South Korea's entertainment industry is abuzz over tax evasion allegations involving Astro member and actor Cha Eun-woo (차은우). He was notified by the National Tax Service of additional taxes exceeding 20 billion won over allegations of evading income tax and other taxes. Attention has focused on Shinhan Bank, which hired him as a model.

Actor Park Ji-hoon (박지훈), whose film "The King and the Man Who Lives" is due for release, shared his thoughts in an interview on a Wanna One reunion. Interest is also high in the styling of Suzy ahead of the release of "Delusion."

In variety shows, "Pung Hyang-go 2," featuring Lee Sung-min (이성민), is off to a strong start after recording several million views within days of release. In pop music, expectations are running high for the return of prominent girl groups including Blackpink, IVE and Hearts2Hearts.

· Park Ji-hoon: “Thoughts on a Wanna One reunion? We had fun filming a variety show with the members”

Actor Park Ji-hoon recently shared his thoughts about a Wanna One reunion. On Jan. 27, an interview with Park was held at a cafe in Jongno district, Seoul, about the film "The King and the Man Who Lives." During the interview, Park mentioned filming a reality variety show with the Wanna One members.

Park said, “I don’t know how much I should say, but I’ll just say everything.” He added, “There are still a few episodes left to film, but we already filmed. We had a pre-meeting before filming, and we all got together and ate.”

Park, who said the group met once more after that, said, “But I couldn’t attend because of filming.” He added, “Daniel has to go to the military and Lai Kuan-lin is in China, so except for those 2 members, everyone readily agreed. We had fun filming,” recalling the shoot.

· Suzy’s ‘bob cut with a 5-5 part’ draws sharply mixed reactions over ‘Delusion’ styling · [Issue PICK] NewJeans·Kim Soo-hyun·Cha Eun-woo, Shinhan Bank let’s go

A drama capturing singer and actor Suzy’s captivating acting transformation is drawing public attention ahead of its release this year. Footage from the Disney+ lineup video released on Jan. 22 revealed some scenes from the Disney+ original series "Delusion," starring Suzy.

"Delusion" is set in Gyeongseong in 1935. It follows painter Yoon Yi-ho (played by Kim Seon-ho) after he is commissioned to paint a portrait of Song Jeong-hwa (played by Suzy), a captivating woman and a vampire who has not appeared in public for more than half a century and is surrounded by suspicions and rumours, as he approaches her mysterious secret.

After still cuts and some video were released, internet users posted a range of reactions to Suzy’s styling. In the original work, she had a 2-8 part, but the drama creates a different mood with a bob haircut and a 5-5 part.

Reactions ranged from praise such as “Even a dowdy bob looks pretty when Suzy does it” and “It’s better than the original,” to criticism including “Too old-fashioned,” “Dowdy,” and “Was this the best you could do?”

They are oddly linked as Shinhan Bank models: the group NewJeans, actor Kim Soo-hyun (김수현) and Cha Eun-woo. Shinhan Bank’s model risk has emerged as a topic of public interest.

Reports said recently that Cha Eun-woo, an Astro member and actor, underwent a high-intensity probe last year by the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Investigation Bureau 4 over allegations he did not pay more than 20 billion won in income tax. After the controversy erupted, Shinhan Bank, where Cha is active as a model, made private all ad videos and images related to him that had been posted on its YouTube channel and official social media. In the meantime, what has drawn attention on social media and online communities on Jan. 23 is the roster of Shinhan Bank models over the years.

Shinhan Bank selected actor Park Bo-gum as a model in 2019, NewJeans in 2022, Kim Soo-hyun in 2024 and Cha Eun-woo in 2025. But from NewJeans to Kim and Cha, each became a subject of public discussion due to separate controversies.

NewJeans declared in November last year that it would terminate its contract, citing reasons including ADOR’s alleged failure to fulfil obligations. The members held an emergency news conference at the time and said they would end their exclusive contract with ADOR and pursue independent activities. After a legal battle between the members and ADOR, the court ruled in a first-instance decision in the exclusive contract lawsuit in favour of ADOR, finding the contract valid. More recently, ADOR said it had notified Danielle of the termination of her exclusive contract, and attention is focusing on whether NewJeans will be reorganised into a four-member lineup.

Kim Soo-hyun became the centre of controversy last year over allegations he dated the late Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor. Shinhan Bank previously removed videos featuring Kim from its official channels, as it did in the Cha Eun-woo case.

· [Broadcast CLIP] Plans 0 percent, variables 100 percent… That’s why ‘Pung Hyang-go 2’ is fun

The web variety show "Pung Hyang-go 2," featuring Yoo Jae-suk (유재석), Lee Sung-min, Ji Suk-jin (지석진) and Yang Se-chan (양세찬), is gaining momentum. A pre-meeting video for "Pung Hyang-go 2," released for a second time following 2024, reached 4 million views within 9 days of release, while the first episode of Season 2 topped 4 million views within 2 days, presenting a new paradigm for web variety shows.

The biggest strength of "Pung Hyang-go" is that it changes travel from a “healing package” into a chain of on-the-spot choices. With no app use, everything from finding directions and exchanging money to lodging and sightseeing is decided in the moment. The lack of planning does not make it comfortable. Instead, the day’s chance events raise the level of difficulty. As a result, each episode becomes a survival story closer to “We somehow got through today” than “We had a great trip.”

In the first season, actor Hwang Jung-min (황정민) was the catalyst for the format. He shook up situations with an actor’s instincts and reactions, and Yoo turned that shake-up into conversation and content. That combination put people-made incidents at the forefront instead of “staged missions.” Season 2, which has recently begun airing, adds another twist. With Hwang leaving and new member Lee joining, the so-called spontaneous “P-type” tendencies of Yoo and Ji swing more sharply. Episode 1, which became a talking point right after release, made the lack of planning itself a comedy by putting “lodging hell” front and centre from the title.

The viewing point for Season 2 is the new balance created by Lee’s addition. The production team has introduced him as a guide character dubbed “Map Sung-min,” putting his role as an action leader and problem solver at the forefront. From early on, an extreme variable exploded along the lines of “If we can’t get lodging, we’ll endure even on the street.” In the process, Yoo’s hosting, Ji’s everyday scolding style and Yang’s treasurer-like care are interlinked, creating a different kind of humour from Season 1.

■ This week’s major K-snapp news?

News of February comeback matchups involving the groups Blackpink, IVE and Hearts2Hearts drew the most attention on Global K-snapp.

Blackpink teased the release of its third mini-album, “DEADLINE,” on Feb. 27, stirring excitement among many global Blinks, its official fandom name. The group’s full-member comeback comes 3 years and 5 months after the September 2022 release of its second full album, “BORN PINK.”

IVE is also returning on Feb. 23 with its second full album, “REVIVE+.” IVE plans to release a challengers concept film on Jan. 31, followed by challengers concept photos sequentially on Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 to 4. It will then raise anticipation through “BANG BANG” music video teasers on Feb. 6 and teaser photos on Feb. 7 to 8. On Feb. 9, ahead of the official comeback, it plans to release the pre-release track “BANG BANG” through various music sites.

SM Entertainment rookie group Hearts2Hearts, which debuted last year, is also expected to join the February comeback lineup. After a busy run that included last year’s single “STYLE” and its first mini-album “FOCUS,” the group won 6 rookie awards, including Best New Artist at the “2025 MAMA AWARDS.” Attention is focused on what kind of fresh charm Hearts2Hearts will show this time as it returns with a new look each time.

· [Global PICK] Blackpink·IVE·Hearts2Hearts face off… Overseas fandoms on alert · [OTT Ranking] Korean films ‘wiped out’ from the rankings… ‘Can This Love Be Interpreted?’ and ‘Undercover Miss Hong’ cruising

On Netflix’s global TV show chart, “Can This Love Be Interpreted?” and “Undercover Miss Hong” are holding spots in the rankings. In the movie category, there were no Korean films to be found.

FlixPatrol, a global OTT ranking aggregation site, showed that as of Jan. 26, “Can This Love Be Interpreted?” ranked No. 4 in Netflix’s TV show rankings. The series, released on Netflix on Jan. 16, is an unpredictable romantic comedy centred on multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin (played by Kim Seon-ho) and global top star Cha Moo-hee (played by Go Youn-jung). The drama delicately depicts the characters’ emotional arcs as they come to understand each other’s feelings and language and move toward love, increasing immersion, along with the fluttering chemistry of the lead actors.

The tvN weekend drama “Undercover Miss Hong,” which first aired on Jan. 17, ranked No. 9 on the same chart. The office comedy drama is set in the end-of-century 1990s and follows elite securities supervisor Hong Geum-bo (played by Park Shin-hye), in her 30s, as she infiltrates a securities firm where a suspicious flow of funds has been detected by disguising herself as a 20-year-old entry-level employee.

Nielsen Korea said Episode 4, which aired on Jan. 25, recorded a nationwide rating of 7.4 percent among paid households, surpassing 7 percent in 4 episodes from 3.5 percent for Episode 1 to show a sharp rise. Community reactions are also strong. Internet users posted responses including “Park Shin-hye’s acting is a perfect fit,” “The actors’ chemistry is really good,” and “The writer, director, actors and staff are on fire.”

In the movie category, Korean titles disappeared. “The Rip” (United States), which ranked No. 1, tells the story of a Miami police team that comes under suspicion after its leader is murdered. No. 2 was “Skyscraper Live: Climb a Super Skyscraper” (United States).

January 2026 is already nearing its end. This week had no solo singers, and idol groups filled out the week.

Kiki returned with a distinctive aesthetic and drew fans’ eyes, while Young Posse presented an intense and addictive sound. Also drawing attention are (G)I-DLE, returning as a full group after 8 months, AB6IX, delivering a promise not to change with a digital single, and 8TURN, showing a more mature side.

Paw, described as a “growth-type all-rounder,” and WHIB, which took part directly in writing and composing its new release, are also raising expectations among K-pop listeners.

· [New Song Hot Clip] Kiki·(G)I-DLE·AB6IX… K-pop groups ‘rush in’ instead of solo acts

Snapp It First. Feel It K. This article is an online story published by K-snapp, which provides the fastest and most entertaining entertainment news.