extraordinary You' and 'The Penthouse.' He stayed incredibly busy with back-to-back projects all through last year and early this year before finally heading to the army. For those who are counting down the days until his return, Kim Youngdae is scheduled to be discharged in October next year.

Kim Youngdae to join NCT's Doyoung in the 12th Infantry Division after passing army band audition

RESCENE just accomplished what many thought was impossible for a small agency.

As of 10 PM (KST) on July 8, their track 'Love Attack,' climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Melon's TOP100 chart, which is South Korea's biggest music streaming platform. What makes this so wild is that the song actually came out in August 2024, which means it finally hit the top spot nearly two years after it was first released. 

And the hype doesn't stop there. The track is quickly taking over every other major Korean music streaming platform too, locking in No. 3 on Melon's daily chart, No. 3 on FLO, No. 4 on the Genie Music TOP200 real-time chart, No. 5 on Genie's daily chart, and No. 4 spot on both Bugs' real-time and daily charts.

To top it all off, RESCENE actually just dropped a new remake single called 'Pretty Girl' on the exact same day, and the response from the public is wild. Right after it came out, 'Pretty Girl' debuted at No. 1 on Melon's HOT100 chart and flew straight to No. 4 on the main TOP100 chart. On other platforms, it reached No. 2 on Bugs' real-time chart and No. 11 on Genie Music TOP200.  

Because everyone is loving them right now, their previously released tracks like 'Pinball' and 'Deja Vu' have also started climbing back onto the music charts, keeping their momentum going strong.

The whole thing happened so fast that it completely caught the members off guard. Later that day, the girls held a quick, surprise livestream on their official channel. They literally rushed in front of the camera wearing baseball caps right before their next schedule, completely unable to hide their emotions. Bursting into tears, they told fans:

"We were asleep when we heard we reached No. 1. We immediately turned on this livestream. It really feels like a dream."

They poured their hearts out to their fans, adding, "It's all thanks to our fandom, Remine, who stayed up streaming for us until dawn. Thank you for giving us the confidence to walk proudly wherever we go." Trying to hold back the rest of their tears, they laughed and said, "If we cry any more, we'll be in trouble. We have to go get ready for our music show performance now," before ending the stream with endless gratitude. 

Honestly, RESCENE has been steadily growing their fanbase for a while now with their unique concept and style, but this huge moment just firmly established them in the eyes of the general public. Up next, RESCENE is set to perform 'Pretty Girl' for the first time on M Countdown on July 9.

RESCENE tops Melon TOP100 with 'Love Attack' nearly 2 years after release

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Lee Junyoung looked back on his early days with U-KISS and got incredibly honest about his career struggles on the episode of tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' that aired on the 8th. 

Lee Junyoung joined U-KISS as a new member back in 2014. To get ready for the stage with the rest of the group, he had to quickly memorize the choreography and lyrics for over 20 songs right before his debut. But it turned out that hard work was nothing compared to what came next.  As the group's domestic promotions started to decline, he was forced into a long hiatus. He admitted:

"When I watched the big year-end award shows, my friends were up on stage receiving cheers from the crowd. I kept wondering, 'We are in the same line of work, so why am I just sitting here instead?'"

 

With U-KISS on a long break and no individual schedules coming in, he wasn't making any money at all. To get through the tough financial times, he secretly started working the night shift at a convenience store right near his house. 

The hardest, most heartbreaking moment came one night when he unexpectedly ran into his own manager. He recalled:

"My manager came in to buy cigarettes, and I was so embarrassed. I never wanted him to find out. I couldn't say a word, and I just cried my eyes out."

It gets even more emotional. He later found out that after his manager drove him home that night, the manager was so heartbroken that he cried in the car too. 

Despite having to work a part-time job just to make ends meet, Lee Junyoung refused to give up on his dreams. During that tough hiatus, he decided to try acting. Without any connections, he had to find scripts on his own and teach himself how to act from scratch.  He confessed:

"Becoming an actor wasn't easy either. I failed more than 100 auditions. But I endured because I believed I just had to keep moving forward. I survived by telling myself, 'You can't let yourself get exhausted. You have to keep going.'"

 

And thank God he did, because his hard work completely paid off. He gradually built a strong acting career, starring in hit dramas and movies like 'Mask Girl,' 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' 'Weak Hero Class 2,' and more. To top it all off, his latest drama 'Reborn Rookie,' recently wrapped up with a nationwide viewer ratings of 13.6%. Following this project, he is officially set to enlist in the military on the 21st.

Former U-KISS' Lee Junyoung reveals he secretly worked at a convenience store during career slump