K-pop News Today (Nov 6, 2026): Stray Kids’ Lee Know to Enlist in Early 2027, TWS Hit No. 2 on Oricon, AAA 2026 Popularity Winners Confirmed

I’ll admit something as a fan: reading Lee Know’s old promise that “the eight of us will come back together” made me proud and a little teary. Stray Kids’ Lee Know will be the first member to start military service, TWS took their new single to No. 2 on Oricon’s daily chart, and fans voted Stray Kids, NMIXX, Lim Young-woong and TWICE’s Tzuyu to AAA 2026 Popularity Awards. Here are the stories K-pop fans were talking about on Nov. 5.

Stray Kids’ Lee Know Will Begin Military Service in Early 2027, the First in the Group

JYP Entertainment said on Nov. 5 that Lee Know “plans to fulfill his military duty in the first quarter of 2027,” which makes him the first Stray Kids member to enlist. He’ll miss some of the group’s schedules planned for that period, and the agency said he’ll keep meeting STAY through content and solo activities until then, with exact dates to follow in a separate notice. Back at the August press event for “THIS & THAT,” Lee Know said he would serve faithfully when called, and added, “One thing is certain: after our military break, the eight of us will definitely come back together.” “THIS & THAT” made Stray Kids the first act in the Billboard 200’s history to debut every one of their nine charting albums at No. 1, and the “This & That” MV had 123,175,722 views when we checked. He made STAY a promise, and STAY will be right here when he comes back.

Sources: Celuv Media, Nov. 5, TV Daily, Nov. 5, YouTube views checked 4:58 a.m. KST, Nov. 6

Also read: K-pop News Today (Nov 3, 2026): BIGBANG Make History in Sydney, TWS Return With 'TO US', RESCENE's Comeback Day

TWS’s ‘TO US’ Hits No. 2 on Oricon’s Daily Singles Chart as Music Shows Start Today

TWS’s second single “TO US” sold about 28,176 copies on its Japanese release day and placed No. 2 on Oricon’s daily singles ranking dated Nov. 3, so every album TWS have released since their 2024 debut has landed in the top ranks of that chart. At home, “TO US” sold 634,871 copies on release day (Nov. 2) and went straight to No. 1 on Hanteo’s daily album chart, the title track “내 이름을 불러줘” (literally “Call My Name”) climbed into the upper ranks of the Melon TOP100, and Billboard wrote that by talking honestly about trial and error, the single adds new depth to their music. The MV had 10,196,516 views when we checked. TWS begin music shows on KBS2’s “Music Bank” today (Nov. 6), then “Show! Music Core” on Nov. 7 and “Inkigayo” on Nov. 8, and their first-week tally runs through Nov. 8. Six boys singing about the imperfect parts of growing up: 42, this is the week to call their names loudly.

Sources: Herald Muse, Nov. 5, Newsen, Nov. 5, JTBC, YouTube views checked 4:58 a.m. KST, Nov. 6

Stray Kids, NMIXX, Lim Young-woong and TWICE’s Tzuyu Win AAA 2026 Popularity Awards

Final voting for the Asia Artist Awards 2026 Popularity Awards closed on Nov. 4 on the IDOLCHAMP app, with preliminary votes counting for 30% and finals for 70%. Stray Kids won the male group category with a final score of 363,729.2, NMIXX took the female group category with 280,435, Lim Young-woong led male solo singers with 125,521.1, and TWICE’s Tzuyu won female solo with 1,190,243.5 after more than 1.68 million final-round votes. On the acting side, Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon won. AAA 2026 takes place Dec. 5 and 6 at Kaohsiung National Stadium, with Tzuyu also co-hosting alongside IVE’s Jang Won-young, Ji Chang-wook and Sung Han-bin. A trophy that comes straight from fans’ thumbs: STAY, NSWER, Hero Generation and ONCE, you did that.

Sources: Star News, Nov. 5, Star News, Nov. 5

ROSÉ Will Be Inducted Into the Asian Hall of Fame in Los Angeles

BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ is being inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame as a representative figure of K-pop at its 22nd induction ceremony in Los Angeles on Nov. 5 (local time), The Korea Daily reported. CJ Group Vice Chair Miky Lee receives the Centennial Medal for lifetime achievement at the same ceremony, and past honorees, including Lee Soo-man, will introduce this year’s class. Bandmate LISA was inducted in an earlier year. ROSÉ’s latest MV, “new trick,” had 56,038,778 views when we checked. From “APT.” to a hall of fame: BLINKs, she’s earned this one.

Sources: The Korea Daily, Nov. 4 (LA time), YouTube views checked 4:58 a.m. KST, Nov. 6

ILLIT’s ‘jellyous’ MV Passes 100 Million Views, Their Third

ILLIT’s “jellyous” MV passed 100 million YouTube views at around 5:46 a.m. KST on Nov. 5, BELIFT LAB said, making it the group’s third 100-million-view MV after “Magnetic” and “It’s Me.” Released in June 2025 on their third mini album “bomb,” the song follows that fluttery “is this a date or not?” feeling, and the MV turns the members into game characters racing to answer a help message. It comes right after their fifth mini album “BREAK EVEN” (Oct. 26) set a new personal first-week best of 444,072 copies. A B-side-turned-favorite reaching nine figures more than a year later: GLLIT kept pressing replay.

Sources: Star Today (MK), Nov. 5, OSEN, Nov. 5

MAMAMOO Will Close Their ‘4WARD’ World Tour in Seoul on Jan. 2 and 3

RBW announced on Nov. 5 that MAMAMOO (Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa) will hold “MAMAMOO 2026 WORLD TOUR ‘4WARD’ FINALE in SEOUL” on Jan. 2 and 3, 2027, at Ticketlink Live Arena in Olympic Park. The tour opened in Seoul in June and has taken them to 18 cities, with the Seoul, Kaohsiung, Macau, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei shows sold out. The title joins “4,” for the four members, with “FORWARD,” after each of them spent years building a solo career. Starting the new year with all four of them on one stage: MooMoos, that’s the best New Year’s plan there is.

Sources: Sports Kyunghyang, Nov. 5, Tenasia, Nov. 5

New Boy Group ADAP Debut With ‘BUFFERING’

New six-member boy group ADAP (Dowon, Hyotae, Junseok, Jaeyoung, Hyunsung and Jongho) debuted on Nov. 5 with their first mini album “ALL DREAMS ARE POSSIBLE,” out at 6 p.m. KST. The four-track album is led by “BUFFERING,” about freezing up the moment you see someone you like, made with a producer who has worked on many SEVENTEEN songs. Hyotae, known from “Universe League,” said friends who debuted in AHOF had texted their congratulations, and Jaeyoung said BTS, ENHYPEN and IU had liked or commented on the members’ dance challenges before debut. “I want to be a son my parents are proud of,” Junseok said. Six boys who believe every dream is possible: welcome, ADAP.

Sources: Star Today (MK), Nov. 5, Sports Seoul, Nov. 5

UNCHILD Return With ‘TiNG TiNG’ as Dragon Pony Drop ‘Calling back’

UNCHILD (Tina, Na Ha-eun, Park Ye-eun, Ako and Ivon) came back on Nov. 5 with their second digital single “TiNG TiNG,” seven months after their first, swapping their signature “tree frog” for a feisty “poison frog” superhero concept. “We want to be called the No. 1 concept group,” they said at the showcase, and the MV had 1,906,420 views when we checked, less than a day after release. The same evening at 6 p.m., Antenna band Dragon Pony released the single “Calling back,” a song about holding on to memories after a breakup that builds from An Tae-gyu’s calm vocal into a storm of rock sound. Two very different sounds on the same night, and both fandoms got the comeback they waited for.

Sources: Tenasia, Nov. 5, Newsis, Nov. 5, OSEN, Nov. 5, YouTube views checked 4:58 a.m. KST, Nov. 6

P1Harmony’s 10th Mini Album ‘BLOW UP’ Drops Today at 2 p.m. KST

P1Harmony release their 10th mini album “BLOW UP” and its title track MV today (Nov. 6) at 2 p.m. KST, their first album in eight months. Ahead of the release, they held a fan showcase on Nov. 4 at Yonsei University’s auditorium styled as a “HERO SOCIETY INFO SESSION,” performing the new title track and B-side “Momentum” for the first time along with a concert-length setlist. The album completes the hero story the group has been building, with the title track about breaking limits and growing together. “We prepared this album really hard, so we’ll show you as much as you waited,” the members told fans. P1Harmony also perform at KGMA on Nov. 7. The heroes are back on duty, and P1ece already know the mission.

Sources: Sports Donga, Nov. 5, BNT News, Nov. 5, Newsis, Oct. 27 (KGMA lineup)

Mark Releases Early Winter Single ‘Happiest’ Today

Mark Lee releases his new single “Happiest” today (Nov. 6) at 2 p.m. KST through Upper Room, the one-person label he founded in June. The 22-second MV teaser opens with the words “WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?”, the same question Mark recently asked fans on social media, before showing him walking down a snowy street and singing on a bench in front of a Christmas tree. “Happiest” is an alternative pop R&B song that looks again at the small, familiar moments that make people happy. A warm early-winter song from Mark on his own terms: a lovely way to start the season.

Sources: Star Today (MK), Nov. 5, MBC Entertainment, Nov. 5

Awards Voting Watch: BTS and Hearts2Hearts Lead MAMA Fans’ Choice, PLAVE Leads MMA Artist of the Year

As of 10:01 p.m. KST on Nov. 5, BTS led the male Fans’ Choice vote for the 2026 MAMA Awards on Mnet Plus, followed by ENHYPEN, CORTIS, EVAN and NCT DREAM (tied for fourth) and BIGBANG. On the female side, Hearts2Hearts led ahead of BABYMONSTER, ILLIT, NMIXX and LE SSERAFIM. For MMA2026, PLAVE led Artist of the Year with 402,956 votes (27%) ahead of NCT WISH and BTS, and RESCENE led the Global Top 10 category with 541,360 votes (29%), according to the official site on the afternoon of Nov. 5. MMA voting runs until Nov. 13, and the MAMA Awards are Nov. 20 and 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka. Rankings will keep moving, so every fandom still has time to show up.

Sources: Topstar News, Nov. 5, Topstar News, Nov. 5

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TWS hit “Music Bank” tonight, KGMA fills Gocheok Sky Dome this weekend, and MMA2026 follows next week. I’ll be cheering for every one of them with you. See you tomorrow.

Featured photo: Stray Kids' Lee Know in a Marie Claire Korea video, April 2026. Photo: Marie Claire Korea (YouTube channel @marieclairekr) via YouTube/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (YouTube Creative Commons Attribution) (cropped and resized).