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Asia Star Entertainer Awards (ASEA) 2026 Announces Date And Venue
22 K-Pop Idols Who Have Starred In BL K-Dramas
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BLACKPINK Becomes 1st Female K-Pop Artist To Score 11 Entries On Billboard Hot 100
BLACKPINK, IVE's Jang Won Young, KiiiKiii, And More Top Circle Weekly Charts
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Asia Star Entertainer Awards (ASEA) 2026 Announces Date And Venue
The Asia Star Entertainer Awards (ASEA) is set to kick off its annual ceremony! On March 10, the ASEA organizing committee announced, “ASEA 2026, where music, stars, and fans unite, will open this May in Japan.” The event will take place on May 16 and 17 at the Belluna Dome in Saitama, Japan, and is expected to be on an even larger scale with more ambitious production. Launched in 2024, ASEA has become a global awards show that recognizes artists with influence across Asia and worldwide while showcasing high-quality performances. A representative of the ASEA organizing committee remarked, “This year’s ceremony will allow fans to take a more active role through an enhanced global voting system. The official website will gradually announce the artist lineup, award categories, and judging criteria soon.”
22 K-Pop Idols Who Have Starred In BL K-Dramas
K-pop idols have increasingly expanded their careers into Korean BL dramas (or even started out as actors first!), captivating viewers with fresh chemistry and heartfelt storytelling. From rookie to seasoned idols, these performers have stepped beyond the stage and into compelling on-screen romances. Here’s a look at 22 idols who have entered the world of BL and left a memorable impression. ZEROBASEONE’s Kim Ji Woong Kim Ji Woong, best known as a member of ZEROBASEONE, has been working in the K-drama industry since 2017. The idol-actor has appeared in several K-dramas including two BLs: “Kissable Lips,” a vampire campus romance, and “Roommates of Poongduck 304,” a roommate + office romance. Start watching “Roommates of Poongduck 304”: ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s Junseo Having previously debuted in 1THE9 and WEi, Junseo recently re-debuted in ALPHA DRIVE ONE after competing on “BOYS II PLANET.” In 2025, he starred in the BL “Secret Relationships” as Da On, an office worker entangled in a toxic dynamic with three men: his coworker, a former senior, and that senior’s boyfriend. B.A.P’s Yoo Young Jae B.A.P’s Yoo Young Jae starred in the 2022 BL drama “Spring of Crush.” In the drama, Sal Byeol (Kim Song) disguises his identity as Choi Hye Sung, the third daughter of the Choi family, and gets in an arranged marriage with Geum Sung (Yoo Young Jae). Geum Sung slowly finds himself falling for Hye Sung. DKZ’s Jaechan and former KNK member Park Seo Ham DKZ’s Jaechan and former KNK member Park Seo Ham starred in one of the most famous Korean BLs, “Semantic Error,” in 2022. Based on a webtoon, “Semantic Error” follows Chu Sang Woo (Jaechan), an antisocial computer science student who becomes project partners with Jang Jae Young (Park Seo Ham), a popular design student. Despite their opposite personalities, love gradually blooms as they spend more time together. Start watching “Semantic Error”: Also watch Park Seo Ham in “Our Universe”: OMEGA X’s Yechan and Jaehan How does chemistry within idol group members translate on screen in a BL? The answer is OMEGA X’s Yechan and Jaehan in “A Shoulder to Cry On.” Based on a webtoon of the same name, the drama follows Da Yeol, an archery student who is falsely accused of harassment by the popular student Tae Hyun. As the two begin to understand each other’s personal struggles, their prejudices slowly disappear. Start watching “A Shoulder to Cry On”: OMEGA X’s Kevin Another OMEGA X member, Kevin recently starred in the BL drama “My Bias is Showing.” The drama follows the story of Ye Jun (Kevin), who hides that he is a K-pop fan. One day, his bias Si Yeol (Kim Kang Min) appears at his school. B1A4’s Gongchan In “Unintentional Love Story,” B1A4’s Gongchan took on the role of Ji Won Young, an employee of a large company who needs to win the heart of ceramic artist Yoon Tae Joon (Cha Seo Won), the company chairman’s favorite artist, in order to return to work after being in danger of being dismissed from his job. Newkidd’s Jin Kwon Jinkwon of Newkidd starred in the 2024 BL “Jazz for Two.” The story follows Han Tae Yi (Ji Ho Geun) and Yoon Se Heon (Jinkwon), two pianists placed in the same group for a skills evaluation, who grow closer while practicing together. Newkidd’s Lee Minwook and VERIVERY’s Yongseung Newkidd’s Lee Minwook and VERIVERY’s Yongseung worked together in the 2024 vertical K-BL “You Want Some?” The 50-episode series, with each episode running about two minutes, tells the story of two friends, Jae Heon (Lee Minwook) and Sun Woo (Yongseung). Every girl Jae Heon likes ends up falling for Sun Woo, and out of frustration, he decides to find out what makes his best friend so irresistible. Former THE BOYZ member Hur Hyun Jun (Hwall) After leaving THE BOYZ in 2019 due to injury, Hur Hyun Jun made his BL debut in “Color Rush.” Adapted from the web novel of the same name, this fantasy drama is set in a world of “monos,” people who cannot see color, and “probes,” their soulmates who allow them to see it. When Ko Yoo Han, played by Hur Hyun Jun (Hwall) meets his probe Yeon Woo (Yoo Jun) and becomes overwhelmed, he begins to avoid him, only to find himself continually drawn back. Start watching “Color Rush”: Also watch Hur Hyun Jun in “My Girlfriend is the Man!”: VIXX’s Hyuk VIXX’s Hyuk is no stranger to the K-drama industry, having made a cameo debut in “Heirs” in 2013. However, his first BL role came in 2022 with “Color Rush 2.” Set in the same universe as “Color Rush,” the second season follows a different couple and centers on Choi Yeon Woo (Yoo Jun), a mono searching for his missing probe, Kim Se Hyun (Hyuk). Start watching “Color Rush 2”: Former MYTEEN member Lee Tae Vin and AHOF’s Woongki Lee Tae Vin, formerly of MYTEEN, and AHOF’s Woongki both starred in the 2024 drama “Love for Love’s Sake.” The fantasy romance drama is about 29-year-old Tae Myung Ha (Lee Tae Vin) who falls into the game he creates as his 19-year-old self and is given the mission to bring happiness to his favorite character Cha Yeo Woon (Cha Joo Wan). VIXX’s Leo Like Hyuk, VIXX’s Leo also made a cameo appearance in “Heirs.” In 2022, he starred in his first Korean BL “Happy Ending Romance.” The drama follows Cha Jung Woo (Park Hyun Chul), a once-promising writer whose career pretty much collapses after he speaks out against corruption. When the world seems to turn against him, he finds refuge with Han Tae Young (Ha Jong Woo), a young publisher, whom Jung Hyun (Leo), a fellow writer, doesn’t quite trust. Start watching “Happy Ending Romance”: A.C.E’s Junhee Although A.C.E’s Junhee had appeared in K-dramas through cameo roles, he took on his first lead role in the 2021 BL “Tinted with You.” The drama weaves together two timelines: one follows the deposed king Lee Heon (Yoo Hyun Woo) and his loyal guard Geum (Kim Tae Jung), while the other centers on present-day art student Jung Eun Ho (Junhee), who forms a romantic connection with a modern-day Lee Heon while working on a painting of the former king. Start watching “Tinted with You”: CLOSE YOUR EYES’ Jeon Minwook Jeon Minwook, who debuted in CLOSE YOUR EYES after ranking third on JTBC’s survival show “PROJECT 7,” appeared in “Love Class 2,” where he plays Lee Hyeon, a student who falls in love at first sight with his young tutor Kim An (Kim Yong Seok). SF9’s Zuho Zuho, who debuted as the main rapper of SF9 in 2016, has balanced his idol career with acting. In 2023, he starred in the childhood-friends-to-lovers BL “Starstruck.” The story revolves around Seo Han Joon (Kim In Seong), who has long harbored feelings for his best friend Jo Yoo Jae (Zuho) and believes they are unrequited, until he discovers otherwise. VICTON’s Subin Subin of VICTON has appeared in several K-dramas over the years, and most recently, he starred in the BL rom-com “Peach Trap.” The drama is about Do Ha (Subin), who has never been in a relationship, as he gets entangled with the three men Taek Gyeon (Cha Se Jin), Yeon Sang (Lee Do Han), and Ha Ram (Cha Yu Hyun). Wanna One’s Yoon Ji Sung Making his BL drama debut most recently, Yoon Ji Sung of the project group Wanna One starred in the 2025 drama “Thundercloud Rainstorm,” which tells the story of Lee Il Jo (Yoon Ji Sung) and Seo Jeong Han (Jeong Riu) whose relationship—initially formed out of sympathy—slowly evolves into jealousy and possessiveness. Also check out Soompi’s BL K-drama masterlist here! Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of clichés are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs. Currently watching: “Our Universe,” “The Art of Sarah,” and “Sniper Butterfly.“Looking forward to: “Shining,” “Four Hands,” “Boyfriend on Demand,” and “The Practical Guide to Love.”
BTOB Confirms Full-Group Comeback With New Digital Single
BTOB will be making a comeback as a full group! On March 11, Sports Chosun reported that BTOB will release a new song as a digital single on March 21. In response to the report, BTOB Company confirmed, “BTOB will release a new song as a digital single on March 21.” This will mark BTOB’s first release as a six-member full group in approximately two years and 10 months, since the release of their 12th mini album “Wind and Wish” in May 2023. Notably, the release date coincides with BTOB’s debut anniversary on March 21, 2012, making the new song a meaningful 14th anniversary gift for fans. Stay tuned for more updates!
i-dle To Perform On "The Kelly Clarkson Show"
i-dle will be making their first-ever appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” this week! The girl group will be appearing as guests on the March 13 episode of the popular U.S. talk show, where they will perform their latest single “Mono” (featuring Skaiwater). Simon Baker, Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, and Robin Arzon will also be appearing on the episode. Meanwhile, i-dle recently announced the stops for the North American leg of their ongoing “Syncopation” world tour. Tickets for their North American shows will go on sale on March 11 at 3 p.m. local time.
BLACKPINK Becomes 1st Female K-Pop Artist To Score 11 Entries On Billboard Hot 100
BLACKPINK has set a new record on Billboard’s Hot 100 with their latest single! On March 10 local time, Billboard announced that BLACKPINK’s new title track “GO” had debuted at No. 63 on the Hot 100, its weekly ranking of the most popular songs in the United States. With this new entry, BLACKPINK has become the first female K-pop artist ever to land 11 songs on the Hot 100. Before “GO,” the group previously entered the chart with “DDU-DU DDU-DU” (which peaked at No. 55), their Dua Lipa collab “Kiss and Make Up” (No. 93), “Kill This Love” (No. 41), their Lady Gaga collab “Sour Candy” (No. 33), “How You Like That” (No. 33), their Selena Gomez collab “Ice Cream” (No. 13), “Lovesick Girls” (No. 59), “Pink Venom” (No. 22), “Shut Down” (No. 25), and “JUMP” (No. 28). BLACKPINK also debuted several songs from their new album “DEADLINE” on both of Billboard’s global charts. “GO” entered Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 13, while their pre-release single “JUMP” climbed back up to No. 32 in its 34th week on the chart. Meanwhile, B-sides “Champion” and “Me and my” debuted at No. 44 and No. 65 respectively. Over on the Global 200, “GO” debuted at No. 17, followed by “JUMP” at No. 49, “Champion” at No. 76, and “Me and my” at No. 119. Additionally, BLACKPINK re-entered Billboard’s Artist 100 at No. 11, marking their 34th overall week on the chart. Billboard also previously announced earlier this week that BLACKPINK’s latest album “DEADLINE” had debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, making it their third consecutive album to enter the top 10. Congratulations to BLACKPINK!
BLACKPINK, IVE's Jang Won Young, KiiiKiii, And More Top Circle Weekly Charts
Circle Chart (formerly known as Gaon Chart) has revealed its chart rankings for the week of February 22 to 28! Album Chart BLACKPINK earned a double crown on this week’s Circle charts, topping both the social chart and the physical album chart, where their new album “DEADLINE” debuted at No. 1. IVE swept two of the top five spots on this week’s physical album chart with their new album “REVIVE+.” The regular version of the album debuted at No. 2, while the Nemo version charted separately at No. 5. NCT JNJM’s unit debut mini album “BOTH SIDES” entered the chart at No. 3, followed by the MINIRECORD version of Park Ji Hyeon’s “MASTER VOICE” at No. 4. Download Chart IVE’s Jang Won Young topped this week’s digital download chart with her solo song “8,” which was released as a B-side on the group’s new album “REVIVE+.” Songs from “REVIVE+” claimed three of the top five spots on this week’s chart: An Yu Jin’s solo song “Force” debuted at No. 3, trailed by the group’s title track “BLACKHOLE” at No. 5. NCT JNJM’s unit debut track “BOTH SIDES” entered the chart at No. 2, and Park Ji Hyeon’s “Mu” debuted at No. 4. Overall Digital Chart KiiiKiii maintained their double crown on the Circle charts this week, with their hit song “404 (New Era)” remaining No. 1 on both the overall digital chart and the streaming chart. IVE’s “BANG BANG” held steady at No. 2 on the overall digital chart, with HANRORO’s “Landing in Love” and MAMAMOO’s Hwasa’s “Good Goodbye” similarly maintaining their respective positions at No. 3 and No. 4. Finally, Hearts2Hearts’ new single “RUDE!” debuted at No. 5 this week. Streaming Chart The top four songs on this week’s streaming chart were exactly the same as the overall digital chart: KiiiKiii’s “404 (New Era)” came in at No. 1, IVE’s “BANG BANG” at No. 2, HANRORO’s “Landing in Love” at No. 3, and MAMAMOO’s Hwasa’s “Good Goodbye” at No. 4. Finally, Car, the garden’s “My whole world” held onto its spot at No. 5. Global K-Pop Chart HUNTR/X’s “Golden” (from the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack) continued its reign at No. 1 on this week’s global K-pop chart, while Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” stayed strong at No. 5. Hearts2Hearts’ “Rude!” jumped 41 ranks to take No. 2 on the chart, followed by IVE’s “BANG BANG!” at No. 3. Meanwhile, BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Bruno Mars’ hit collab “APT.” remained unmoving at No. 4. Social Chart 3.0 BLACKPINK rose to No. 1 on this week’s social chart, while ILLIT maintained their position at No. 2. TWICE came in at No. 3 for the week, with IVE following at No. 4 and Choi Yu Ree rising to No. 5. Congratulations to all of the artists who made this week’s charts!