Wednesday, July 15, 2026

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Ningning is proving once again why she's an absolute angel by making a generous donation for senior citizens in Seoul.

On July 15, the Seoul Chapter of the Korean Red Cross officially announced that Ningning has donated a generous 20 million KRW to their 'Helping Vulnerable Communities Overcome Extreme Summer Heat' campaign. 

Thanks to Ningning's contribution, the project now has a total budget of 27 million KRW. This fund will be used to support 600 households under the Seoul Red Cross 'Warmth for Every Home' program, which specifically helps seniors at risk of dying alone. 

The care packages will include portable neck coolers to help them lower their body temperature during the heatwave, and three types of high-quality ready-to-eat traditional meals to keep their strength up: samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), galbitang (beef short rib soup), and doganitang (ox knee cartilage soup). These supplies are going to be distributed in two separate rounds throughout this month. 

What makes this program even better is that they aren't just shipping the items through a courier. Instead, local Korean Red Cross volunteers will be personally visiting each household to deliver the supplies. During these visits, the volunteers will also check on the recipients' living conditions and health, and provide safety guidance on how to survive the extreme heat safely. 

The story behind how this donation came together makes it even more special. Ningning actually made the donation after appearing on the Youtube variety show 'No Prepare,' where she and host Lee Youngji made a bet over a word-chain game. Even though Ningning actually won the bet, she voluntarily donated the same amount herself, earning major praise for her generous act of kindness.

Park Myungsook, the president of the Seoul Volunteer Council, put out a statement to express her gratitude, saying, "We sincerely thank Ningning for so willingly extending a helping hand. Together with our Red Cross volunteers, we will carefully carry out this project so that her kindness reaches those who need it most."

Aespa's Ningning Donates 20 Million KRW to Support Vulnerable Senior Citizens During Heatwave 

Kim Sejeong is officially a homeowner.

On July 15, her agency, BH Entertainment, confirmed the news, letting fans know that Kim Sejeong did indeed just buy her very first property. But almost immediately, the media started running wild with details. 

A media outlet reported that she bought a luxury penthouse in Seoul's Gwangjin District worth approximately 3 billion KRW. The agency was quick to clear the air, firmly denying the reports. They stated:

"The claim that she bought a penthouse worth around 3 billion KRW is not true. The exact price and related information concern her private life, so it is difficult for us to comment."

 

Despite the false rumors, fans are absolutely thrilled for Kim Sejeong. Anyone who has followed her journey knows that she's always had a reputation for being financially responsible and hardworking.

This moment is incredibly meaningful for her, especially since she's always been open about growing up in a modest rental home and making it her dream to buy a house in her mother's name once she became successful. She already checked that off her list like the incredibly devoted daughter she is, and now, she finally bought a place of her own under her own name. 

Born in 1996, Kim Sejeong first stole everyone's hearts back in 2016 when she finished in second place on Mnet's 'Produce 101' and debuted with the iconic project group I.O.I. She later promoted with Gugudan before launching her solo music career. 

She officially made her acting debut with 'School 2017' and has since lined up massive hit dramas like 'The Uncanny Counter,' 'Business Proposal,' 'Moon River,' and more. To top it all off, she just reunited with I.O.I members for the first time in nine years to drop their anniversary song, 'Suddenly.' 

BH Entertainment Clarifies Reports of Kim Sejeong Purchasing 3 Billion KRW Luxury Penthouse

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Jung Haein is drawing attention for showing his support for Kim Soohyun, who is resuming his entertainment activities after being completely out of the spotlight for 16 months. 

On July 14, the Philippine clothing brand BENCH posted a photo of Kim Soohyun on its official account along with the caption, "Back with the BENCH family." In the photo, Kim Soohyun is seen smiling and holding a giant bouquet of flowers. This campaign marks his first entertainment activity since he went on a sudden hiatus over the controversy surrounding his private life. 

Almost immediately after the photo went up, fans noticed that Jung Haein had already liked the post. Even though it was posted by the brand and not Kim Soohyun himself, the public is viewing this as Jung Haein loudly expressing his support for his friend's comeback. 

This is drawing so much attention because it recalls how tense things got when the controversy first surfaced last year. If you didn't know, both actors were born in 1988 and are part of the industry's famous '88z' circle. They even appeared together on MBC's 'Good Day.' But when the scandal first broke and public backlash was at its peak, netizens aggressively pressured Jung Haein to unfollow him. However, he completely ignored the demands, kept following him the entire time, and now he's publicly interacting with posts related to Kim Soohyun's comeback. 

All of this intense attention traces back to March last year, when Kim Soohyun's career came to a sudden halt. He suspended all entertainment activities after allegations surfaced claiming he had dated the late actress Kim Saeron for six years, starting back when she was still a minor. It immediately turned into a massive public battle with her bereaved family over whether it was true or not. 

Kim Soohyun's side firmly denied everything through a press conference. He even filed a massive 12 billion KRW damages lawsuit against the bereaved family and a few others. He also filed a defamation complaint against Kim Se-ui, the person behind the Youtube channel Garo Sero Research Institute, who originally pushed the story out there. 

The controversy also took a heavy toll on his upcoming projects. Disney+ was almost done filming Season 2 of the highly anticipated series 'Knock-Off,' but they had to completely halt production. Even worse, they also postponed the release of Season 1 indefinitely. 

Jung Haein shows support for Kim Soohyun's first project since the controversy

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Actor Kim Soohyun is officially making his return to the entertainment industry after being out of the spotlight for about a year and four months.

On July 14, he is scheduled to film a commercial and participate in a promotional photo shoot in South Korea for the Philippine clothing brand BENCH. This campaign will air exclusively in the Philippines and won't be released in South Korea, marking his very first public activity since his hiatus. BENCH, which first signed Kim Soohyun as its model back in 2024, decided to stand by him and renew its partnership despite the past controversy, drawing significant attention.

To understand why his return is gaining a lot of attention, let's take a look back at the major controversy surrounding him from March last year. Kim Soohyun ended up pausing all of his public activities after allegations surfaced claiming he had dated the late actress Kim Saeron when she was still a minor. His agency, Gold Medalist, did confirm that the two had dated in the past, but they strongly maintained that the relationship only started after she became an adult.

This controversy ultimately affected his advertising deals. Because of his sudden hiatus, the outdoor clothing brand Eider filed a 2.5 billion KRW lawsuit against Kim Soohyun and his agency, claiming the scandal ruined their brand image. 

However, the Seoul Central District Court recently recommended a settlement. Following this suggestion, Eider lowered its damages claim from 2.5 billion KRW to 400 million KRW. The brand also withdrew its claim for damages regarding the public controversy itself, and is now only asking for the return of the remaining modeling fees left on the contract. 

Moving forward, Kim Soohyun will likely focus on a slow return to the industry, starting with overseas markets where he has a massive, loyal fanbase. 

The ultimate question now is what happens to the highly anticipated Disney+ original series 'Knock-Off.' Production was halted and its release was put on hold indefinitely due to the controversy, but word on the street is that Disney+ is closely monitoring the situation and actively coordinating its release schedule. Everyone in the industry is now watching to see if this overseas ad campaign with BENCH will help pave the way for a domestic comeback, or if public sentiment in South Korea will continue to impact his career.

Kim Soohyun officially returns to the entertainment industry after 16-month hiatus

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TWICE's Tzuyu is drawing attention as she enters official contract renewal discussions with JYP Entertainment. 

On July 14, JYP Entertainment released an official statement, confirming:

"TWICE is currently in the contract renewal discussion period. We will provide an update once any decisions have been finalized."

This news comes after all nine members renewed their contracts back in 2022. Now that they are entering another contract renewal period, everyone is watching closely to see what the members are going to do next. 

The attention on Tzuyu's future grew even more after recent reports that her fellow member Jeongyeon met with Varo Entertainment (which is the acting agency that represents her older sister, Gong Seungyeon), putting fans on high alert as they wait for the next updates. 

Meanwhile, Tzuyu debuted in 2015 with TWICE. Thanks to massive hits like 'Like Ooh Ahh,' 'Cheer Up,' 'TT,' and more, the group quickly cemented themselves as the blueprint for 3rd Gen K-pop. As a lead dancer and visual member, Tzuyu instantly won over hearts worldwide. 

In 2024, Tzuyu officially made her solo debut by releasing her first mini-album, 'AbouTZU.' She also showed off her songwriting skills by writing lyrics for both her solo music and TWICE's songs. 

Most recently, TWICE just wrapped up their sixth world tour, 'THIS IS FOR.' The group traveled for about a year, hitting 44 cities worldwide for a total of 81 shows, marking the largest tour they have ever pulled off in their entire history.

JYP Entertainment addresses rumors surrounding TWICE's Tzuyu contract renewal status

Monday, July 13, 2026

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Aespa's Karina recently opened up about an extreme weight loss method she used during her trainee days. 

On the episode of JTBC's 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' that aired on the 12th, Karina made a guest appearance alongside fellow member Winter. When the show revealed her fridge, it was packed with various ingredients, leading her to confess her huge love for food. She shared, "I'm the type who gains weight quickly and loses it quickly," and added:

"I've gained 4kg in a day before and I've also lost 4kg in the same day."

That is when she shared the most intense story from her trainee days. She recalled, "I ate everything I could, and when I checked my weight, I had gained 4kg overnight." She revealed that she was scheduled to weigh herself the very next day, meaning she had to shed all of that weight as quickly as humanly possible.

"I turned on the heater in the practice room, put on leggings, a sweat suit, a zip-up hoodie, and even a padded jacket. Then I played the TOP 100 songs and ran nonstop for five to six hours. After I got home, I soaked in a half-body bath for an hour."

Hearing this, host Ahn Junghwan commented, "That's similar to how professional athletes dehydrate themselves before competitions." Karina agreed, saying, "I've heard UFC fighters do that too."

However, Karina was quick to clarify that she has completely abandoned the dangerous routine. She laughed it off, saying, "It completely drains you," and added, "Now that I'm older, I can't eat like that or exercise like that anymore. These days, even when it rains a lot, my body starts to ache."

Aespa's Karina shares shocking story of losing 4kg in one day

Actress Song Jihyo recently opened up about her thoughts on marriage. 

Song Jihyo recently sat down for a meal with her famous celebrity lookalike, Nucksal, on her Youtube channel in a video titled, 'You have no idea how funny Nucksal is.' 

When Song Jihyo asked, "How long have you been married?" Nucksal replied, "This is our fourth year." Song Jihyo then recalled attending his wedding, and Nucksal thanked her for coming along with Yang Sechan.

When Song Jihyo asked how married life has been treating him, Nucksal honestly replied:

"After our baby was born, we fought a lot. We didn't really get to enjoy our newlywed life because we were busy raising our child, and we both had different lifestyles we were used to."

Nucksal also explained that dating and marriage are completely two different things, because there is 'nowhere to run' when you share the same space. He shared, "You have to communicate well and be considerate of the other person," and added with a laugh, "After arguing, I eventually realized a lot of things. I've finally become a real human being. Before that, I wasn't."

Listening to Nucksal's honest reflection, Song Jihyo admitted: 

"Whenever I hear stories like this, I think I want to get married. But once I get back to my everyday life, the thought disappears. I guess that's why I'm still single."

Nucksal jokingly teased her, "Shouldn't you find someone to marry first?" Song Jihyo fired back with a laugh, "Wouldn't a man come into my life only if I actually wanted to get married?"

While Song Jihyo is currently enjoying her single life, she previously made headlines when she opened up about her past relationship on an episode of SBS' 'Running Man.' She revealed, "Around four or five years ago, I had a boyfriend I dated for eight years," and added that he was someone even the 'Running Man' members had no idea about.

Song Jihyo opens up about why she's still single and her thoughts on marriage

Friday, July 10, 2026

Singer Chuu has officially concluded her exclusive contract with ATRP. 

On the 10th, ATRP released an official statement, announcing, "Our exclusive contract with our artist Chuu officially ended on July 10, 2026."

According to the label, the decision came after deep discussions about her future plans. They added, "We mutually agreed to conclude our exclusive contract while sincerely wishing each other the best in our future endeavors."

Wrapping up their statement, ATRP expressed gratitude to the fans, stating, "We would like to thank all the fans who have given Chuu their unwavering love and support. We hope you continue to support and encourage her as she enters her next chapter."

Chuu first debuted with LOONA back in 2017. After Blockberry Creative removed her from the group in November 2022, she signed an exclusive contract with ATRP in 2023. Over the next three years, she established her own distinct musical identity, starting with her first-mini album 'Howl,' followed by 'Strawberry Rush' and 'Only Cry in the Rain,' while also thriving in variety shows, ads, and digital content. 

Now that her contract with ATRP has officially ended, everyone is watching to see which agency she joins next and where her career goes from here.

Chuu officially ends exclusive contract with ATRP