Various idols and actors attended a graduation ceremony at Hanlim Arts High School in Seoul, celebrating their achievements together.

ABEMA will broadcast the live finale of Mnet’s STREET WORLD FIGHTER: Directors' War exclusively in Japan and simultaneously with Korea for free tonight. The show spotlights performance directors who create every aspect of a stage, and four finalists—KASPER, BABYZOO, BADA, and kooyoung back—will compete in a cheer performance mission. ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Hanbin will MC, and a related special program featuring YUMEKI and JO1’s Ren Kawashiri is also streaming free.

IVE will release their new mini album “Looks Can Kill” on October 26. The title track and music video were released in advance on October 19. The album features six songs and presents an electronic dance-pop sound, a hero-themed music video, and a story about IVE inspiring dreams and courage.

ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Hanbin revealed on Hye-ri’s YouTube show why he does not usually drink alcohol. He said he used to drink more in college, but gained a lot of weight from drinking and eating snacks, so he decided to stay away from alcohol to keep pursuing his idol career. He added that he recently became interested in Japanese draft beer.

STARSHIP Entertainment has purchased additional real estate worth 81 billion won in total to expand its headquarters. It approved buying land and a building for 22 billion won and plans to acquire the property next January for business facilities. The company is expanding in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong area.

On the morning of the 19th, ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Han-bin, former IZ*ONE member Choi Ye-na, THE BOYZ’s Sunwoo and Q, and fromis_9’s Baek Ji-heon and Lee Chae-young attended a brand event for COACH held in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

IVE has released the final concept photos for its new mini album, Looks Can Kill. STARSHIP Entertainment shared the full set of “Hero Comics” version images through IVE’s official social media, featuring unique hero characters that blend each member’s symbol color and logo with their individual charm. The title track will be pre-released on the 19th, and the mini album will be released on the 26th with six songs in total, including Looks Can Kill, Mirror Mirror, SNAKESKIN, CRUMBS, Girls Girls Girls, and Glow Motion.

Some K-pop artists, including IVE, KiiiKiii, FIFTY FIFTY, and Park Hyo-shin, submitted songs for the Grammy’s new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, along with Japanese and other Asian acts. But BTS, Stray Kids, and other major-label artists declined, amid debate over whether the category helps or isolates Asian music.

The 2026 Music Bank Global Festival in Japan will be held on December 12 and 13, 2026 at MUFG Stadium (National Stadium). New artists announced include NiziU, INI, xikers, ZEROBASEONE, TWS, NEXZ, KickFlip, AEN, and TUIDE, with performance dates revealed. Tickets and premium lounge options are on sale.

The 2026 Music Bank Global Festival in Japan will be held on December 12 and 13, 2026 at MUFG Stadium (National Stadium). New artists announced include NiziU, INI, xikers, ZEROBASEONE, TWS, NEXZ, KickFlip, AEN, and TUIDE, with performance dates revealed. Tickets and premium lounge options are on sale.

Seoul-based contemporary beauty brand HERA has named Ayaka Miyoshi as its Japan ambassador. To mark the appointment, it released new visuals, a special interview, and a dedicated page featuring makeup looks and films. The campaign highlights HERA’s urban, refined Seoul beauty and Miyoshi’s own values.