ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // NOVEMBER 11 - NOVEMBER 17

[Polaris_Tae]

NOVEMBER 11 - NOVEMBER 17


Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome back to this week's In Case You Missed It update! An article series where our team works hard to break down all of the latest news, charts, and updates within the East Asian Entertainment industry. This week, we saw new releases from BTS' Jin, ATEEZ, ILLIT & more. As for news, we received various updates related to The Boyz & NewJeans throughout the week, while SM Entertainment shared a few upcoming debut announcements for 2025. With all that said, let's jump into another week's worth of updates!

BY POLARIS_TAE

MONDAY:
#1- On Monday it was shared that Ara of ILY:1 would be taking a break from her — and the group's — upcoming schedules after sustaining an ankle injury during practice. We wish her a speedy recovery, and hope to see her back to full health soon!



TUESDAY:
#1- We had several debut & comeback announcements on Tuesday. SM is currently preparing to debut their new girl group in 2025. This comes following last week's announcement that the group would be appearing at the upcoming SM Town concert in January. Meanwhile, it's been shared that HEYOON will be collaborating with Armarni for their debut single, 'Pivot'. Also on Tuesday, it was rumored that GFRIEND will be making their return in January. The group previously announced its intentions to reunite as a group for their 10th anniversary since debut. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming releases?

#2- IU's Label, EDAM shared an update related to malicious acts targeted towards their artist. They stated that due to the severity of acts targeted towards the singer — including but not limited to: threats, sexual harassment & deepfake content — they would be pursuing a formal trial for various identified suspects. Additionally, one of the suspects is believed to be a former classmate from IU's middle school. The company further reiterated its zero-tolerance stance towards individuals targeting IU by stating that there would be no leniency towards those found guilty.

#3- Later in the day, it was sadly announced that South Korean actor Song Jae-rim had passed away. No cause of death was stated during the initial reports. However, it was later stated that a two-page suicide note was found in his home. Additionally, up until recently, the actor had been the target of malicious comments and harassment from a Japanese stalker referred to by the media as "A". The anonymous stalker had previously mocked the actor, and further spread defamatory claims about the actor online. We hope that his loved ones have the support around them that they need during such a difficult time, and do you think more should be done to protect celebrities from online harassment?



WEDNESDAY:
#1- We had a few NewJeans-associated updates on Wednesday. To begin, it was shared that NewJeans had officially sent notice to their label, ADOR explaining that the label would have two weeks to meet the group's letter of demand or the group would move forward and seek to terminate their contract with the label. The groups' label, ADOR briefly responded by confirming that NewJeans had officially sent a certified letter to ADOR with a specific list of demands attached and that they were currently in the process of reviewing the letter. Additionally, ADOR shared that they would do their "best to resolve the matter wisely so that we can continue to work with the artists [NewJeans]". Later that same day, we discovered that Min Hee-jin's house had actually been offered as collateral in a court case related to the ADOR employee rather than the previous report that she had sold the property to pay for ongoing court expenses. The ADOR employee was dismissed from the company after they had filed a complaint to the then-CEO regarding claims of sexual harassment within the label by one of the employees belonging to Min Hee-jin's faction at ADOR. How do you think these situations will play out?

#2- Now moving on, and we have a few general entertainment updates. The youth crime-romance drama, 'Boy' has shared a new casting update. Jo Byung-gyu, Seo In-guk, Jini & Yool will all be taking part in the film. This will also be Jini's acting debut. Meanwhile, SBS has officially revealed the first official lineup for their end-of-year Gayo Daejeon with NCT Dream, ITZY, STRAY KIDS, NewJeans, ZEROBASEONE, and more all set to attend as musical guests.



THURSDAY:
#1- Soloist Beomhan found himself in hot water and on the brink of being canceled this week following some comments the idol made on social media following the results of the US Presidential Election. The controversy began when he published a Tik-Tok video where he seemingly belittled and acted condescendingly towards women in relation to the recent election results and congratulated Trump on winning the election. The soloist then proceeded to go on a Twitter rant berating those upset with his initial comments. He later held an Instagram live where he reiterated his complaints against those calling him out for his behavior. Later, the soloist shared a statement on social media partially apologizing for some of his actions and sharing that he would be undergoing professional help for his mental instability. What are your thoughts on the outcome of this issue?



FRIDAY:
#1- We had two updates regarding The Boyz on Friday. To start, it was shared that Sunwoo had been a victim of an assault after it was revealed that he, and the staff accompanying the idol, had been attacked by a saesang. The incident took place on the 9th of February while the idol was heading home. The idol was approached by a saesang in the emergency stairwell of his dorms. After feeling threatened and calling for the assistance of a staff member and contacted the authorities. The idol, and his staff, were both beaten and assaulted several times before being taken to the hospital for examination. Following this incident, a police investigation has been launched and the perpetrator has been charged with home invasion and assault. TheBoyz management, IST, has been criticized for its handling of this issue as Sunwoo was given little to no time to recover from such a traumatizing incident. IST is currently pursuing legal action against the violation of their artist's [The Boyz] rights including acts such as privacy infringement and malicious commenters. That same day it was shared that the group — and all of its members — were in talks to join the MC Mong-founded label, ONE HUNDRED. How do you think the label handled this situation, and are you looking forward to seeing The Boyz under a new label?

#2- SM Entertainment has shared that former RIIZE member, Seunghan will be debuting as a soloist under the label. This comes after he was unceremoniously booted from the group following an extended campaign for his departure from an organized section of the group's fanbase. How do you think the idol will fare as a soloist?



SATURDAY:
#1- There were no relevant updates on Saturday.



SUNDAY:
#1- On Sunday it was reported that former LABOUM member Yulhee will be returning to the entertainment industry. This comes following the fallout from the prostitution-cheating scandal of former idol's ex-husband, FT ISLAND's Choi Minhwan. Additionally, she also recently signed a contract with Highbeam Studio. What kind of activities do you think we'll see from Yulhee?

BY POLARIS_TAE

#2. ILLIT - TICK TACK
HYBE's newest Korean girl group — and a personal favorite of mine — ILLIT returned this week with the music video to their addictive b-side, 'Tick-Tack'. The group recently returned in late October with their 2nd EP, I'LL LIKE YOU alongside its title track, 'Cherish (Your Love)'. According to the album's MelOn description, I'LL LIKE YOU tells the story of "Me and You" and expands on the group's story of the "Real Me" they sang about during their debut EP, SUPER REAL ME. I'LL LIKE YOU is a 5-track EP consisting of their title, 'Cherish (Your Love)' alongside b-sides such as 'I'll Like You', 'IYKYK (If You Know You Know)', the Exy-produced 'Pimple' & this week's promotional b-side, 'Tick-Tack'. 'Tick-Tack' is a pop single that similarly to their debut single, 'Magnetic' presents a unique sound through the implementation of its overall 8-bit theme. As for the single itself, it discusses the challenges that come with sorting through your constantly changing inner thoughts with a music video set to a tennis varsity concept. All in all, I felt that while on the shorter side, 'Tick-Tack' — and ILLIT's EP as a whole — was able to further cement the magical aesthetic that the group made their debut with, while also creating several stunning earworms in the process in hit b-sides such as 'Tick-Tok' & 'IYKYK (If You Know You Know)'. What were your favorite b-sides from I'LL LIKE YOU?




#3. ATEEZ - ICE ON MY TEETH
ATEEZ made their return with their 11th mini album, GOLDEN HOUR: Part 2, a continuation of their 2024 GOLDEN HOUR album series that began with their May title track, 'Work'. Now moving on to their new release, GOLDEN HOUR: Part 2 consists of a total of six tracks total. It's lead single, 'Ice On My Teeth' & five b-sides: 'DEEP DIVE', 'Scene 1: Value', 'Man On Fire', 'Selfish Waltz' & 'Enough'. GOLDEN HOUR: Part 2's title track, 'Ice On My Teeth' is a slow-paced hip-hop track penned by fellow ATEEZ members Hongjoong & Mingi that talks about overindulging in excessive extravagance. Which, when paired with the music video for 'Ice On My Teeth', with its grandiose and over-the-top setting only further shows this. Several of ATEEZ's recent title tracks, such as this release, and their May single, 'Work' have presented a more 'vibey' style of hip-hop over the more in-your-face hip-hop sound that the group has put out during their earlier years, and depending on where your tastes stand, your mileage may vary on which of the two you favor. As for the rest of the songs on the album, I found myself enjoying the moody trap-filled intro, 'Deep Dive' & the pop-influenced dance track, 'Selfish Waltz'.




#3. JIN - RUNNING WILD
BTS' eldest member Jin made his return this week with his first EP, Happy. This release consists of a total of six tracks. Its title track 'Running Wild', and five more b-sides: 'I'll Be There', 'Another Level', 'Falling', 'Heart on the Window (with Red Velvet's Wendy)' & 'I will come to you'. The title track, 'Run Away' is a British-style pop-rock track with lyrics penned entirely in English. The single was penned by Take That lead vocalist Gary Barlow is a track that takes full advantage of Jin's airy falsetto range set to a music video whose plot plays similarly to the manga series, Sekai no Owari ni Shiba Inu to (At the End of the World With My Shiba Inu). Rather than a post-apocalyptic world though, we see them travel the world in the midst of an apocalypse instead. Now let's move on to the b-sides. 'I'll Be There' is a rustic-sounding pre-release penned by Jin, MAX & Pdogg with an addictive chorus that will have you wanting to get up and sing along too. As for my favorite b-sides on the album, I found myself enjoying the moody alt-rock inspired 'Another Level' & the new wave pop duet featuring Red Velvet's Wendy, 'Heart on the Window'. Overall, it's a solid release, despite the short track length throughout and I'm looking forward to seeing how Jin develops his solo sound in the future as well!

BY POLARIS_TAE

#1. There were no relevant chart updates throughout the week.

BY POLARIS_TAE

Our administrator team took to the forum this week to share November's User of the Month. This month, our Shop+ lead Mina took the honor. Congrats!

Shop+ fans, our team worked hard again this week to bring even more great items for you to spend your coins and ørbs on! Here are this week's new additions:

For this week’s H+ Station Chart update, Baekhyun's 'Pineapple Slice' took its first #1, while ITZY's 'Imaginary Friend' made its debut at #9. We also saw æspa's 'UP (Karina solo)' & LE SSERAFIM's '1800-hot-n-fun' make their return to the chart at #5 & #8 respectively. Make sure to check out our chart to see where all of your favorite songs ranked!

The team is also back with our November giveaway. Where users can go in the running to win ørbs, coins & +cards. Make sure to participate if you'd like to a chance to win!

The Social Media team shared an update related to Big Ocean. The team shared an article on Big Ocean's latest comeback expanding on the group's trailblazing journey as the first hard-of-hearing Kpop group, and their collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Mark Batson.

Our Blog Team is taking nominations for our November User Interview. Let us know which active user you'd like to see interviewed in the linked thread!

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Hallyu+ is actively recruiting for staff. If you want to contribute to the forum's growth and join our amazing team, don't hesitate and apply now!
We are searching for new members for the following teams GFX, Social Media (ICYMI & Press), Translations & Awards.


This brings us to the end of this week's edition of In Case You Missed It! Were there any stories that surprised you, or any news that you missed throughout the week that you found out here for the first time? Or did you add a new song to your playlist either from this article or via the forum? As always, our staff teams — Social Media (Press), Blog Team & Awards — are currently looking for new team members to join our staff. So if any of these positions interest you, then feel free to apply through the linked recruitments above. Our In Case You Missed It team is still searching for a dedicated Kpop music reviewer. So why not consider pitching in? If you’re not aware, we are active on both Twitter — now known as x.com — and Instagram, so feel free to follow us there for more fantastic updates! We’re still accepting feature and promo requests via our feature thread here. Let us know what you enjoyed the most this week in the comments below, and we’ll see you again next week for another great update!

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GFX BY @heather
FEATURED ARTISTS Jin, Jini, Seonghwa (ATEEZ), Yunah (ILLIT) & Sunwoo (The Boyz)​

 

[Doyochi]

Once again, thank you OP
Your ICYMI's are a god sent!

 

[Jibang]

Many thanks

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Always glad to see ICYMI.

 

[Bellamy]

It's back, thank you so much!!!