Welcome back to another edition SB Week in Review! With South Korean presidential elections being held this week, we didn’t see a lot of comebacks. However, there’s a lot to look forward to for the second half of May! Here’s all the news you might have missed.

Headlines

  • This week in news was largely overshadowed by South Korea’s presidential elections. Out of the fifteen candidates, front-runner liberal candidate Moon Jae-in won the presidency with over 40% of the vote. Following Moon’s taking office, Prime Minster Hwang Kyo-an — the acting president since Park Geun-hye‘s impeachment in December– officially resigned. Moon campaigned on a lot of big changes for both South Korea’ domestic and foreign policy, including stronger ties with China and the US, a more firm approach to North Korea, and chaebol reform. His landslide victory marks a significant shift for South Korea, and after the tumult of the Park administration, Moon stands as a beacon of hope for many — at least for now.
  • Produce 101 trainee Ha Min-ho was pulled from the show, and dropped from his agency, after accusations of bullying and sexual assault.
  • Moon Hee-jun and Soyul (Crayon Pop) celebrated the birth of their first child on May 12. The couple had previously denied pregnancy rumors leading up to their wedding back in February. However, on May 8 they made the sudden — but perhaps not surprising — announcement that Soyul would give birth in the coming week. Regardless of the mixed messages, congratulations to the couple!

Debuts & Comebacks

  • Day 6 came through with their May single “Dance Dance.”
  • A Pink‘s Naeun, the PPAP guy, and Lee Byung-hun all made cameo’s in Psy‘s double-billed 4×2=8 comeback. Which MV did you prefer? “I Luv It” or “New Face“?
  • The Unnies Slam Dunk Season 2 cast dropped their single “Right?” on May 12.
  • Our SM Station track of the week is Hitchhiker and Taeyong‘s (NCT) “Around.” And well, it’s exactly what I’ve come to expect from a Hitchhiker MV.

Teasers & Announcements

  • The video teasers continue to drop for Twice‘s “Signal.” Any guesses as to the concept?
  • Prior to his enlistment on May 25, Kyuhyun will gift fans the bittersweet single “Goodbye for Now.”
  • The MV teaser for Roy Kim‘s “Suddenly” is finally here. The full album Blooming Season will be released on May 16.
  • Astro‘s 4th mini album Dream Pt.01 will drop on May 29.
  • Seventeen‘s begun releasing a series of mysterious individual teaser videos for their impending comeback.
  • Sistar will officially ring in summer on May 31.
  • FNC will debut their acoustic boy band Honeyst on May 17.
  • We can look forward to Fiestar‘s Yezi‘s solo comeback later this month.
  • Highlight will also return on May 29 with a repackage of Can You Feel It?
  • Korean-American rapper Dumbfoundead is releasing his first Korean language mini album on May 23. His digital single will drop on May 17.
  • Looks like KNK are going intergalactic for their Gravity comeback on May 25.
  • R&B trio Urban Zakapa will return on May 19.
  • Fave Entertainment‘s boy group History will be disbanding after four years.
  • Casting news:
    • Exo‘s D.O. (Do Kyungsoo) will star in the upcoming film, Swing Kids. Kyungsoo tap dancing? Yes please.
    • Lee Hyori‘s launching her own interactive reality show Hyori’s Homestay.

Other News

  • Fans noticed that Choa has been absent from AOA‘s recent schedules, FNC assured that she’s just taking a break.
  • SM Entertainment confirmed Sulli‘s relationship with non-celebrity brand director Kim Min-joon.
  • Moon Hee-jun and Soyul were not alone in welcoming children into the world this week:
    •  g.o.d.‘s Park Joon-hyung and his wife welcomed their introduced their first child through Instagram.
    • Im Chang-jung‘s wife also gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
  • Following in YG‘s footsteps, LOEN Entertainment is looking to start their own drama production company in partnership with Studio Dragon.
  • Lee Min-ho officially began his public service conscription this week. Wishing him all the best!
  • It looks like UEE might be gearing up to become a free agent. Pledis Entertainment revealed that they are still currently undergoing contract renewal negotiations with the singer-turned-actress, but no official agreements have been made.
  • After it was announced that Soyeon and Boram would not be participating in T-ara‘s final release — nor their Hong Kong concert — MBK released another statement saying the two idols have been out of touch with the agency for nearly a week. Their “worrisome” absence comes before the group’s scheduled concert in Taiwan this weekend. Is this another case of MBK media playing to throw members under the bus?

(YouTube, Naver: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11], Nate: [1] [2] [3] [4], XSportsNews, Osen, Insight, . Images via Pledis, Hankyoreh, Antenna.)