Cortis [Big Hit Music]
Cortis [Big Hit Music]

K-pop groups Cortis and KATSEYE, Le Sserafim member Huh Yunjin, and actor Ha Ye-rin have all been named to Variety's 2026 Young Hollywood Impact research note, the US entertainment publication's annual list of talented artists aged 18 to 28 poised to shape the future of the entertainment industry.

Variety unveiled the list on its official website.

The publication spotlighted Cortis — a five-member group from Big Hit Music comprising Juhoon, James, Martin, Seonghyun and Geonho — as hip-hop artists who blend pop-punk sensibilities, in keeping with their name's meaning of "coloring outside the lines." The group is Big Hit Music's first major act since BTS.

Their debut EP, released in September last year, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 15 on the strength of singles "What You Want" and "FaSHioN," setting a record as the second-highest charting debut album by a K-pop group of all time.

"The next chapter will be about growing while staying true to who we are," Cortis said. "Even as our sound and style evolve, we hope people can always instinctively recognize us as Cortis."

Global girl group KATSEYE, a joint venture between Hybe and Geffen Records under Universal Music, earned recognition for performing at the Grammy Awards and making their Coachella debut in April. Variety called the group "one of the most outstanding girl groups in contemporary pop music." The publication also noted that KATSEYE will release their documentary "KATSEYE: Wild Heights" in theaters and drop a new EP titled "Wild" on Wednesday, with a world tour to follow in the fall.

Variety praised Le Sserafim's Huh Yunjin, who began her K-pop journey at 16, as more than just a group member — describing her as a songwriter and creative force who has helped define the group's direction. Huh cited her performance at the 2024 MTV VMAs as a career highlight, recalling how she had watched the show as a child when English felt foreign to her. "With new music and a world tour ahead, I'm reflecting deeply on the group's identity and growth," she said. "No matter what changes, the essence of what makes Le Sserafim who we are will remain."

Ha Ye-rin, a Korean-Australian actor and granddaughter of veteran actor Son Sook, was also named to the list as a next-generation leader for her role as Sophie Beckett in the Netflix blockbuster "Bridgerton" Season 4, in which she portrayed a woman who forges an independent life despite the constraints of her social standing. She is currently filming "Bridgerton" Season 5. "I want to fill the next chapter of my career with work that shapes discourse and unflinchingly illuminates even the darker sides of human life," Ha told Variety.


shee@heraldcorp.com