CJ ENM announced on August 18th, that 'K Contact High Five', which will be held from September 18th to 26th, is similar to a 'high-five' when you share the joy with the meaning of greetings on the 5th season. It is prepared in order to connect with K-pop fans around the world and communicate with them regardless of place and time. It plans to capture fans around the world through enhanced interactive elements such as personal talk and real-time communication maximization.

In addition, they revealed their first lineup for the event which are BTOB, Cipher, ENHYPEN, GHOST9, MAMAMOO, ONF, and PURPLE KISS.BTOB, who appeared on Mnet's 'Kingdom: Legendary War' and captured fans all over the world with their own colorful stage, and received praise as "BtoB as expected", will also appear on 'K Contact High Five' following last season. Expectations are high for BTOB knowing that they are the leader and eldest brother of K-POP.

Super Rookie Cypher also confirmed their appearance on the said show. Cypher, who exudes a refreshing and youthful charm, will also perform on the first stage of 'K Contact' through 'K Contact High Five'. Attention is focused on the stage shown by Cypher, who is currently in the process of growing into a global idol after debuting under the special support fire of senior seniors such as Rain and Hyori Lee.

After debuting through Mnet's 'I-LAND', ENHYPEN, which received various rookie awards and established itself as a '4th generation hot icon', was also named in the 'K Contact High Five' lineup. The Japanese debut single 'BORDER: 儚い' released last month, which received Gold Disc Platinum certification from the Japan Record Association, raises curiosity as to what color ENHYPEN will show given that they are currently growing as a global idol.Ghost9, who has released 4 albums in 9 months of debut and is showing that he is an icon of hard work, will also appear in 'K Contact High Five'. Fans are curious as to what kind of charm Ghost 9 will show this time, which has the modifier of 'growth idol' with various concepts and performances.

MAMAMOO, who is preparing for their first online concert, will also stand on the stage of 'K Contact High Five'. Expectations are growing as to what kind of stage MAMAMOO will perform in this 'K Contact High Five' specially that they were recognized as one of the most talented girl groups that showcase perfect stages not only for vocals but also for rap and performance every time. ONF, who drew attention for its powerful performance through Mnet's survival program 'Road to Kingdom', was also named in this lineup. The stage of ONF, which emits a lot of charms through digesting the refreshing concept with the new song 'Summer Soak', is also noteworthy.

The new girl group Purple Kiss, who appeared like a comet in the release of their first mini-album 'INTO VIOLET' in March this year, will also join the lineup. Purple Kiss, named as a 'balance idol' because it has both vocal and dance skills, as well as the ability to write lyrics, compose, and create choreography, as it is their first appearance on 'K Contact', expectations are rising on what kind of stage they will prepare to meet with fans.

'KCON: TACT HI 5', which raised expectations through releasing the first lineup, will be exclusively released on TV in Korea. Overseas fans can meet through KCON official and Mnet K-POP YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the event will start from September 18-26.

Hwanhee's agency, BT Entertainment, is firing back after serious fairness allegations were raised regarding the popular show ‘King of Singers Season 2’. They’ve denied all accusations and promised strong legal action for defamation.

On February 5th, the agency issued a statement through their official fan cafe, saying, “We want to correct the false claims.”

They explained that Hwanhee was initially approached to join the show in August 2024 by the production team. However, after checking with the event planning company, Dion Communication, they confirmed Hwanhee had no connection to the show or any related performances.

Despite this, the agency pointed out that certain media outlets published unverified articles, wrongly suggesting that Hwanhee’s involvement could compromise the fairness of the program.

BT Entertainment was quick to defend their artist, stressing the damage done to both Hwanhee's reputation and the agency itself due to these false claims. They added, "This has caused great harm to Hwanhee, who joined the program after careful consideration."

The statement didn’t stop there. BT Entertainment made it clear that they won’t stand for any further defamation. They said, “We are taking legal action against these baseless reports” and emphasized their commitment to protecting Hwanhee from any further harm.

They also reassured their fans, stating, “We will take swift action against any future misinformation to avoid any further harm to Hwanhee and his supporters.”

This controversy started after a media outlet raised concerns on January 23rd about Hwanhee’s participation in the show. The report claimed that BT Entertainment’s CEO, who is also a director at Dion Communication, had invested 1.1 billion KRW in the ‘King of Singers Season 2’ concert, leading to suspicions of favoritism towards certain contestants.

In the meantime, ‘King of Singers Season 2’ continues its intense competition, with Hwanhee making it to the semifinals. Fans are watching closely as he currently holds 1st place in the first round of the semifinals, cementing his position as a strong contender to represent Korea in the Korea-Japan King of Kings battle.

Source: [1]