TL;DR
- TXT won Artist of the Year while CORTIS claimed their inaugural Daesang for Record of the Year at the KM Chart Awards.
- fromis_9 returned July 21 with 'Glow ME', their first full-length in three years and first since departing HYBE.
- South Korea is doubling K-pop agency support, expanding funding for smaller labels facing rising production costs.
- CORTIS's sold-out LA concert goes global August 13-14, broadcasting to 870+ cinemas across 29 countries.
Comebacks and releases
fromis_9 returned to the album game on July 21. The six-piece dropped 'Glow ME', their first full-length in three years and inaugural release since departing HYBE, led by title track 'Vitamin ME'. The 12-track record chronicles discovering your brightest self, backed by the group's signature self-produced style (via allkpop).
Charts and awards
The 2026 KM Chart Awards crowned Saturday, July 25. HWASA won Song of the Year, BTS claimed Album of the Year for 'ARIRANG' after military service, and CORTIS took their inaugural Record of the Year Daesang barely a year after debut. Tomorrow X Together captured Artist of the Year with multiple wins (via Forbes).
CORTIS holds their sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on Soompi's K-Pop Music Chart with 'REDRED', keeping aespa's 'LEMONADE' at No. 2 and ILLIT's 'It's Me' at No. 3 as July winds down (via Soompi).
Artists and groups
July 26 was quiet on the artist front, with most roster moves and announcements having landed earlier in the month. Focus remains on newly crowned award winners as the summer chart battles settle into their final lap.
Industry and agencies
South Korea's government is doubling down on K-pop's smaller players. The Culture Ministry will expand its Global Leap Program for Small and Midsized Music Agencies, doubling next year's budget from 9 billion to 18 billion won and offering up to 300 million won annually for three years to promising companies (via The Korea Herald). The move responds to rising production costs and a 40 percent drop in rookie debuts since 2023, as smaller labels struggle against HYBE, SM and JYP's scale advantages.
Tours and events
CORTIS is taking their LA moment global. The group's August 13 YouTube Theater concert will broadcast live to 870+ cinemas across 29 countries on August 13-14, with a theatrical-exclusive pre-show included. Cinema tickets go on sale July 31 (via Forbes).
ENHYPEN brought 'Blood Saga' to Tacoma Dome on July 26, heading to Oakland on July 28 as their ambitious North American tour continues through the fall before European dates in winter (via Billboard).