Korean Newsmakers Of The Week: NCT's Ten Announces Solo Debut, Yoon Jin-seo Welcomes Her First Child And More

Here are top five newsmakers in the entertainment industry of the week, all the way from South Korea. 

NCT’s Ten Announces Official Solo Debut 

After much anticipation and a long wait, K-Pop band NCT's singer and dancer Ten has finally announced his official solo debut. In a formal announcement on January 26 at midnight KST, Ten revealed the date for his highly anticipated solo debut. Titled ‘TEN,’ the mini-album is set to release on February 13 at 6 PM KST. This will make the Thai singer the second member of NCT to make a solo album, right after Taeyong who released ‘SHALALA’ in June 2023. Although Ten has previously dropped solo songs, this upcoming debut in the next month will be his first official album as a solo artist. So mark your calendars for some exciting music!

Ahyeon To Return To BABYMONSTER

On January 25 KST, YG Entertainment took netizens by surprise with an announcement where founder Yang Hyun-suk personally shared the much-awaited news of Ahyeon rejoining BABYMONSTER, citing improvements in her health. After being unable to participate in the rookie group's debut last November due to certain health issues, Ahyeon is now geared up to make a comeback. In light of her return, BABYMONSTER will be re-recording their singles, ‘BATTER UP’ and the upcoming pre-release single ‘Stuck In The Middle,’ both of which don’t include Ahyeon. Yang Hyun-suk also revealed that after the release of ‘Stuck In The Middle’ on February 1 and their first mini-album in April, the girl group's first full-length album is in the works for a release in the autumn.

Yoon Jin-seo Embraces Motherhood

Actress Yoon Jin-seo has joyfully welcomed a baby girl into the world. The announcement of this good news came to light on January 23, as her agency Big Picture Entertainment revealed, "Yoon Jin-seo gave birth to her daughter on the early morning of January 21. Both the mother and child are in good health." This marks an extremely special moment for the 'A Model Family' actress, and her non-celebrity husband, who have welcomed their first child about seven years into marriage. The couple had a private wedding in 2017 after three years of dating, and the actress’ pregnancy was officially confirmed by her agency in July 2023.

IU Drops Her Comeback Song, Tops iTunes

IU dropped the much-awaited movie-like music video for her comeback track 'Love wins all.' Directed by Um Tae-hwa, known for his work on 'Concrete Utopia,' the 5 minutes 22 seconds music video features BTS’ V and tells the heart-wrenching tale of a couple struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic future. The lyrics, the visuals, the storyline; it has brought tears to the eyes of everyone who’s watched it. Now, with her highly-anticipated comeback, IU is dominating global music charts with this pre-release single, which immediately claimed the top spot on various domestic real-time music charts, including Melon’s Top 100, making it the first song by a female artist to reach No.1. Furthermore, ‘Love wins all’ achieved No.1 on iTunes Top Songs charts in at least 23 regions all across the globe.

Multi-Starrer Film 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' Has Commenced Filming 

Get ready for the much-anticipated movie adaptation of 'Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint' (working title). On January 24, the makers of the film officially announced its star-studded cast, including Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Soo-bin, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, Shin Seung-ho, Nana, Park Ho-san, Choi Young-joon, and more. Filming of the multi-starrer commenced in December 2023. The plot of the film, based on the webtoon of the same name, revolves around Kim Dok-ja (Ahn Hyo-seop), an ordinary office worker and a passionate fan of the web novel 'Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.' His knowledge becomes crucial in preventing the world from crumbling as he's the only one who knows of the events unfolding. Alongside the cast confirmation, behind-the-scenes stills from the script reading were also released, which only heightened anticipation among fans for their performances on the big screen. The film will be directed by Kim Byung-woo in collaboration with REALIES Pictures.