If you spent this year waiting for midnight drops, refreshing fancafe posts, and crying over enlistment news, you were not alone. We were doing the same thing at KpopStarz. We watched fandoms celebrate wins, worry through scandals, argue over rumors, and still show up for every stage and comeback. Our job was to sort through the news, check the facts, and tell the stories behind the posts and hashtags.
In this year-in-review, we're looking back at 10 KpopStarz articles that our readers cared about the most. These stories follow contract changes, dating talk, chart records, tour news, and the moments that shook fandoms.
1. Starship Entertainment Apologizes After 'Accidentally' Posting Sexual IVE Deepfake Content
Starship Entertainment apologized after it "accidentally" reposted a sexual deepfake of IVE member Yujin on its official Weibo account, sparking anger and disbelief among fans. The agency said the post, which contained AI-generated sexual content and insults targeting the idol, went up while staff were trying to report the original malicious upload.
In a statement, Starship said the deepfake post had been deleted and promised to manage its accounts more carefully, apologizing to IVE and their supporters for causing distress. Many fans, however, questioned the explanation, pointing out that Weibo prompts users more than once before a repost goes live and arguing that such a mistake should not happen on an official channel, especially at a time when deepfake abuse of female idols is a growing concern in K-pop.
2. Stray Kids' Felix Walks the Runway for Louis Vuitton's Fall Winter 2025 Show During Paris Fashion Week
Stray Kids member Felix walked the runway for Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2025 womenswear show at Paris Fashion Week, marking his second time modeling for the luxury brand. The idol appeared on March 10, in a black and white textured sweater, brown and gold plaid trousers, and a navy bag, finishing the look with a braided belt and sneakers.
Felix's return to the catwalk comes nearly two years after he was named a Louis Vuitton ambassador in August 2023, a partnership artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière praised by calling him talented, energetic, and bold in his style. Fans celebrated Felix as the first and only fourth-generation K-pop idol to walk twice for the brand.
3. KATSEYE Member Daniela's Mother Addresses Issue of Following Donald Trump on Instagram
KATSEYE member Daniela Avanzini's mother has spoken out after fans discovered she was following Donald Trump's personal Instagram account. She said the move was not political and that people were reading too much into her social media activity.
According to her statement, she followed Trump's account after seeing a touching post about the Pope and stressed that it did not reflect her or her daughter's political beliefs. The issue spread quickly online and led some fans to unfairly accuse Daniela of sharing the same views, but many others later defended the idol and her family, saying children should not be held responsible for their parents' accounts. The incident also tied into wider debates over KATSEYE's ties to HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun and showed how quickly political and family-related issues can affect K-pop idols in the public eye.
4. THE BLACK LABEL Faces Backlash Over 'Cultural Appropriation' Ahead of New Co-Ed Group's Debut
THE BLACK LABEL is facing growing backlash over alleged cultural appropriation just days before the debut of its new co-ed group, ALLDAY Project. The controversy centers on member Lee Chaewon, known as Tarzzan, who has been criticized for repeatedly wearing braided hairstyles that many say borrow heavily from styles rooted in Black culture.
Photos on Tarzzan's Instagram and in the group's teaser images show him in various braided looks. The situation escalated when fans noticed he follows Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, convicted in 2023 of assaulting Megan Thee Stallion, with some seeing that as support for a convicted abuser.
5. T.O.P Breaks His Silence on Leaving BIGBANG: 'I'm the One Who Caused So Much Damage'
T.O.P has broken his silence about why he left BIGBANG, saying he decided to step away because he felt he had "caused so much damage" to the group after his marijuana scandal. In his first press interview in 11 years, the rapper-actor, now working under his real name Choi Seung Hyun, said he told YG Entertainment and the members that he would leave once he finished his military service, as he did not want to hurt the team any further.
He recalled spending years in isolation at home and in the studio, struggling with guilt while fans continued to hope for a full BIGBANG reunion and tagging him in old group photos. T.O.P said seeing those images felt like looking at "a family that has been separated" and admitted he still finds it hard to contact the remaining members, even though he cares about them. He confirmed there are no plans to rejoin BIGBANG and said he accepts the criticism that comes with his decision, focusing instead on moving forward with his acting and music on his own.
6. Aespa's Karina Targeted in Sexually Explicit Comments Made by Son of Politician Lee Jae Myung: 'She Looks So Tasty'
The son of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung was fined 5 million Korean won for posting sexually explicit comments about aespa member Karina, according to court records that became public this week. The posts were made on online poker communities in 2021, where he wrote things like he "wanted to eat her once" under photos of the idol.
Records show the Suwon District Court issued the fine in October 2024 for breaking the law on obscene content and for repeated gambling, and the penalty became final after he chose not to appeal. The same account also made sexual remarks about DJ Soda, adding to public anger. The case first surfaced after a YouTube channel reported his comments to police, and the renewed attention has now turned into a political issue, with rival politicians using it to attack Lee Jae Myung's image even as he remains a leading presidential candidate.
7. Former T-ARA's Areum Receives Eight-Month Prison Sentence for Disturbing Child Abuse Charges
Former T-ARA member Areum has been sentenced to eight months in prison, two years of probation, and 40 hours of child abuse prevention classes over disturbing child abuse and defamation charges involving her children and ex-husband.
The case follows a 2024 probe in which police found no evidence to support Areum's earlier claims that her ex-husband abused their children, leading to the dismissal of his case and new charges against her for abuse, neglect, abduction, and defamatory livestream remarks. The Suwon District Court said she admitted to the charges and condemned the emotional harm done to the children's legal guardian.
8. ASTRO's Cha Eunwoo To Begin Serving Mandatory Military Duty in July, Will Become Second Member To Enlist
ASTRO member Cha Eunwoo will begin his mandatory military service on July 28, 2025, after being officially accepted into South Korea's Army Military Band. His agency, Fantagio, confirmed the news, making him the second ASTRO member to enlist following MJ, who completed his service in 2023.
Fantagio said Cha Eunwoo will enter a training center for basic training before serving about 18 months in the military band, with an expected discharge around January 2027, and asked fans for understanding as enlistment details will be kept private to avoid safety issues. Before he goes, Cha Eunwoo will join ASTRO's solo concert "The 4th ASTROAD [Stargraphy]" in Incheon and continue filming the Netflix drama "The Wonder Fools," adding to a busy schedule that follows his recent drama "Wonderful World," a music video appearance for IU, and his solo EP "Entity."
9. ITZY in Talks for Contract Renewal With JYP Entertainment Following Release of 'Girls Will Be Girls'
ITZY has confirmed they are in talks to renew their contracts with JYP Entertainment, sharing the news during a press conference for their new mini-album "Girls Will Be Girls." Chaeryeong said it felt surreal to already be discussing renewal in their seventh year and promised they would "deliver good news," though it remains unclear if all five members will ultimately re-sign.
The discussions come as ITZY makes a comeback with their 10th mini-album, led by the title track "Girls Will Be Girls."
10. aespa's Karina Faces Backlash Over Instagram Post Amid Election Season; SM Entertainment Responds
aespa's Karina is facing backlash after posting an Instagram photo that some netizens saw as a hidden political message ahead of South Korea's presidential election. In the now-deleted post, she wore a black jacket with red patterns and a clear "2" on it and added a red rose emoji, leading critics to link the image to the conservative People Power Party, whose candidate is No. 2 on the ballot and whose color is red.
Online communities quickly gave her nicknames like "Conservative Karina" and questioned her awareness of the "no color, no gesture" rule idols are expected to follow during election season. As criticism grew, SM Entertainment released an apology saying Karina had no political intent, deleted the post once she realized it could be misunderstood, and promised to be more careful in the future.
