Blackpink’s Comeback, Auditions for a ‘Second Seventeen,’ and Music Bank’s North American Expansion: K-pop Continues Global Growth This Year

[Financial News] Following BTS (Bangtan Boys), Blackpink has officially announced its full-group comeback, while Pledis Entertainment has launched a global audition to discover a “second Seventeen.” On top of that, with KBS music program Music Bank pushing into the North American market, K-pop has once again entered a phase of expansion beyond national borders this year.

Blackpink has confirmed its full-group comeback for February 27.
On the 15th, YG Entertainment unveiled “BLACKPINK 3rd Mini Album [DEADLINE]” through its official blog, signaling the full-fledged start of the comeback promotion with stylish motion graphics that make use of the group’s signature colors.
The album title DEADLINE is the same as that of the BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR , which began last July at Goyang Stadium, Gyeonggi Province—the first time a K-pop girl group has performed there—and has since been traveling around the world. The third mini album is set to be released at 1 p.m. on February 27.

Last year, Blackpink topped the Billboard Global 200 chart for the third time in the group’s career with the digital single Jump, once again setting the record for the first and most No. 1 entries by a K-pop girl group.

YG Entertainment stated, “We would like to express our deep gratitude to the fans who have waited for us for quite some time,” adding, “We plan to repay you with highly polished music, so we ask for your keen interest.”

Meanwhile, Blackpink is in the midst of its BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR , which spans 33 shows across 16 cities. From the 16th to the 18th, the group will perform for three days at Tokyo Dome in Japan, and on the 24th, 25th, and 26th, it will bring the tour to a close at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.

Pledis to hold 2026 global audition “WONDER TEENS in KOREA”

Pledis Entertainment, home to Seventeen and TWS, is moving to discover the next generation of talent that will lead the future of K-pop.

Pledis Entertainment recently announced on its official website that it will hold the “2026 PLEDIS AUDITION WONDER TEENS in KOREA.”

Anyone born in 2008 or later can apply for this audition regardless of nationality or gender. There are five categories of recruitment—vocal, rap, dance, modeling, and acting—and final successful applicants will be selected as Pledis Entertainment trainees and given the opportunity to receive systematic training.

Applicants can take part either by submitting an online pre-application within the regional application period or by registering on-site at the open offline audition. The offline auditions will be held sequentially in Gwangju Metropolitan City on February 13, Busan Metropolitan City on February 14, and Seoul on February 21–22.

KBS Music Bank pushes for first North American expansion

The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) has officially announced the first North American expansion of its music program Music Bank.

Earlier, during his visit to the Consumer Electronics Show 2026 (CES 2026) in Las Vegas, President and CEO of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) Jangbeom Park signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 8 (local time) at the Los Angeles County government building with Kathryn Barger of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to cooperate on hosting a K-pop concert.

Under this agreement, the two sides will actively work to stage Music Bank in Los Angeles within the year, while also expanding cultural exchange and cooperation between Korea and the United States through K-pop.

Los Angeles County, which encompasses the city of Los Angeles and 87 other municipalities, is a cultural and economic region with a population of nearly 10 million. It also owns and operates the world-renowned performance venue Hollywood Bowl.

Jangbeom Park said, “Since it began in 2011, the Music Bank World Tour has successfully staged K-pop concerts across South America, Europe, Asia, and other regions over the past 15 years,” adding, “On the back of this agreement, we will make thorough preparations so that people in Los Angeles can fully enjoy Korean K-pop culture as well.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger likewise stated, “We will work closely with KBS to successfully showcase K-pop in Los Angeles County.”

To date, KBS has contributed to the global spread of K-pop by staging 24 large-scale music concerts in 16 cities across 14 countries in Asia, Europe, and South America.

jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter