Hello everyone, and welcome back to another edition of SB Week in Review! Yours truly has snuck back into this segment find out what’s been going on this week in K-pop:

Headlines

  • This weekend saw the biggest women-led protest held in South Korea, as approximately 22,000 took to the streets against the enduring molka, or spy-cam, epidemic. The sale and use of spy cameras are common despite attempts at restriction; men can easily access “spy-cam porn”, and women often wear masks in public to avoid identification and harassment in case they are captured by any of the hidden cameras found in changing rooms and toilets, among other places, and also did so at the protest.
  • Authorities will be re-opening the investigation into actress Jang Ja-yeon‘s death. Though Jang had named several prominent media persons who forced her to trade sexual favours under threat of maintaining her acting career, only her former manager and her company CEO were charged, and they did not serve any time. With the #MeToo movement only adding to the current wave of feminism sweeping the nation, there is renewed hope that more people will be brought to justice before the statute of limitations on the case ends.

Debuts & Comebacks

  • Check out the week’s new releases with our handy playlist, above!
  • Though her album plans are on hold due to plagiarism claims, we still got the retro MV for Yubin‘s “Lady”.
  • Katie debuted with a MV that I am definitely going to “Remember”.
  • Wanna One wanna you to “Light” them up in this new MV from the Produce 101 supergroup, though our reviewer did not find the single memorable.
  • Fromis_9 are on the prowl in the adorable “DKDK” MV.
  • Dynamic Duo looks to hit their LUCKYNUMBERS with assists from Hyolyn, Zion.T, Crush, Winterplay, DJ Friz and more.
  • Navi can’t stop thinking about you “Monday to Sunday.”
  • ONF‘s comeback is just about “Complete” with the release of new EP You Complete Me.
  • A.C.E aims to “Take Me Higher” with their new single.
  • Jeon Woo-sung has returned to “Serenade” Dia‘s Chaeyeon.
  • And with the FIFA World Cup about to get underway, we have more patriotic pop songs via Seol Ha-yoon, Jung Joon-young, Transfixion and Oh My Girl.

Teasers & Announcements

  • On the 11th:
    • Shinee is back with the second of their three-EP comeback.
    • BtoB is clear that This is Us with their new release.
    • Girlkind are “S.O.R.R.Y” for looking so cute in this summery MV.
  • Black Pink is set to return with “Ddu-du Ddu-du” on the 15th.
  • Lena Park will be dropping the first of two EPs on the 19th, before the release of her ninth full-length album later in the year.
  • On the 26th:
  • Elris will dream a Summer Dream on the 28th.
  • Dia confirmed their comeback for July 5.
  • Other summer comebacks include those from Twice and A Pink.
  • Gu Family Book co-stars Suzy and Lee Seung-gi are reuniting for spy action drama Vagabond.
  • Lovelyz member Kei and actor Choi Won-myeong will be the new Music Bank MCs, taking over from Laboum‘s Solbin.
  • If you are in Philadelphia during the Labor Day weekend, you could see Jay Park performing at the Made In America festival.
  • Produce 48 will begin airing on the 15th in both Japan and Korea. Will you be watching?

Other News

  • Jaejoong will be performing on live TV for the first time in almost a decade, announcing his upcoming appearance on Japan’s Music Station via Twitter.
  • Boys Over Flowers actor Kim Joon revealed that he is married and a father in a recent interview. People have been taken aback by the late reveal of this news, but if you can fly under the radar of such a massive drama despite being part of the F4, you can pretty much do anything on the down-low.
  • BTS continues to break all the records, most recently with gaining over 400 million views on its “DNA” MV in nine months, the shortest time in which a YouTube video by a South Korean artist has done so. While many fans resisted deeper interpretations after the symbol-heavy “Blood Sweat and Tears”, our reviewer was still happy to share her views on the video’s allusions to virtual reality.
  • Sadly, we received news on the passing of BTS member Jin‘s grandmother. We at Seoulbeats convey our condolences during this sad time.
  • Former After School member and Actress Yoo So-young is dating golfer Go Yoon-sung. Congrats to the happy couple!
  • Attendees at a Missha fansign even with Nana have claimed that After School has disbanded after the idol-cum-actress allegedly told questioning fans that the members had gone their separate ways. Will Pledis ever officially confirm, though? That remains to be seen.

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(DC Gallery, Ilgan Sports, Instagram[1][2], Korea Portal, Osen[1][2][3][4], Star News, Twitter[1][2][3], Yonhap[1][2][3][4][5], YouTube, YTN. Images Via: SM Ent., Hankyoreh, Hunus Ent.)